Times Square — also known as the “crossroads of the world” — was recently the site for a huge electronic ad for IntraLinks. Attached to the side of the W hotel at 47th and Broadway in the heart of New York City, the 30x40-foot ad dazzled on the largest high definition screen in the city. Seen by 1.6 million people every day, the promotion was one element of an ongoing co-branding campaign with NYSE Euronext, the home of IL shares.
We're right in the middle of those hazy, lazy days of summer, when it can be challenging to stay focused on serious business issues. But one thing that I have been reading and thinking about lately is the fine line between gaining more insight into your clients and prospects and crossing that line into the gray space that feels more like invasion of privacy. I don't mean invasion in the legal or technical sense but in an ethical and moral sense. When is staying close to your customer a little too close?
I'm not the only one thinking about this issue of course. The July 31, 2009 New York Times had a cover article entitled, "Ads Follow Web Users, and Get More Personal" which addressed some of these same concerns. Technology is enabling us to learn more about our clients and prospects in their daily lives and particularly in their online lives. We can now have a front row seat observing them as they surf the web, transact online and view material on demand. It's a cornucopia of information!