We’ve done a lot of work here at Adweek on ROI data, and a few readers have asked that we explain what on earth we’re talking about, because it’s a somewhat scary phenomenon to consumers—especially in an age when surveillance is such a hot topic—and a thrilling opportunity to advertisers.
Here’s the short version: Everyone in advertising is buying exhaustive records of your purchases—all your purchases—and comparing them to your viewing habits so that they know which ads you saw and whether or not they changed your behavior.