NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Ratings: What is Optimal?
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Ratings: What is Optimal?
jgehman_at_creativelabs.com
Wed, 7 Oct 1998 14:25:52 -0500 (CDT)
Sure, there are some technical issues with a User-Centric
model. If it was easy to implement, no doubt someone would
have done it already. The fact that no one is happy with
existing measurement and tracking, reinforces the need for a
different approach. For too long, we have let technology
gate business objectives. First, identify the problem. The
solution will be found.
Moreover, User-Centric doesn't actually require knowledge of
name, address, etc. Just that data related to a discrete
user is captured. The first step is profiling users,
aggregating the data and making decisions in a batch
process. The next step is interacting with that data in
real-time. For example, serving ads and content, real-time
performance metrics, benchmarking, decision support, etc.
One way this could be done without a RK, _at_Plan or PC Meter
is to start by serving all the ads third-party. The first
time an eyeball views one of the billion ads, cookie them.
Next time they show up (same site, another site or your own
site), you'll know it's ID#123 or whatever. You have now
identified a repeat visitor. Keep doing this, tagging your
database with every banner they see, where and when they see
it, how long they view, whether they click, etc. When users
come to your site, track all page views via the same cookie.
If users visit your site without a cookie, serve them a
cookie that can also be read by your third-party ad server.
This is the core of your User-Centric database.
At the same time you are profiling just the users that see
your ads and content, some industry consortium needs to be
aggregating this data for everyone's users--not just yours.
This way, you can find out things like the Comp % of your
users on various sites. Again, this paves the way for more
benchmarking, measurement, indexing, etc.
Eventually, some users with ID's will show up on your site
and either buy something or download a driver. You've just
linked John Doe from Mainstreet, Anytown USA with a whole
series of data points associated with ID#123. Keep doing
this. If you are buying ads in the right places, you should
hopefully be reaching users that will come back to your site
and the database will grow to be meaningfully large. Next,
all the user surveys that you conduct should be tied in via
the same cookie. Now you've added dozens of additional data
points on everything from demos, to media habits, to
attitudes, etc. Admittedly this is recall, but it will have
to do for now.
Success is not dependent on 100% accuracy nor on a complete
profile of every visitor. If we had 10% of our 20 million
online users profiled with 90% linkage accuracy for 75-100
data points each, we'd have a tremendous level of insight
into dozens of business decisions--decisions that are made
today without this benefit.
Of course in the meantime, while waiting for people to show
up on your site and provide their name and other info, you
can be working with Engage or whoever to supplement your
data with other user data--whether they buy online, like to
fish, just bought a new PC, have kids, etc. Now you could
potentially have 150-300 data points on some users. This
requires the development of an "infomediary." Someone who
has everything from DMV and Voter Registration data, to
click-stream and online purchase history.
The big stumbling block to making this happen is the ability
to integrate tools from lots of vendors--NetGravity,
Accipiter, Engage, Andromedia, Accrue, NetGenesis,
MarketWave, Vignette, Aptex, etc. Lots of hardware to run
it. IMHO you're going to need half a dozen or more robust
Sun boxes. And a huge bucket of money for licensing,
consulting, installation, etc.
Who out there is doing this already?
===========================
Joel Gehman, Internet Marketing Analyst
mailto:jgehman_at_creativelabs.com
408-428-6600 x6904
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