Even though I was not in class today, I did view the PowerPoint. The Frontline Persuaders video about narrowcasting was slightly disturbing. I understand the allure that Acxiom provides of only sending out marketing materials that are relevant to your interest. However, the issue that this presents for me is one that seems counterintuitive to fee will. We go about our days thinking that we are grown-ups, making our own decisions and choices about what to buy, where to shop, what path to take in life. This may not be as close to the truth as we had hoped. I imagine tearing away at this artificial world that feels so authentic and finding that, in fact, there is nothing authentic about it at all. Everything has been planned out and pre-determined for me based on my stated interests and lifestyle (per census and purchasing data). I would like to think that the candidate that I chose to vote for is one that I decided to support all on my own when the truth may be that I was selected and specifically pitched to by that candidate and their crew. What a scary thought this is. Does it mean that I’m just a product of the marketing that I am inundated with every day? Am I just following along the path that is being laid out for me by the companies that purchase data from companies like Acxiom? Am I making any authentic decisions at all? I would love to find out what categories I fall into as far as Acxiom is concerned as well as where they predict I will be in the near and distant future.
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