Target is a shopaholic's best friend. They have everything you could possibly want from a store--food, accessories, cute clothes, and even cuter shoes. It is very rare that I make a trip to Target without leaving with things that I didn't even know I needed or wanted. Somehow, shopping at Target makes all of my unnecessary expenses okay, because somehow I rationalize my purchases. "Oh this shirt will look great with the pair of boots that you just bought," or "Mom won't be home for dinner, so buying this delicious looking frozen pizza is so worth the $10 and the thousand calories."
It was not until last year in my Introduction to Writing Arts course that I learned that Target knows more about me than I think they do. Professor Wolff required us to read Charles Duhigg's "How Companies Learn Your Secrets." Duhigg discusses the technology involved in the intersection of data and human behavior and how Target uses this data to figure out some pretty person information on its customers.
One case in particular involved a teenage girl whose father went to the local Target store to complain about the types of coupons that she was receiving in the mail. These coupons were for maternity clothes and supplies for a newborn baby, including diapers and wipes. The associate that dealt with the father called a few days later to apologize again for the coupons. However, instead of having to apologize to the father, the man was apologizing to the employee. Turns out, his daughter was pregnant. Oops.
What baffled me the most is that most companies with large revenue have a “predictive analytics department.” However, this idea would not even faze Jason Silva, who describes himself as a “filmmaker, a futurist, an epiphany addict.” Silva, in his “We Are the Gods Now” talk at the Sydney Opera House shares a quote by Kevin Kelly. Kelly explores the idea that the world would be impoverished if the technology of the oil painting had not led Vincent Van Gogh to the creation of his masterpieces. Silva shares this quote with the audience because he believes that these technologies are creating types of jobs that would not exist if it were not for the technologies that are used in the jobs. He would state that the technology to find out personal information about shoppers at specific stores have led to a completely new job market where scientists can come in and analyze this information. Jason Silva would like more of these technologies, in order to create new jobs.
All I am saying, though, is that if Target sends me anymore coupons in the mail, I am going to go broke.
It was not until last year in my Introduction to Writing Arts course that I learned that Target knows more about me than I think they do. Professor Wolff required us to read Charles Duhigg's "How Companies Learn Your Secrets." Duhigg discusses the technology involved in the intersection of data and human behavior and how Target uses this data to figure out some pretty person information on its customers.
One case in particular involved a teenage girl whose father went to the local Target store to complain about the types of coupons that she was receiving in the mail. These coupons were for maternity clothes and supplies for a newborn baby, including diapers and wipes. The associate that dealt with the father called a few days later to apologize again for the coupons. However, instead of having to apologize to the father, the man was apologizing to the employee. Turns out, his daughter was pregnant. Oops.
What baffled me the most is that most companies with large revenue have a “predictive analytics department.” However, this idea would not even faze Jason Silva, who describes himself as a “filmmaker, a futurist, an epiphany addict.” Silva, in his “We Are the Gods Now” talk at the Sydney Opera House shares a quote by Kevin Kelly. Kelly explores the idea that the world would be impoverished if the technology of the oil painting had not led Vincent Van Gogh to the creation of his masterpieces. Silva shares this quote with the audience because he believes that these technologies are creating types of jobs that would not exist if it were not for the technologies that are used in the jobs. He would state that the technology to find out personal information about shoppers at specific stores have led to a completely new job market where scientists can come in and analyze this information. Jason Silva would like more of these technologies, in order to create new jobs.
All I am saying, though, is that if Target sends me anymore coupons in the mail, I am going to go broke.