Being Stalked by retargeting? Have you been taught to resent a brand you once liked because they won’t stop retargeting you yet? Want it to stop?
If so…the quick Answer is .. go to: Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising. and Opt Out of Behavioral Targeting. This single website covers most digital display networks and many advertisers / publishers. The full list of who your Opt Out may ideally block from targeting you is at Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising.
For the record I’m not opted out, but friends have asked me how they can. For me, the sheer joy of poorly managed retargeting and the benefit of optimised retargeting is reward alone to stay “Opted In??”.
Honesty disclaimer..I work at a organistion that does retargeting (any and all media agencies will) and I have worked on behavioural systems prior, so I could as easily give you an essay on the benefits of behavioral targeting to advertisers and the public, but for now lets look at where there are some gremlins.
For those of you unsure what I am talking about, Retargeting is (crudely stated) a cookie based way of following you around the web after you visit a website and showing you adverts on 3rd party websites that should persuade you to come back and buy/sign up/complete one of the advertisers various goals at the original advertisers site that you left so calously.
Retargeting can be used very well and achieve high ROAS, but unless it is frequency capped (i.e. after so many ads shown to you and no click, it goes away) and well optimised to the audience it can be inappropriate or start feeling like stalking.
I have 4 current examples. P&O Ferries have been showing me various ads across the Google Display Network for ages since I visited their website. As it was I took the Eurostar…so I feel a bit guilty but no more likely to travel P&O Ferries.
Next up is Opentag, their advert now turns up everywhere. I need to speak with these guys next week and looked at their site for contact details, now our first topic of conversation will be “nice biscuits, by the way…can you call off your display advertising retargeting hounds. ”
SEOmoz (who I love) was next, I didn’t sign up for an account when I visited the site (Because my team already pays for 30 or so SEOmoz accounts). In short, nice robot advert Rand, but you’re literally preaching to the converted….at last count….76 times.
Then we have The Grange Hotel, you didn’t have rooms when I wanted one…but like a blind date that didn’t quite work out…Grange is determined there was some chemistry..really….you’re back time and time and time and time and time and ….time again. ” Grange…I slept with Hilton…. I’m so sorry Grange…but please let me move on…you weren’t there when I needed you, Hilton was.”
Sometimes I even get 2 adverts from The Grange if I’m lucky.
So all in all….I have now seen adverts for 4 advertisers almost constantly for 5 days (to the near exclusion of all other adverts). I know how to turn them off, but like some Stockholm Syndrome sufferer I’m almost feeling like they are my friends…what will happen when my four adverts, for products and services I either have or won’t buy…finally go away. How will I feel?
I may have to edit my cookie settings as I am not sure I can handle the rejection of the retargeting being cross network frequency capped or maybe..horror…spending all their money on me and running out of budget due to my perhaps misunderstood glances.
If you like to do the dumping first….get yourself to About Ads and Opt Out as you see fit. For me, I may have just one more look at The Onion on Youtube and see if The Grange is there for me…..
Was Sleeping with Hilton a Mistake?
Bill Staples ---/--- Bill on Business 