Targeted advertising. I get it. I know the Google spiders were crawling through my browsing history, as per usual, while I perused online shoe sales last night. As a result, I will now see ads for the same four pairs of nude pumps for the next few days until the ads change after picking up on my more recent browsing habits. The same is true on Facebook; not one second after I mention Pizza Friday in a gleeful #TGIF post my screen refreshes and ads for delicious pizza line my newsfeed.
Some people dislike these crawlers, and say they’re an invasion of our privacy. Some people just think they’re annoying; in this case I’m referring to myself. I appreciate the technology, and I know the search giants are simply “enhancing” my browsing session, but sometimes I only want to be targeted when it’s on my time, and my terms.
One of Ox&Pen’s strengths is that its members are privy to offers that cater to their interests, but only when they want it. Members are able to create a customized browsing experience by identifying categories that are of most interest to them. Ox&Pen will then populate their home page with the kinds of promotions they have indicated they would like to see. This will help in ensuring that members are not spending time sifting through offers that have little relevance to their lifestyle. That means no daily emails offering 50% off paddle boarding on Lake Michigan—in January (an exaggeration, maybe, but you get what I mean).
Targeted promotions on Ox&Pen don’t only work in favor of consumers. With Ox&Pen, merchants are able to strategically position themselves to be highly visible to the audience most likely to be interested in their offers…a win-win!
So, as I said: my times, my terms. With Ox&Pen, I think we’re getting somewhere.
