The benefit of Open Graph to Marketers is clear: data tracking (duh).
From new movie releases, tv shows and music to news stories and e-retail, marketers and advertisers are salivating over the thought of us “liking” just about everything and anything. I know there’s a lot of concern over privacy (as there well should be), but doesn’t Open Graph take us just a little closer toward true Inter-Internet customization?
I do find it somewhat shady, that we’re enticed with unicorns and rainbows and even more instant access to every thought, whim and feeling of our nearest and dearest (sweet!), but on the other hand, it truly is a novel idea: free-flowing exchange of personal everywhere at any time. I have no idea to what end.
The drawback: access our… everything. The database (read: permanent database) that is being collected against your browsing habits and interests. For. The. Rest. Of. Time.
You could argue, we’ve been ad-targeted before and we’ll be targeted for all the days ahead, so why not let the companies have at our information? Why not let them see what we like, personalize ads by interest, habit, compulsion, and obsession. If we publicly “like” something, we’re pretty much announcing it to the world anyway, right? (Just be careful on those XXX sites, ladies and gents!).
Personally if I’m going to be targeted for ads and promotions anyway, I’d rather them be tailored to my interests. I’m certainly not going to turn my computer back in to Apple (you’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands). So, lets just say I’m open to Open Graph. For now.
Here’s a great article via e-Marketer.com by Debra Aho Williamson and her conversation with Facebook’s VP. For some reason I find his first answer to her first question outright laughable:
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eMarketer: What do yesterday’s announcements mean for marketers?
Mike Murphy: Yesterday was very much about developers, much more than it was about advertisers. Yesterday’s announcements really had nothing to do with advertising.
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Yeah right.
But, let’s play. I’m ultimately curious to see how this all unfolds.
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