Unless you’ve been hiding out in a cave, living on tree bark, rat meat and rainwater, you’ve probably heard of the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal. Regardless, chances are that you probably don’t care, as polls show that despite the alarming nature of the reports, most Facebook users seem indifferent to the news. According to Facebook C.E.O., Mark Zuckerberg, the social media giant hasn’t “felt any meaningful effect from the scandal”
At first, there were concerns that it would have a bleed over effect into our industry but, it has little to no impact, it seems that having “free” email and social media accounts is a fair trade for access to our lives. Has living in the age of information and technology numbed us, distracted us and/or made us apathetic to the fact that we are voluntarily being farmed for information? Our computers, smart t.v.s, and mobile devices are the nipples from which all the details of our lives are being milked. Sucked through phone, cable, fiber optic and wireless connections, our valuable data is being pasteurized and packaged for wholesale, and there is a big market for your sweet, creamy details. Cambridge may be the latest scandal but it certainly wasn’t the first and it definitely won’t be the last, for years now, Google and Yahoo have given the federal government access to your personal search history and there are more than a few private companies that have detailed files on every American.
With the increase of “fake news”, catfishing, internet scams, data breaches, document leaks, hacking and identity theft, it’s amazing that internet marketing is even a viable industry, let alone a thriving and growing medium. This is all the more reason to make sure your business is branded properly and any digital ads you may be running online aren’t confused for anything else. Also, it couldn’t hurt to use hack-resistant passwords for all of your online accounts and to change them semi-frequently.
There may come a time when Americans get fed up with the constant bombardment of scams, ads and fake news but until then, it is imperative that your business has a clear, well-defined, confidence-inspiring brand and that any digital ads you are running are easily associated with your company, product and/or service. Ideal Positions can help your business navigate through the sometimes confusing and overwhelming task of creating and maintaining an effective internet marketing/branding campaign.
Cheesy marketing joke of the week:
What does the new Chips Ahoy marketing director do her first day on the job?
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