Latest on FTC Do Not Track - Why it May Impact Advertisers More Than Expected

Internet users should have control and transparent knowledge of how internet companies are using their data. Sounds good right? Sure, however this could send the traditional advertising world into a tailspin. And if you are an online content publisher who looks to make money by putting advertising on your website your game may also need to change.
The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) introduced a Do Not Track legislation in 2010 that has been well publicized. In addition, each of the major Web browser vendors have come up with their own unique approach to preventing web surfing activity from being tracked.

There is another piece that happened recently. On March 4, 2011 US House Representative Cliff Stearns (R-FL) told about plans to introduce new legislation that would give users the ability to control how their info is used in advertising. The bill would go along with the FTC's own privacy agenda that addresses user tracking and the FTC would be the enforcer. "We need to place the control over consumer information with the actual consumer themselves," Stearns said recently at a panel discussion at the Technology Policy Institute. This is where you can see a link to the CSPAN video with his comments.

Stay tuned this is about to get very interesting …

Enough of flying babies lets get back to Harvard

We've been a bit busy getting caught up in the super bowl commercials and their flying babies and all that.  So now it's back to the higher brain power stuff and we finally caught up on our Harvard Business Review reading.  In December 2010 they published an interesting paper called The New Conversation: Taking Social Media from Talk to Action which can be seen directly here.  In case you are still caught up with the flying babies here is an excerpt.  We found the executive summary to be the most interesting.  It's possible that is all we read.

Except from Executive Summary:
"Despite the vast potential social media brings, many companies seem focused on social media activity primarily as a one-way promotional channel, and have yet to capitalize on the ability to not only listen to, but analyze, consumer conversations and turn the information into insights that impact the bottom line.

For instance:
- Three-quarters (75%) of the companies in the survey said they did not know where their most valuable customers were talking about them.
- Nearly one-third (31%) do not measure effectiveness of social media.
- Less than one-quarter (23%) are using social media analytic tools.
- A fraction (7%) of participating companies are able to integrate social media into their marketing activities.
 
“Too many companies have not evolved from what I call ‘shout marketing’ — think TV, newspapers, magazine ads — to influence by initiating and participating in conversations with consumers,” he said. “There needs to be a generational shift.”
(end quote)
 
Essentially, if you can do better than these statistics you will be a leader and your company will reap the benefits.  We see 2011 as the year this generational shift will become material, when companies move from just listening to actually participating and measuring their social efforts, and we anticipate that ROI will be a material driver for this to happen in an integrated manner.  We would love to hear how that is going send us your stories at gofish - at - rumbafish.com

Do you know where your social commerce strategy is?

"Only 20% of companies have a social commerce strategy moving to 85% in 2011" says Altimeter Group.

Well, that is the lead comment as we start out the new year.  So if you haven't thought about your social commerce strategy, or you need to motivate to put it into action, this is the time.  Because if you aren't doing it your competitors will be.