Your views: Are targeted online adverts too intrusive?

Covert surveillance: Advertisers look at what you do online to decide what adverts you are most like to answer

At the beginning of the financial crisis the orthodoxy was that businesses like advertising would be the worst hit.

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As your business crumbled it would be the first overhead to go.

But today global advertising seems to be one sector bucking the gloomy trend, with the biggest growth sector being online.

Spending on web advertising topped $100bn for the first time last year. Digital now commands nearly one in five advertising dollars, and forecasts suggest we can expect double digit increases for at least the next couple of years.

Unlike with traditional TV campaigns, advertisers online can increasingly target commercials at precisely the right sort of people, using sophisticated data mining and tracking technology.

But what do the people at whom this is aimed - you, the consumer - actually think about being tracked online so that companies can predict your spending habits?

A group of students at the British Museum tell us what they think.

Manuel

Most of the content that you access online is free because of advertising. But I think the price you're paying for the content is too high because it's way too invasive.

They don't let you watch whatever you want without previously watching the ads.

For example with YouTube, when you are about to watch a video… they make you watch the ad first and then you can watch the video that you selected. It's not nice, it's invasive.

From the advertiser's point of view it's really cool because you are speaking to the precise target, right?

But essentially I don't like advertising at all - I don't like anything between what I want to do and me, you know, and advertising online does that.

They prevent you from enjoying what you want to enjoy in life.

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How are they supposed to know all that about you? My girlfriend doesn't know that much about me”

Manuel

[The internet] used to be freer… now it's all dependent on copywritten material and permissions and advertising providing you the content.

It's supposed to be the other way around. It was supposed to be… people generating content for other people to watch, and now it's all about advertising once again as it is on TV and all media.

I believe that the nature of the advertising should not be that invasive because they know what I've looked on Google for example. And according to that they make the ads appear.

So they know what I'm doing, they know what I like… how are they supposed to know all that about you? My girlfriend doesn't know that much about me.

Kei

It's very annoying because the advertisement itself of course it's annoying but I really don't like the contents of the advertisement because it's something like meet some boyfriend in internet, it's like I need boyfriend.

So, it's like dating website. And the other one is something, how to reduce your fat in your body.

I think [they're targeting me] because maybe the website checks, what kind of other website I saw or [checks] my age or something.

It's not what I want so just was very annoying because it makes me feel like I'm a very small and typical person. And the website acts like they know what I want and I really reject that.

Amy

I find it quite creepy the way that [adverts on Facebook] seems to know your behaviour and who you are and directs ads at you based on that.

For instance if I've been Googling Weightwatchers or something like this, there will be weight loss and slimming pills.

My friend was getting married, and she had wedding dresses and wedding adverts. It feels quite intrusive.

I'd rather go and look for things I want to buy… rather than them guessing [about] me and my personality… that feels big brotherish.

I'm not a big fan of adverts.

Kate

It's a bit weird actually, but maybe because I studied Arabic… I'm encouraged to meet Arab men.

I feel really creeped out when not for any reason just because it's strange that it would know that.

David

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[Advertising] doesn't seem particularly conspicuous online”

David

I don't really notice [online advertising]… I don't visit many sites where it plays a big part, for instance the BBC website doesn't have any advertising so it's not a huge concern for me.

I have certain feelings about the advertising industry in general but I wouldn't limit those to online advertising.

I don't really have a basis of comparison, it's always been present on the internet and you're confronted by advertising every way you go and all walks of life. So no, it doesn't seem particularly conspicuous online.

Ruth

I think [online advertising] is excessive and not very necessary for who they are targeting, and it's not reaching the right audience.

It is just never anything that's necessary to me, not necessary to young women actually.

It's more targeted when I seem to access my cookies and such, that's when I get - depending on where I'm browsing from, if it's my laptop or my home computer or my laptop - more the cosmetic stuff and clothing and things like that.

It catches my eye and I might come back to it later, so yes, it does work.

[I feel I'm being targeted on Facebook] more than the others… so I choose not to use Facebook as much as I would Twitter or any other networks that I do use.

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India cuts interest rates for third time this year

Rising food costs have seen India's central bank resist calls for cutting interest rates

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Related Stories

• India trying to 're-energise' growthWatch
• India lowers growth forecast to 5%
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India has cut interest rates for the third time this year in an attempt to revive growth in its sluggish economy.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lowered its key rate to 7.25% from 7.5%.

India's growth rate has dipped, amid a slowdown in key sectors such as manufacturing, prompting the government to lower growth forecasts.

As a result, the central bank has been under pressure to take steps to help stimulate a fresh wave of economic growth in Asia's third-largest economy.

However, the bank - which has taken some measures in recent months - said that there was limited room for it to ease its policies further.

It said that high consumer price growth continued to remain a key threat and that it "cannot afford to lower its guard against the possibility of resurgence of inflation pressures".

"The balance of risks stemming from the Reserve Bank's assessment of the growth-inflation dynamic yields little space for further monetary easing," the RBI said in its monetary policy statement.

'Policy efforts'

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The central bank is unlikely to embark on an aggressive easing cycle if they are not convinced that the structural constraints have been addressed”

Radhika RaoDBS

Earlier this year, India lowered its growth forecast to 5% for the year to 31 March 2013, underlining the challenges it faces in reviving the sluggish economy.

There have been concerns that its growth rate may slow further, not least because of a delay in key reforms, which have hurt foreign investment.

The central bank argued that while it had lowered interest rates, the government also needed to take adequate steps to help boost confidence in the economy as well.

"Without policy efforts to unlock the tightening supply constraints and bring enduring improvements in productivity and competitiveness, growth could weaken even further and inflationary strains could re-emerge," it warned.

Analysts said the central bank's statement suggested that it was unlikely to take further steps until the government itself acted.

"The central bank is unlikely to embark on an aggressive easing cycle if they are not convinced that the structural constraints have been addressed," said Radhika Rao, economist at DBS bank.

"Some sacrifice by way of slower growth seems inevitable then."

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HSBC profits almost double to $8.4bn as bad loans fall

HSBC almost doubled pre-tax profits to $8.4bn (£5.4bn) in the first three months of 2013 after trading conditions in the bank's key markets improved.

The rise, an increase of 95% on the same quarter in 2012, came as HSBC reported a big fall in losses from bad debts and provisions for other risks.

Loan impairment charges fell 51% to $1.17bn, with the fall most notable in the US, HSBC said.

Chief executive Stuart Gulliver said the US would continue to strengthen.

In China, after a slower start to the year, Mr Gulliver said he expected the economy "to accelerate" during 2013.

Cutting costs

Since taking over in early 2011, Mr Gulliver has been trying to streamline operations, reduce complexity and cut divisions that are unprofitable. HSBC has sold or closed 52 businesses since he became chief executive.

"We have strengthened our capital position and remain one of the best-capitalised banks in the world, allowing us both to invest in organic growth and grow dividends," the company said in a statement.

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HSBC Holdings

LAST UPDATED AT 07 MAY 2013, 10:19 GMT*CHART SHOWS LOCAL TIME

price	change	%
736.80 p	+ +22.90	+ +3.21

In March, HSBC, which has eliminated about $3.6bn of costs, said there was room for a further $1bn in savings this year.

Costs in the first quarter were down 10% from a year ago, and now consist of about 53% of income. The bank is aiming to get the percentage below 52% by the end of the year.

Across Europe, smaller rivals are also cutting back, with French banks Societe Generale and Credit Agricole on Tuesday saying they must keep cutting costs to help offset a weak domestic economy.

Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said: "Set against a mixed bag of trading updates so far from its peers, HSBC has delivered a statement which not only ticks all of the boxes, but propels the bank to premier status in the sector."

The profit figures were higher than many analysts had forecast, and HSBC shares were up almost 3% in morning trading.

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Digital doorkeys and more: Meet New York's latest start-ups

Opening doors with the push of a button: Traditional doorkeys may be a thing of the past

Imagine never having to worry about losing your housekeys again.

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That's a problem that the founders of Kisi hope they have solved, by coming up with a way of using your smartphone to open your front door.

"Most people have the pain of handing over keys, or keys getting lost," says Kisi co-founder Maximilian Schuetz. "Kisi solves that."

Kisi works like this: if you live in an apartment block with an intercom, you insert a small chip into the intercom, on the door to your apartment itself you fix a digital lock, and finally you plug in the control unit inside your apartment.

Download the app, and hey presto you're ready to go. When you get to the door, you simply push a button on your phone, which sends a signal to the control unit or gateway in your apartment, which then tells the lock to open.

What happens if you lose your phone? Well, your details are actually stored in the cloud (you only access them via your phone) so you simply go online on another device, or else there's always a back-up of typing in a pin code.

Using the software, you can also give access to others remotely - for instance a cleaner or a visiting friend who arrives while you're at work, or a neighbour in case of an emergency.

"You can be in Bermuda and give someone access in New York," says Mr Schuetz. "So you save travel time and travel costs."

Kisi requires hardware to be installed which can then be controlled remotely

Kisi has just launched in New York, and is one of a growing number of start-ups hoping to take the city by storm.

"There's a surge in start-ups in New York right now because technology is becoming much more mainstream and along with that there's start-ups being founded in areas like e-commerce and fashion," says Josh Constine, writer at technology web magazine TechCrunch.

Fast money

TechCrunch holds two Disrupt events every year - one in New York and one in San Francisco - that give start-ups a chance to showcase their businesses.

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New York is more interested in companies that make money sooner”

Josh ConstineTechCrunch

This week saw budding tech entrepreneurs descend on the Manhattan Center, setting up stalls on "Start-up Alley" and hoping to catch the eye of potential investors.

Mr Schuetz and his fellow Kisi co-founder Bernhard Mehl are originally from Germany but having studied in New York and already having many connections with the city, they decided to base the company here.

"They adapt faster to new technology here. Germany is very conservative," Mr Schuetz says, adding that New York has very good networking opportunities.

Mr Constine points out the difference in expectations between investors on the East Coast and the West Coast.

"My general philosophy is that New York is more interested in companies that make money sooner - things like e-commerce and fashion [where] you can create a website and start getting sales in days, or you can build a great platform and start testing it really quickly, whereas San Francisco is more focused on long-term, more risky bets."

'Realisation'

Spacebar is one company that has certainly developed very quickly.

Founders Greg Miller and Jonathan Cottrell began working on the app - which allows users to stream the audio of live music performances directly to their mobiles - in the autumn and launched this week.

Money spent on Spacebar is split three ways between the company, the artist and the venue

Musicians download the app and then the performance is streamed using a venue's wi-fi.

The app is free to download and users can listen to a free five-minute preview of a show, before deciding if they want to listen to the whole show for a fee of 99 cents or $1.99.

Though headquartered in San Francisco, they decided to launch in New York because of the "great music scene", says Mr Cottrell. "There are a number of iconic venues and many talented emerging musicians."

The company already has several New York venues signed up and around 200 emerging artists.

"It began with a realisation that technology has made it really hard for musicians to make a living," says Mr Miller. "So we thought, 'what can we do using existing technology [to try to change that]?'"

Live streaming gigs is not necessarily new, but Mr Cottrell says that while many others are chasing video, very few are using mobile.

"With Spacebar, all the band needs to stream is an iPhone. We don't see anyone else doing it like this. We are putting the artists first."

Support networks

The infrastructure in place in New York to support tech entrepreneurs has changed dramatically in the past few years.

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Technology is invading every segment of the economy... all of the big industries that are in New York”

Eric HippeauLerer Ventures

"There's now venture capitalists, education, workshare facilities - the kind of ecosystem you would expect to see in Silicon Valley," says Eric Hippeau, a managing director at Lerer Ventures, which invests in the earliest stages of a start-up's life.

"I don't think there was any single catalyst [that led to that]. It all started in earnest because you don't really need to be in the middle of Silicon Valley any more to start a company."

Organisations such as NY Tech Meetup (NYTM) provide support to the tech community.

And the "We are Made in NY" initiative was recently launched by the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and NYTM to help promote the city's technology sector, which now includes some 900 companies.

It marked an expansion of the "Made in NY" initiative, which celebrates the local media and entertainment industries, and highlights the growing importance of the tech sector to the city.

"Technology is invading every segment of the economy - commerce, fashion, finance - all of the big industries that are in New York," says Mr Hippeau. "All of these are being completely transformed by technology."

Looking for disruption

That increased use of technology in more mainstream fields is evident in the wide variety of tech start-ups looking to grow in New York.

The businesses showcasing at TechCrunch ranged from fashion app Styloola - which describes itself as "the Foursquare for fashion", to GiveGab - a social network for volunteers, to Enigma - a web service that allows users to search publicly available data, that is often not that accessible),in an easier way.

And it was Enigma who was crowned TechCrunch Disrupt NY's "Startup Battlefield" winner, pocketing a cheque for $50,000 (£32,000).

Successful technology companies must be able to "disrupt"

One thing is for certain - money is not in short supply in the Big Apple. Venture capital deals in New York grew 52% between 2007 and 2012, while the city saw more than $8.3bn in technology company acquisitions last year.

But what is that investors look for? The clue is in the name of the TechCrunch event.

"We look for companies that have the capability to disrupt," says Mr Hippeau. "Disruption in terms of a new way of thinking, or a new way of serving customers using technology."

The tech scene in New York looks set to go from strength to strength. As TechCrunch's Josh Constine puts it: "As high technology becomes a part of everyone's lives I think we'll see a more buttoned down place like New York City fostering a bigger community of start-ups."

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The Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme

In March after 1½ year of preparatory work, the Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme at VIA University College was CIAT accredited by the English CIAT institute (Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists). The accreditation will have the result that graduates and students of the Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme can become members of CIAT and receive a CIAT diploma. The diploma is acknowledged in all Commonwealth countries.  The students and graduated Constructing Architects will have the advantage that their CIAT diploma will allow them to go abroad and have their qualifications and study programme acknowledged. This is because VIA’s Constructing Architects are validated in just the same way as the English ’Architectural Technologist’ programme. Will attract international students Head of the Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme at VIA Campus Horsens, Ole Lynggaard and Laurids Green, point out that the accreditation will not only present the Construction Architects with great opportunities in for example England, where they will become qualified for a wide range of Master programmes offered at English universities: ”The accreditation will also make it easier to attract international students for the international Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme at VIA University College. Especially English students have specifically asked if our Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme was CIAT accredited. The accreditation will namely open the doors to the English universities and due to large expenses affiliated with studying in England, it will become more attractive to take a part of their studies in Denmark”. Will open many new doors Bo Riisbjerg Thomsen, lecturer at the Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme and Project Manager of the accreditation work at VIA Campus Horsens, was very pleased with the CIAT recognition: ”The accreditation is of course an acknowledgement of the work that we put in the programme as well as the quality of our teaching. First of all, I am happy for the students, as the CIAT diploma will help them open many new doors and present them with new opportunities both in terms of furthering their education and seeking a job abroad”. CIAT is known for having a high level of activity for the students. Among other things, large competitions on building projects are arranged, where the students become challenged and the demands of the academic standard are uncompromising. Qualifications are crucial The CIAT accreditation has required a lot of hard work. VIA University College and the Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme have been thoroughly screened by an evaluation team, who have focused on the lecturers’ qualifications, which has been a crucial part of the accreditation, as well as the quality of the programme’s content and structure. The evaluation team has required a lot of documentation, which in the end was a part of convincing them that the students had the right qualifications to receive a CIAT diploma. Among other things, the negotiation with CIAT in terms of the accreditation was based on the Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme’s as well as CIAT’s longstanding membership of AEEBC – a European association of construction experts – and thereby their well-established knowledge of each other. VIA University College is the only institution of higher education in Denmark, who may issue CIAT diplomas for their students. Facts The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists is owned and managed by its own members from all over the world. The institution for example works on easing the development and integration of new technologies within both architecture and the broad-based construction sector. Furthermore, the institution works continuously on promoting and developing the standards within education and achieving acknowledgement of the members’ competencies.

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Market for feature phone apps is low-tech goldmine

Not-so-smartphones: In emerging markets, basic mobile phones and feature phones still reign supreme

The next time you are standing at a bus stop, cursing the late-running service, spare a thought for Milind Dahikar.

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This Mumbai resident is probably enduring more extreme weather conditions than you, and there's a chance the road his bus should be on might not even be there.

His city's streets change constantly with new construction, while the traffic is notoriously unpredictable (the population of more than 20 million puts it on a par with all of Australia).

"My house is nearly 15 minutes away from the bus stop - I have to take an auto rickshaw - and I have to time it carefully to get to the bus stop just in time," says Mr Dahikar.

Traffic report: The streets of Mumbai are often gridlocked or being dug up, so buses are unpredictable

"Often, I would arrive too early, especially during the monsoons when the buses regularly got delayed, or too late, and have to stand in the summer heat or heavy rains waiting for a bus or looking for alternate means of transport."

Running late

In the West, you might deploy a bus tracking app on your smartphone to inform you when that errant bus will arrive.

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PROPORTION OF POPULATION USING FEATURE PHONES

• Argentina 40%
• Brazil 78%
• India 77%
• Indonesia 70%
• Kenya 88%
• Malaysia 46%
• Mexico 53%
• Nigeria 89%
• Russia 46%
• South Africa 70%
• Thailand 40%
• Turkey 39%

Source: BuzzCity (based on 300m clickthroughs from mobile phone adverts)

But in India the mobile infrastructure is less developed.

Even if it were available, many people don't have smartphones to take advantage of such apps.

To help rain-drenched and sun-parched staff such as Mr Dahikar, his employer, the IT outsourcing provider Mastek, came up with a solution.

"For our employees, the buses that we deploy to collect them and take them to work are a great asset, and our bus management mobile application, a simple and cheap GPS-enabled mobile device, is placed on the dashboard of each bus," says Steve Latchem, vice-president of solutions and strategy.

"Our server polls this device for the exact location of the bus at all times and then provides this data to our mobile app.

"For those with basic handsets, an SMS service is provided that texts them when the bus is 15, 10 and five minutes away."

Feature phones

Feature phones, which perhaps boast basic forms of GPS, camera, MP3 player and some kind of internet access, as well as the ability to run simple apps, have become increasingly popular in the developing world.

They occupy the middle ground between basic phones that simply make, and receive calls and text messages, and smartphones.

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Because of the comparative dearth of apps aimed at this market, there is a better chance of receiving attention”

Paul RobertsForgetMeNot Africa

Many Westerners might turn their nose up at such things, but they are often cheap, hardy and tend to have exceptional battery life.

In short, they can be perfect for people in emerging economies.

Research firm Gartner estimates worldwide feature phone sales totalled 264.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012, easily outstripping smartphone sales of 207.7 million.

Such massive markets, because of the nature and sophistication of the target devices, would appear in theory to be quick and easy to exploit.

"Because of the comparative dearth of apps aimed at this market, there is a better chance of receiving attention," says Paul Roberts, founder of ForgetMeNot Africa.

The company has created a platform that allows users of basic and feature phones to update their Facebook accounts, send and receive email and chat over the internet, using either SMS or via an app.

So why do feature phone holders seem to be ignored by many developers?

The Forgetmenot Africa service lets people with even the most basic handsets update their Facebook profiles

"Because we work in technology we naturally get excited by what's new and your clients do too. That's our world," says Ashley Bolser, director of mobile app development firm Bolser.

"We often forget that there is this huge group of people who want to look at the internet and download, and the only access they have to that is through their feature phone."

So rather than work out ways to create apps that offer an ever-richer and interactive experience, Bolser has been working hard on doing just the opposite.

Back to basics

The key, Mr Bolser maintains, is to keep a focus on simplicity, accessibility and usability.

The company recently created a feature phone version of the BBC's Top Gear news app, which was particularly successful in south-east Asia.

"What we did with this was simplify a lot of the data that came from the BBC," he says.

Developing apps, such as Top Gear, for feature phones means keeping the technology simple

"We made sure any photography worked on the phones. You can't have hi-definition.

"We removed the video and generally made the way you look at it - the interface - really simple."

Outsmarted

There are a couple of tough issues for those offering apps and other services through feature phones.

The first is getting people to realise they exist.

"There can be limited opportunities for uptake if they are not promoted by the network fully," says Mr Roberts.

"They can be viewed as less than sexy so may not receive the promotion required."

Then companies need to work out how to actually get them onto the phone.

"The problem is that app stores tend to require credit or debit cards for setting up app purchases," says Rob Hodges, of e2Save, part of Carphone Warehouse.

If your customers don't have these, you have a major problem.

The recent Upstream Emerging Markets Mobile Attitudes Report, a poll of 3,500 consumers in Nigeria, India, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, showed just 29% wanted to pay by card.

The biggest chunk - 42% - asked to be billed via their operator.

Some asked for bank transfer and secure payment services, while 8% didn't seem to know.

Mr Hodges says efforts are being made to address this, highlightingTelefonica's deal with Bango, which aims to deliver mobile payments to 314 million app buyers by letting them pay through their phone bills.

Smart tactics

According to International Data Corporation's (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, released in March, 2013 will mark the first time vendors ship more smartphones than feature phones.

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In many emerging markets, handsets are reused, resold or passed down through the family”

Joe HoehlerDeloitte Digital South Africa

IDC estimates 918.6 million smartphones will be shipped this year - 50.1% of the global total of mobiles.

This raises the question of whether companies that have ignored feature phones are safe to continue doing so as smartphones proliferate.

But to think this is to misunderstand the mobile market place, according to Joe Hoehler, manager of mobile technologies at Deloitte Digital South Africa.

"The key is to look at the installed base of devices - actually devices in hand - rather than the sale of new devices," he says.

"In many emerging markets, handsets are reused, resold or passed down through the family."

We are in an era of developers obsessing over "bigger, better, faster, more" when it comes to mobile phone apps.

You wonder whether "small, simpler, slower, less" might be an equally good mantra.

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