The principle of BT has always been simple -- show users content and ads based on what they have previously looked at rather than simply where they currently are, or from some general site user profile.
However, the privacy lobby has rightly raised the issue of the user's awareness of, and agreement to, their web behaviour being tracked.
For those companies using ‘in-site' BT, where a user's behaviour within a site is used to drive content within that same site, the issue seemed far less contentious than those using cross-site or network BT, where a user's behaviour on one site could be used to target ads and content on many other sites that they visited across a network.
BT techniques were established in the US and were closely followed by privacy concerns. Now, similarly, the European Union's advisory body on data protection matters has focused its sights on the subject.
Since content and display ads on a site are not personally targeted -- unlike say, email and mobile messages -- a permission policy may hitherto have been seen as unnecessary, but now the industry has to think again.
Relying on the fact that consumers can disable cookies is not enough. We all know in the real world that many don't or don't know how to and, more to the point, this is in effect an opt-out process and not a very transparent one.
BT networks are therefore becoming far more transparent and offering a means of opting out; not as pure as an opt-in principle, but it's a start.
It's good to see that the discussion and debate is supported by real action in the form of the IAB's establishment of a group to look at the issue.
This will no doubt lean heavily on the US Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) and maybe its outcome will similarly be a central opt-out register to supplement the ad networks' own. One way or the other, we need strong self regulation. Otherwise we may face legislation -- probably of the ill-advised kind.
The NAI experience shows it is the industry that is driving openness rather than the consumer. While we all agree that education and awareness is important to address the public's very genuine and legitimate questions, we should remember that this works only for those who want to listen.
For many of us in the industry, the basic principles of privacy and permission are always front of mind and driving all our work from media planning through creative and multi-channel execution.
Take the new principle of ‘synaptic marketing', where real-time online data is combined with stored offline data. This is based entirely on providing a better service by tracking a consumer's behaviour solely across the brand's site and incorporating personal data only as it relates to the consumer's relationship with the brand -- and then only with their permission.
Central to this is the principle that a' positive interaction' must be at the heart of the brand/consumer relationship. The underlying techniques of data collection may vary but the principle of being transparent with the consumer and ensuring that data is used only to deliver an improved service remain constant.
It's no coincidence that our view is based on experience of traditional DM where the privacy, suppression and opt out debate has raged for years.
Despite the fact that new media works with far less sensitive data than names and addresses, our new integrated marketing environment is now producing issues for digital marketers that off-liners have faced for years -- and continue to face today.
Nick Fuller is a consultant at Jaywing.