Sometime this month, in addition to responding to the Privacy policy headaches that Sen. Shuman, Sen. Al Franken are demanding answers to, Facebook has side stepped some of these issues by doing the shell game here.
Look at the monkey. Look at the monkey. Just like any cheap showman's act designed to distract you from the Facebook privacy nightmare they created last week Facebook is now offering "Location" to Facebook.
What does adding Location Mean? Let me give you an example.
First marketer up to bat with this is McDonalds, the hamburger franchise.
As if we had no clue where the local McGrease restaurant is -- now anyone with Facebook on your mobile platform can target your kids with special coupons, chirps and sounds to lure you to the nearest McDonalds using Facebook location and GPS proximity alert technology.
You drive by a McDonalds and you have your Facebook app on and you get a coupon slipped into your iPhone, iPad or other smart phone device.
This technology is already being experimented with by many retail merchants. You walk by the local Starbucks and a proximity ad delivery system slips a tiny banner ad into your Smart Phone and says "Come into Starbucks and say (some phrase) and get 10% off your Double Expresso machiato with extra heavy cream and nuts."
This is interruption marketing at it's finest. Finally, marketers have invented a way for them to send you a broadcast AD banner if you are walking or driving by. Because when it comes to targeted advertising -- this is about as insane as it's gonna get. The more electronic toys and gadgets you have -- the more chances you're gonna get to get peppered and pelted with gazillions of ads.
This is a huge potential lawsuit waiting to happen. Here's why.
You're driving to work: Your cell phone is turned on, and on the seat next to you. You drive by McDonalds. Or Starbucks and you get a chirp/ring and a banner ad / coupon gets pushed into your phone as you drive by.
It's not a phone call, but you reach down for the phone and at the same time you smash into the back of somebody's pick up truck.
Trust me. It's going to happen and some lawyer like Sokolove on TV is already drooling over this one.
Interruption marketing ads pushed into your cell phone as you walk or drive by a retail store.
It's coming.
And you heard it from the Bartman first.
Comments(30)