Internet Ads Begin to Zero In on Web Surfers
If someone starts talking about advertising on the Internet, get ready to duck.
Companies gripe that online ads don’t work because they can’t target specific audiences. Executives say they long for a way to track particular users as they browse through various sites on the World Wide Web.
Such targeting would constitute an invasion of privacy, social critics insist. Anonymity rules the online realm, they claim. And as the now-famous New Yorker cartoon says, on the Internet no one knows you’re a dog.
Now, Imgis Inc. of Costa Mesa has added fuel to the debate with a product called AdForce 2.0 that generally identifies users when they visit particular Web sites.
When a user gets to a Web page with an Imgis ad, a software application called a Java applet identifies the person’s geographical location, the Internet provider and what kind of operating system the computer uses. Imgis computers then comb through a collection of various banners and find ads to match these parameters.
If a consumer uses Windows 95, AdForce 2.0 might select an ad by a software company that sells Microsoft products. If the user lives in Southern California, the ad could promote a local shop.
Although privacy advocates worry that the system will lead to abuse, Imgis officials insist they do not keep tabs on where people go in cyberspace. The company is taking steps to ensure that customers would be aware of what was happening to their computer.
“Certainly, the motivation for us to explore this service is [coming from] our conversations with major advertisers,” said David Kopp, director of marketing for Imgis. “Before any of this happens, we must first have informed consent from Internet users and the clients who would carry the system. We understand the importance of an anonymous system.”
The system is being marketed to some of the world’s largest Internet service providers and online publications, Kopp said. Imgis declined to name its clientele list.
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P.J. Huffstutter covers high technology for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7830 and at p.j.huffstutter@latimes.com
