You have just returned from a trip to Fiji. You have to check your email of course and surf the net to relax. Suddenly, the ads that you see in your Yahoo mailbox, on MSN, and on Amazon are all about hotels, air travel, and Fiji. Is that just a coincidence? Of course not. It is the result of a specific type of marketing known as behavioral advertising.

Behavioral advertising is an effective way to match consumer-buying patterns with their online browsing patterns. It works like this: the information gathered through Internet data is sold to companies that express interest in a specific segment of consumer online browsing. What is not sold includes names, addresses, or credit card numbers.

In the travel industry the scenario would be more like this: Joe Traveler booked a flight to Australia, he traveled first class, and requested a rental car at the airport. The company buying the information would not know Joe’s name simply that someone using his computer booked that flight and needed a rental.

Expedia admits to using behavioral advertising and calls its program PassportAds. The program is a bit controversial. Proponents argue that no personal identification information is given out so it’s harmless to consumers. Opponents insist that consumers are not well informed about this practice and they may object to it after full disclosure. Where do you stand on this interesting method of advertising?

The answer: You have to know who your end user is–for writers it’s the reader and for planners it’s your traveler, not the CEO who requests the trip.

Although this is easier said than done in some cases, it is a critical step to successful incentive planning. Although many planners just cover this by offering choices, there may be a time when you can’t do that for any number of reasons. Here are some ways to get to know your travelers.

The best way to understand those for whom you will be planning this trip is just to ask. Today it seems people don’t like to do this. The world in general gets more like a jungle every day, where survival of the fittest sometimes means just looking like you’re the fittest. Is it any wonder people are not willing to ask questions when not knowing is sometimes viewed as a sign of weakness? Read the rest of this entry »