What's the difference between targeted advertising & intrusive advertising?

This morning I walked into my kitchen in a sleepy haze, half awake and trying to determine what day of the week it was whilst hunting for coffee. My morning continues like this: coffee, check in on my daughter, and flick on the news before settling into a day of emails and zooms. Alexa begins her morning routine with a familiar ”Hi Ben.” Here she goes, I think, about to inform me of the traffic warnings on the A414, or that February’s frost is on its way. Oh, how wrong was I. 

“Based on your order history it looks like you should be ordering shampoo and conditioner. Would you like me to add it to your basket?” [ALEXA]

Don’t be daft, I think to myself. I’m pretty sure I would know if I was about to run out of shampoo and conditioner. No computer - no matter how smart it is, or what clever algorithms have created my digital blueprint - will ever know my consumption of shampoo better than myself. So, I declined the offer with a sense of righteousness. However, this sense of empowerment quickly dissolved when I peeped into the bathroom to discover that I had, in fact, run out of shampoo and conditioner.

How on EARTH did Alexa know before me? Am I grateful? Freaked out? Or is this just coincidence? 

Now, you would be correct in saying “But Ben, you work in data. Surely out of everyone, you know how these things work?” And you would be correct. I am normally very much a pro-data kind of guy, and will share my personal data with the brands I trust in order to make life that little bit easier. I love Netflix recommending me films and series to watch. I love Google setting my home destination up when I get into my car. I even love my ASOS clothing recommendations (who doesn’t love a bit of retail therapy, eh?). 

So why was I freaked out when Alexa preempted my lack of shampoo upkeep? Why did this feel more intrusive than all the other aspects of data sharing that I loved? 

I came to the conclusion that it was a mixture of the medium and the product. I’ll admit, I am starting to sound like the old man lent on the pub bar who shouts about the “interweb listening into every conversation he has had”, but I truly am a little nervous when it comes to smart speakers. I have absolutely no control over the information it is picking up about me on a daily basis. If I rationalise this morning's recommendation in my head, it was obviously based on my previous order history and a mathematical calculation in the average time it takes for shampoo and conditioner to be used. But, where does this cleverness end? What if it hears my new baby crying, and begins recommending nappies, or baby food? Does this cross the line?

In tandem, I think it was also the product that touched a nerve. The shower is my time. Private time (no funny business). Time away from emails, my phone, the TV. Can I literally no longer shower without wondering if my Alexa is listening in?! I appreciate I now sound a tad bonkers, and my irrational thoughts may be completely unjustified, and likely not even possible. But, lest we forget, once upon a time we all thought a cordless phone was impossible. I mean, what would our ancestors say if they could see us now, posting digital images to a mobile phone, which can then be seen by anyone in the world via a platform called social media? The art of the impossible, often becomes, possible. 

What struck me about my conundrum, is that the more I thought about it, the more I understood why it happened and how it will likely become the norm for me in the future. I mean, Alexa was correct. I did need to top up my shampoo and conditioner, and with a busy job and a newborn, it was pretty useful to be reminded. Ultimately, I don’t think it is as simple as saying this method of targeting is neither intrusive or genius. It is a clear sign of where technology and AI is heading. What's more, there is a whole heap of factors to take into consideration in and outside of the technology that underpins digital innovation: the product, the brand, the environment the consumer is in, and (most importantly) the individual. And if I, Ben Chivers, have opted to buy an Alexa, log in with my Amazon account, and place my Alexa in the heart of my home, then why wouldn’t I expect it to inform me of when I need to buy my next shampoo? 

At the end of the day, it’s about smart marketing and the value exchange. How can brands and businesses guide consumers to their product, with clever, intuitive methodologies that help save time, create less daily pressures and ease the way of life - but without, freaking the living daylights out of you? We spoke to Executive Creative Director, Walter Geer on our podcast last year, who spoke about biometric research, a project based in a scientific lab which linked humans up to machines able to identify individuals emotions and reactions to images, contexts and situations. The idea being, advertisers could tap into a state of mind, and really understand when to target audiences in the right time and place, based on their emotional state. Interesting? Absolutely. Scary? Yes.

We are human beings. We take time to adjust to change, and we like to really understand things before we invest. Yes, we want advertising and technology to compliment and enhance our daily lives, but do I really want my devices to know my deepest, darkest thoughts? Do I need my Alexa to know how I feel, and when I feel it? Advertisers need to empathise towards these human instincts, bring us into the next wave of digital innovation slowly, and with full transparency. 

Despite coming to a conclusion that Alexa was in fact being a clever clogs versus spying on me in the shower (little pervert), I waited four days before I purchased my shampoo and conditioner. From Amazon. Jeff always wins. 

My takeaway? Many of our clients at Silverbullet are going through this same level of uncertainty: technology has the power to pinpoint individuals and give them a unique creative and advertising experience for a specific product. However, just because technology allows this, should companies be taking full advantage? Or, as I mentioned earlier, should we empathise with our consumers and do what's right for them as a person; as an individual; as a human.

What do you think?