The other day, I had stopped into
the mall and was checking out a new fall cologne at the fragrance counter. (In
case you’re wondering, I sadly didn’t find one that was worthy of the upcoming
cool weather.)
Several hours later, when I was at
home and jumped online, I noticed display advertising from that same retailer
advertising the same cologne I tried on. The brand itself was pretty obscure
and I hadn’t searched for it online previously. This couldn’t be coincidence!
It turns out that it probably
wasn’t. I may have inadvertently beta tested the next generation of retargeting
courtesy of Google. An article on Digiday.com discusses a new program Google is
testing that links smartphone location data (tracking store visits, for example)
to online search behavior. So for
example, would my search for a screwdriver on my mobile phone ultimately sync
up with a visit to my local hardware store. This would be valuable data for
Google to prove to advertisers that their search can drive offline revenue for
their customers, in addition to immediate online sales.
But what happened to me was in
reverse. It’s possible that Google can now retarget my real world behavior with
online follow-ups. I use the Google search app on my iPhone and location
services are enabled. Does the retailer have a way of micro-targeting different
sections of their store and linking that to a Google user to retarget them
afterward during their online behavior? Do they know I was at the counter for a
specific brand and can they use that information to remind me about it later
when I’m home?
Considering the huge trend of
showrooming – people visiting stores to see a product in person only to return
home and purchase the item online – it’s possible that this is part of this new
beta test. Sadly, Google didn’t comment for the article, so we’ll probably have
to wait to find out. But it does create plenty of possibilities for the future
as multi-channel, coordinated marketing gets smarter and smarter.
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