Home > Blog > May 2010 > When Behavioural Targeting Needs an ASBO

When Behavioural Targeting Needs an ASBO

ASBO? That's Anti-Social Behaviour Order for non-British readers. This blog post could be called "what happens when behavioural targeting goes wrong" or "hunted by the remarketer".

The upshot? KLM is stalking me.

Here's what happened. I bought a plane ticket to Amsterdam for a bout of gastronomy and another task ticked off the foodie to-do list. After a spot of intensive searching, I plumped for KLM. Bought the ticket, took the flight, fab weekend. Voila!

Or so I thought...

I started to get a nagging feeling that wasn't quite right. First on a visit to Technews.am:

KLM Advert on Technews.am

and then checking out a presentation on Slideshare:

KLM Advert on Slideshare

and a spot of research on Drupal themes:

KLM Advert on Drupal-Theme.net

Seeing a theme yet? Now my Dutch isn't up to much, or in fact anything. But KLM's creative agencies were doing their job and I started seeing the ads all over the place, including whilst I was blogging for work on Chinwag.com.

Thing is. I'd bought my ticket. Wasn't buying a second one. Not a frequent traveller on that route. So, doing some guesswork on the targeting logic.

First-time buyer scores a ticket. Let's remarket to that sucker on every site that runs network ads (DoubleClick, I'd wager). But that logic is totally broken. How many times am I going to go back and buy a ticket? Straight away? Unlikely.

Re-inforce their brand. Well, yes send me useful emails. Let me check-in online. Provide great service, all good brand stuff but quite it with the constant ads. If this is behavourial targeting, then it's at best wasteful, and at worst rapidly becoming anti-social.

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Thu, 20/05/2010 - 08:48 — Steven Hope

The retargeting here really

The
retargeting here really isn’t being used to it’s full potential I think. First I’d
have suggested the creative being served encourages users to upgrade their seat
or to spend on the flight, with the number of ads capped at only a few. After
that, the creative being served would focus on a repeat flight. If the user
visits the KLM site (either post-click or post-view) but doesn’t make a
purchase then those users can start being targeted with reduced rates and more
incentive. If they still don’t book, then generic branding ads can be served in
their place.

 Retargeting
is really an amazing tool done right, as it extends the communication beyond
the initial placement and can work with the user throughout the whole buying
cycle to give them the best help possible. I think the problem you experienced
was the irrelevance of the ads, I’d like to think from an advertisers point of
view that if the ads had been more relevant such as ‘Remember KLM the next time
you go Dutch!’ then the ads would have been more appreciated.

Thu, 20/05/2010 - 08:58 — Sam Michel

Good point, well made. I

Good point, well made. I think it's the clumsy use less than the retargeting itself.

Having spoken to friends about this, seems like it's a common problem. A friend bought a car stereo only to be plagued with ads for car stereos for weeks afterwards.

I suppose it's the advertiser's money, but you have to wonder if the client knows how the planner/buyers are using their spend. Or is this a result of poorly used demand-side buying platforms or other automation?

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