Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#31

Post by scarface74 » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 9:56 PM UTC

usaar333 wrote: post #28

scarface74 wrote: post #2

This is my bear case for Google. Google offers the least precise targeting compared to Facebook and Amazon. Facebook knows more about its users because users tell it about themselves and Amazon knows more about purchasing habits of its users because of thier purchase and search history. If I’m searching for something with the intention on buying it, I am going to go to the specific site - like Priceline, hotels.com,…

> Facebook knows more about its users because users tell it about themselves I'd be surprised if Google doesn't know more about its users than Facebook. Google (theoretically) has access to its users' email, physical locations, browsing history, and more. And search ads remain dominant for one time, high value purchases (think insurance or a mortgage).

And Facebook knows where I actually go based on check ins. My hobbies and interest, the movies I watched, etc. People tell Facebook what they are doing. Besides people don’t use email for personal communication as much as they use apps like Messenger and WhatsApp.

For high value purchases like a mortgage, wouldn’t better targeting be by advertising on a site like Zillow?

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#32

Post by mooreds » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 9:56 PM UTC

I heard at a talk a few months ago that if you are planning to build an app to sell to retailers, you should build it on any cloud except for AWS. This is because the large retailers are uncomfortable with giving any revenue to Amazon.

I heard echos of this in the last paragraph of the post, but there's plenty of co-opetition going on as well.

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#33

Post by cortesoft » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 9:57 PM UTC

enitihas wrote: post #30

scarface74 wrote: post #2

This is my bear case for Google. Google offers the least precise targeting compared to Facebook and Amazon. Facebook knows more about its users because users tell it about themselves and Amazon knows more about purchasing habits of its users because of thier purchase and search history. If I’m searching for something with the intention on buying it, I am going to go to the specific site - like Priceline, hotels.com,…

But what users tell facebook may be completely incorrect, and might be more a reflection of how they want others to see their profile, for example liking things which may make them seem cool. Google on the other hand, should know your deepest hidden desires.

Right, but consumer purchases are probably more likely to be based on how you want to portray yourself than what your real desires are.

A good chunk of consumer purchasing, especially high margin goods, are bought for signaling and not based on deep desires.

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#34

Post by csomar » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 9:57 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #2

This is my bear case for Google. Google offers the least precise targeting compared to Facebook and Amazon. Facebook knows more about its users because users tell it about themselves and Amazon knows more about purchasing habits of its users because of thier purchase and search history. If I’m searching for something with the intention on buying it, I am going to go to the specific site - like Priceline, hotels.com,…

> This is my bear case for Google. Google offers the least precise targeting compared to Facebook and Amazon.

No way in hell. Google knows exactly what you are "searching" for. Sure Facebook is good at "guessing" but Google doesn't even need to guess. You just tell him what you are looking for.

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#35

Post by mooreds » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 9:57 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #2

This is my bear case for Google. Google offers the least precise targeting compared to Facebook and Amazon. Facebook knows more about its users because users tell it about themselves and Amazon knows more about purchasing habits of its users because of thier purchase and search history. If I’m searching for something with the intention on buying it, I am going to go to the specific site - like Priceline, hotels.com,…

I don't know. Google has some pretty precise targeting of intent with search terms. But I agree that it doesn't have anywhere near the wealth of user data.

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#36

Post by scarface74 » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 9:58 PM UTC

pookeh wrote: post #27

adrr wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we're talking about data I think Google wins. Email is the activity stream of all your online purchases. Google analytics has the users' clickstream data. Google messenger and google+ gets the relationships the user has. Youtube gets entertainment data. Search is what is relevant to the custom at the moment of time. If I was Amazon, i'd look at buying mint from intuit to get all the banking data from users.

You can replace "Google messenger and google+" with Android.

And with Android in Western countries, statistically you get much less affluent users....

I would think that a lot of communications on mobile would be going through third party chat apps.

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#37

Post by jacquesm » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 9:58 PM UTC

pinewurst wrote: post #25

adrr wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we're talking about data I think Google wins. Email is the activity stream of all your online purchases. Google analytics has the users' clickstream data. Google messenger and google+ gets the relationships the user has. Youtube gets entertainment data. Search is what is relevant to the custom at the moment of time. If I was Amazon, i'd look at buying mint from intuit to get all the banking data from users.

For the 3 people on Google+?

Someone once told me that Google+ was built using a lock-free architecture, it took me years to get the joke.

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#38

Post by menzoic » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 9:58 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #2

This is my bear case for Google. Google offers the least precise targeting compared to Facebook and Amazon. Facebook knows more about its users because users tell it about themselves and Amazon knows more about purchasing habits of its users because of thier purchase and search history. If I’m searching for something with the intention on buying it, I am going to go to the specific site - like Priceline, hotels.com,…

Google has a lot more data than Facebook and Amazon combined. The targeting is not just based on your current search query. It forms a model of your behavior using your entire search history and browsing history which contains significantly more personal details about you and isn't limited to what you're willing to share in the public eye of Facebook. They also track your browsing history through every site you visit and Android app you use that serves Google ads (possibly more ecommerce than Amazon globally). They also track your location and travel patterns with Google maps and Android. All of the videos that you watch on Youtube (2nd most visited website in the world, above Facebook) tell a lot about you too. At one point I think data from your emails in Gmail was used but they stopped doing that.

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#39

Post by nameisu » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 9:59 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #2

This is my bear case for Google. Google offers the least precise targeting compared to Facebook and Amazon. Facebook knows more about its users because users tell it about themselves and Amazon knows more about purchasing habits of its users because of thier purchase and search history. If I’m searching for something with the intention on buying it, I am going to go to the specific site - like Priceline, hotels.com,…

why dont adblockers work?

Re: Amazon Sets Its Sights on the $88B Online Ad Market

#40

Post by scarface74 » Mon, Sep 03, 2018, 10:02 PM UTC

ethbro wrote: post #20

hartator wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know. Google is still way ahead. > Google’s U.S. ad revenue is expected to rise $5 billion this year to $39.9 billion, while Facebook could rise $3 billion this year to $21 billion, according to eMarketer. Adwords is just so effective to find your customers. You won't beat `buy new headphones` type traffic on Amazon or Facebook.

There's something to be said for the expectation vs reality PR creep factor. People searching on Google (or checking in on friends and family on Facebook) or browsing the Internet don't expect their history to be mined for advertisements. People browsing on Amazon have already signaled their intent to shop.

And if Facebook is advertising tech related merchandise based on me putting that I am a developer in my profile, it’s a straight line from A to B that wouldn’t creep me out.