Yahoo Rich Ads in Search: Is the Other Shoe Dropping?

A couple weeks ago I reviewed my 2008 predictions for search marketing here and posted my 2009 predictions for search marketing to the Resolution Media blog.

Both lists called for search engines to incorporate display ads on search results pages. Today, one of my colleagues at RM, Dan Kuthy, (who blogs at Blue Chip SEO) pointed me to an image ad on Yahoo SERPs that we're running for our Lowe's client. It's part of Yahoo's Rich Ads in Search (RAIS) platform that embeds site shortcuts and search functionality along with a thumbnail into the sponsored listings space. Right now this placement is limited to brand terms but, with Yahoo struggling to satisfy shareholders and drive revenue (not to mention, innovate ahead of Google), I suspect we'll seem them take this a few steps further.

Here's the ad in context:



And here's a closeup:

The Privacy Lobby

(The privacy lobby, hmm -- sounds like something out of Eyes Wide Shut... the password is Fidelio.)

I just came across this piece in Media Post about a group of privacy advocates that recently met with Obama's FTC transition team to "urge that the government more aggressively regulate the online advertising industry."

One of those advocates, Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection at the Consumer Federation of America is referenced as saying, "her organization was concerned that some consumers could face tangible consequences due to behavioral targeting. For instance, she said, companies could potentially use information gleaned from tracking people online to make different offers to different people."

Stop the presses! Companies could use online data to show different offers to different people!?! We must get the word out! This could be catastrophic. Imagine if all those erectile dysfunction emails were only sent to older men. Of if ads for diapers were only shown to adults with young children. How infuriating would that be!?!

As folks who are hip to my Highly Targeted eBay experiment will know, I believe we need to focus less on protecting consumer's privacy and more on helping them profit from all the data that's available about them online. Rather than spook people with stories of big brother watching, let's show them the value their data offers to marketers such as, gasp... providing different offers to different people.