5 posts and columns on consumer behavior

Voices

Excerpts From the MasterCard Documents

in Commerce on October 25, 2011 at 12:00 am PT

MasterCard shared a presentation, “MasterCard Advisors Targeted Advertising Services,” with at least four companies earlier this year that outlines the idea of linking Internet users to information about actual purchase behaviors for ad targeting.

Voices

Lawmakers Seek Answers on Online Tracking

in News on August 5, 2010 at 11:29 am PT

U.S. Reps. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Joe Barton, R-Texas, are seeking information about the privacy practice of the 15 websites that the Wall Street Journal has identified as installing the most tracking technology on their visitors’ computers.

Voices

Ctrip Sees Challenge in Online Bookings

in News on May 20, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

One of the biggest challenges for China’s largest online travel booking company, Ctrip, is getting existing customers to go online. Though having users book flights and hotels through a website rather than a call center is more profitable, two-thirds of Ctrip’s bookings are done through its call centers, according to CEO Fan Min.

Who’s Going to Pay for Online Content? A) A Few of You B) Barely Anyone C) You’re Already Paying

in Media on November 16, 2009 at 7:05 am PT

The new conventional wisdom is that sooner or later, consumers will have to start paying for some of the stuff they currently get for free on the Web. But will they actually pay up? Here, the conventional wisdom is not so helpful. Nor are studies predicting consumer behavior.
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Voices

Privacy Groups Urge Congress to Toughen Up on Online Ads

in News on September 1, 2009 at 2:11 pm PT

Ten privacy groups urged Congress on Tuesday to take greater steps to limit advertising that tracks consumers’ behavior online. The coalition, which included the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Consumers Union and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, singled out behavioral advertising, in which Internet users are tracked, analyzed and served ads based on the information gleaned from their movements, in its recommendations.