What Would YOU do if YOU were Google?
It seems Google, a company I greatly admire, has a conundrum on its hands: what to do with the treasure drove of data it has at its disposal.
The key issue, of course, is over-stepping privacy boundaries which can lead to consumer mistrust and adversely impact revenue and profits. People do not like to do business with companies that they do not trust.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “A confidential, seven-page Google Inc. “vision statement” shows the information-age giant in a deep round of soul-searching over a basic question: How far should it go in profiting from its crown jewels—the vast trove of data it possesses about people’s activities?”
The article correctly points out that “Google is overwhelmingly important to online privacy. Roughly 75% of global Internet users, or 943.8 million people, used its services in June, more than any other Web company, according to comScore.”
As the leader in search marketing, what Google decides to do will have a ripple effect as other players will likely follow Google’s lead.
Advertisers want uber-segmented audiences so they can properly target their messages to those most likely to buy their products/services. Consumers worry that too much information crosses the privacy line and, if they feel their privacy has been violated, will react — very strongly.
It’s a real business dilemma. How it is handled will have lasting implications on the web and web-based marketing.
What would you do?
