Someone is Watching You!

Let me start saying that spying on you is the new way of making money.  

Accessing to markets information is the most powerful tool a marketer can have, and BlueCava offers the technology to grant a VIP access to it.

BlueCava has been recognized for its “patented way of identifying the unique fingerprint of any Internet connected electronic device.” In simple words, no mater what electronic device you are using to go online, whether is a cellphone, a game consoled, or a computer, your information is been legally tracked and recorded through its platform technology without you even notice.

The technology has been around for the past decade; however, its marketing application is a recent concept.  Its effectiveness relies on the ability to covert data into valuable, reliable, and real time information that consistently provide target markets relationships. 

The technology is based on what they have called the “3 big” platforms:

The Device Identification Platform is capable of recognizing personally identifiable information. This information is then used to analyze behavior of related devices.

The Device Reputation Platform goes one step further and allows them to analyze your device’s past behavior and then decide whether is convenience or not to establish device communication for business purposes.

 Finally, Reputation Exchange Platform offers clients a quick exchange of devices behavior in more than 100 categories.

 

As you can see, you are no longer a mystery.  Your information is easily gathered and exchanged in ways you might not even imagine.  From your device information, passing through to your browsing behavior, all the way to your personal information can be known depending on how explicit you are when you are online; even your geographical location can be determined.

For the peace of your mind, someone is doing something about it. Whether it is effective or not, that’s a completely different thing.

The Federal Trade Commission and the Commerce Department have been working on a proposal for legislation on online privacy. So far, the proposal is grounded on the idea of bringing choice control to the consumer. Opt-out mechanisms are already being implemented, and guess what, they have not been effective. The report doesn’t offer explanations on how are the proposed opt-out any better than the previous ones.

The concern on online privacy has already been raised, but the solutions are full of ambiguities and they also are unfeasible when it comes to a real world implementation.

In my opinion, online privacy still is far away from us.

So smile,

Say Bye to your privacy, and

Say Hi to the screen! Still there is someone watching you in the other side. 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704679204575646704100959546.html?mod=what_they_know

http://www.bluecava.com

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/12/privacyreport.shtm

Groupon: Deal or No Deal

Today, I have good news for you; it is called Groupon. This new business concept is revolutionizing the e-commerce marketplace. Groupon is making a lot of money by transforming the concept of benefiting from large scale sales into the new idea of collective buying power, isn’t that just genius?  Whether you are a consumer, a merchant, or you are just looking around for a new advertising option, Groupon offers a great deal for you.

For the consumer, there is a daily deal to look up for. More than a coupon service, Groupon acts like a city guide negotiating discounts for a variety of products and services within well rated local businesses. Groupon not just offers you deals of your favorite activities, but it also gives you the opportunity to try new places and products.

If you are wondering how it works, well, it is really simple. First, consumers subscribe to Groupon to receive the deals. Groupon features a deal every day; the deal is available just for 24 hours. Then, consumers who are interested in the deal buy it. The key is how you get your deal. Groupon’s business is based on the idea of sharing and broadcasting the deals. Therefore, if a certain number of people buy the same deal you bought, you get your deal, otherwise no deal. Either way, it is risk free. If the deal is not settled, anything is lost, but if you get the deal, you just have saved you some money for something you want, so redeem it and enjoy it.  

From the merchant perspective, Groupon’s value relied on its ability to deliver customers and brand exposure for their businesses. The idea is that when redeeming the coupon, customer end up spending more than just the coupon. Moreover, if a great experience is provided, customer will be likely to return and comment about it in social networks. What does it cost to businesses? There is not money upfront required, but businesses must commit to provide at least a 50% discount in the deal in order to be featured in Groupon. If there is no deal, Groupon is free for the business, no discount will be given and Groupon will still advertising it in its business newsletter.

For those of you who look a Groupon as an advertising platform, the deal is also on. Groupon is claiming to “keep consumers engaged in a way traditional marketing can’t match”. Groupon studies conclude that businesses were able to gain a big amount of customers and to increase their cash flows within days and without paying upfront. However, Groupon is not for every business. Business have to consider their ability to handle large number of costumers and most important their ability to afford a 50% cut in their products or services.

  

 For me is definitely a deal…. What about you?

Resources:

http://thenextweb.com/location/2010/03/24/groupon-ceo-andrew-mason-talks-growth-clones-groupon-coupon-site/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/3018344/groupon_business_model.html?cat=3

http://tomuse.com/groupon-daily-deal-site-local-advertising-platform-businesses/