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I think the advertising industry has a very long tradition of relying on and trusting bad data if it's the only data they have. As long as everyone plays along

I think the advertising industry has a very long tradition of relying on and trusting bad data if it's the only data they have. As long as everyone plays along and believes that Nielsen ratings or circulation numbers or click counts are accurate, you can have a more or less functional market for advertising spots. And there's obviously demand for more detailed data, as long as advertisers can believe that it is accurate and can make their ads more effective. When the analytics produce an obviously wrong conclusion (such as saying you should be shown more car ads immediately after completing the purchase of a car), everyone involved has a vested interest in believing that the analytics must be right in some fashion. Doing otherwise would mean taking on a big risk, straying from the herd with a different advertising strategy that's guaranteed to take the blame for any drop in sales in the near future.

labcomputer 1y ago
> When the analytics produce an obviously wrong conclusion (such as saying you should be shown more car ads immediately after completing the purchase of a car) Sorry to say: Probably another wrong intuition. My husband was in an accident that totaled his car not too long ago. So we bought a new one. Then after having it for a few weeks, I realized that I liked many of the new features it had so I started looking for one, too. True story. The first purchase of a car in our family caused (and, more importantly for this discussion, was predictive of) the purchase of a second car. I’m sure this does not only happen after accidents.
- jqpabc123 1y ago
  Sorry to say: Probably another wrong intuition. I have bought multiple cars in my lifetime. But I have *never* bought one right after another. This is not intuition, it's a fact. No one is suggesting this can't happen --- but is it likely? Is it the norm? "Personalized" ads assume it is --- and erroneously so in my case. Start looking at cars online and you'll be bombarded with car ads for months after you've made a purchase. That ad money was just wasted on me --- and I'm sure on many others as well. "Context sensitive" ads make no such erroneous assumption --- and they still have you covered in any case. You are shown ads only as long as you continue to express an interest in the subject.

labcomputer 1y ago

> When the analytics produce an obviously wrong conclusion (such as saying you should be shown more car ads immediately after completing the purchase of a car) Sorry to say: Probably another wrong intuition. My husband was in an accident that totaled his car not too long ago. So we bought a new one. Then after having it for a few weeks, I realized that I liked many of the new features it had so I started looking for one, too. True story. The first purchase of a car in our family caused (and, more importantly for this discussion, was predictive of) the purchase of a second car. I’m sure this does not only happen after accidents.

jqpabc123 1y ago
Sorry to say: Probably another wrong intuition. I have bought multiple cars in my lifetime. But I have *never* bought one right after another. This is not intuition, it's a fact. No one is suggesting this can't happen --- but is it likely? Is it the norm? "Personalized" ads assume it is --- and erroneously so in my case. Start looking at cars online and you'll be bombarded with car ads for months after you've made a purchase. That ad money was just wasted on me --- and I'm sure on many others as well. "Context sensitive" ads make no such erroneous assumption --- and they still have you covered in any case. You are shown ads only as long as you continue to express an interest in the subject.