The ME In Media

Have you heard about how Target, a large US retailer, discovered that a teenager was pregnant even before her father did? The retailer attaches a Guest ID to credit cards, allowing it to subsequently track consumption habits.

Said teenager purchased a combination of products that (when analysed against consumption data previously stored on customers who had signed up to its baby registries) suggested she was expecting. This prompted Target's systems to send her baby-related coupons, much to her father's dismay. Having adamantly complained to a store manager for 'encouraging' his daughter to get pregnant, he subsequently apologised for his mistake - turns out he had no idea she was already pregnant when she received the coupons.

Digital technology offers media organisations similar capabilities - no credit cards required. Traditionally, a cookie...