The technology show here is cool, but is counter to every major trend in advertising. Way over the creepy line.

Never Cross the Creepy Line

People love personalisation. They hate someone watching them. Good tech draw from big data, location beacons and can creatively address users needs without being “in your face” about it.

The point where technology stops being useful and fells like it’s invading your privacy in what Robert Scoble calls the creepy line. What crosses the creepy line varies by individual, but disclousing personal identity to interrupt what they are doing it a strong example of doing it wrong.

Unfortunately, the engineer mindset that provides tools that cool thing often lead to a demo created by whipping up an example. Slapping an ad on tech is easy to conceive and the default that gets used too often. And that leads to people creating even more interruptions to breakthrough the overcrowded advertising landscape we live in.

Reminds me of early personalization efforts when I received a mail merged letter that use driver registration information to tell me they knew I owned a Ford Pinto. As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, it felt creepy.

Interruptions are Not Helpful

Today, we can identify a person and tailor the experience to them. That very cool. I doubt the example of a young woman alone being called out by a sign to show her what she already has on her phone has to feel creepy.

Add some value to experiences or leave people alone. I’ll be following to see if someone comes up with something more interesting that blasting “buy me” messages. I think that will happen and we can stop using interuption advertising all together.

Don’t make the kind of marketing you hate.