Targeted content works. It’s no surprise that we are more likely to engage with a business if it presents things that are actually relevant to us. And with all of the data available to advertisers, there’s simply no excuse to waste dollars or end user frustration by showing an ad for snow blowers in San Diego. But even with the success of targeted ads, consumers have pushed back on the amount and types of data used to personalize. Using location, family status, gender or social connections in an ad can go well beyond “targeted” and into the realm of “creepy”. But where _exactly_ is that line? Is gender out of bounds? What about gender AND age? What if the gender and age are intrinsic to the use of a product? To answer these questions, an Agency teamed up with a University for a research project aimed at discovering when, and in what circumstances, targeting goes from useful to uncomfortable. Come to this session to see how we quantify the relative creepiness of targeted content.

1. QUANTIFYINGCREEPY
HOWMUCH IS TOOMUCH TARGETING?
A DUAL PANELPROPOSAL FOR SXSW2015
Jason Carmel
SVP, Marketing Sciences
POSSIBLE
Sanjay Puligadda
Associate Professor, Marketing
Farmer School of Business
Miami University

2. GENERIC
CREEPINESS = 0
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
GET GREAT SHOES SHOP NOW 
TARGETED

3. GENERIC
CREEPINESS = 3
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
GET GREAT SHOES
FOR HIKING RAINIER
SHOP NOW 
TARGETED

4. GENERIC
CREEPINESS = 19
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
GREAT HIKING SHOES FOR
TODDLERS 3-5 YEARS OLD
SHOP NOW 
TARGETED

5. GENERIC TARGETED
CREEPINESS = 39
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
STILL THINKING ABOUT THOSE SHOES?
MAYBE A 20% OFF COUPON WILL SEAL THE DEAL! SHOP NOW 

6. GENERIC TARGETED
CREEPINESS = 57
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
THOSE SHOES ARE PERFECT FOR YOUR UPCOMING CRUISE.
DANCE ON THE PROMENADE DECK WITH 20% OFF. SHOP NOW 

7. GENERIC TARGETED
CREEPINESS = 93
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
MOM
SHOP NOW 
DOES LUCY NEED
NEW SHOES?
DEALS ON TODDLER
FOOTWEAR 3-5
YEARS OLD
SHIPPED IN TIME FOR
GRANDMA’S VISIT
NEXT WEEK
BTW, if you need a new,
saucy pair of pumps for
your cruise with Phil while
Grandma babysits, we can hook
you up too.

8. GENERIC TARGETED
CREEPINESS = ??
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
WHERE DOES YOUR
AD FALL ON THE SCALE?
?
?
?
???

9. GENERIC TARGETED
CREEPINESS = ??
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
WHERE DO PEOPLE
SEE VALUE?
?
?
?
???

10. GENERIC TARGETED
CREEPINESS = ??
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
WHERE DO PEOPLE
RUN SCREAMING?
?
?
?
???

11. GENERIC TARGETED
CREEPINESS = ??
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
HOW CAN YOU
KNOW FOR SURE?
?
?
?
???

12. GENERIC TARGETED
CREEPINESS = ??
POSITIVE
BRAND
VIEW
NEGATIVE
BRAND
VIEW
(OR AT LEAST BE BETTER AT GUESSING?)
?
?
?
???

13. WHAT EXACTLYTRIGGERSCREEPINESSFROMTARGETING?
An Agency and a University teamed up on a research project to find the answer.
To hear the results of the study, please consider voting for our panel.
Who knows. It might even make advertising a better place.
Jason Carmel
SVP, Marketing Sciences
POSSIBLE
Sanjay Puligadda
Associate Professor, Marketing
Farmer School of Business
Miami University