I've just watched episode 3 of Dr Aleks Krotoski's BBC programme The Virtual Revolution - The Cost of Free, examining the rise of Google (especially of Adwords) and how it and other companies use our freely-given information for profit.
She said the following, explaining the power of Google's Adwords proposition: "What if you knew precisely what your customers wanted at any time, and could instantly provide them with it? With that information they could create tailor-made ads that would target directly the customers who were likely to buy their products without wasting money on the people who wouldn't". Indeed. The Holy Grail. And about Adwords Eric Schmidt, CEO, Google said "You can speak to each individual as though they were a different person; it's not a broadcast mechanism, it's a narrowcasting mechanism".
So, if you take for granted that in business we're all connected 24/7, that knowledge is power, and personalised communication essential, then just how do you go about finding out what your clients, current and potential, are interested in? After all, they're sitting behind firewalls and security settings that mean when they do (if they do) hit your web site you don't know it's them. They're constantly browsing and downloading, bookmarking, tagging and forwarding and you don't know - other than from aggregated results amongst whom your targets are but a few - what they're interested in. But with PRISM you do. If they're getting their news and updates, commentary and opinion through and from you, you can profile all you like, and act accordingly, when you like. They're your clients, you know precisely what article they read, and when. And they're a subset of all your potential clients too, so the benefits are wider-ranging, feeding into your broader PR, and online messaging.
Peter Greatorex, Managing Director, Page Nine Limited. www.page9.co.uk
