Big data, small law: how gaps in regulation are affecting political campaigning methods and the need for fundamental reform

Technological developments, involving big data and data analytics, have enabled political parties and campaign groups to believe that they know or can accurately predict the political leanings of individual voters. Based on these developments, and coupled with psychological research deepening our understanding of decision making, campaign techniques involving individualised and targeted social media political advertisements have emerged. While research is not able to measure what impact, if any, these advertisements have there is a concern regarding the capacity of these techniques to influence in a non-transparent way by deceptively using personal data. In addition to protecting personal data, the law assumes that the electorate must maintain a ‘free mind’ and there must be a level playing field between political opponents. The current statutory framework is marked by an overlapping application of the Data Protection Act 2018, replacing the 1998 Act; the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000; the Representation of the People Act 1983; and, the Communications Act 2005. As the evidence published in relation to several inquiries into these issues indicates, the gaps in the way this area is regulated means the law cannot adequately deal with the issues posed by the collection and use of personal data for the design and deployment of targeted social media political campaign advertisements. Further, the dependence upon these techniques by political parties and campaign groups mean that the necessary comprehensive reforms may never be made

"Data-driven digital advertising: benefits and risks of online behavioral advertising"

Purpose – The research aims to investigate how individuals can be persuaded to make purchases through repeated and personalized messages. Specifically, the study proposes a framework of the potential benefits and risks of the online behavioral and data-driven digital advertising (OBA), which can help researchers and practitioners to better understand shopping behavior in the online retailing setting. In addition, the research focuses on the role of privacy concerns in affecting avoidance or adoption of OBA. Design/methodology/approach – The authors apply a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach with partial least square (PLS) regression method to test the research hypotheses through data coming from a structured questionnaire. Findings – OBA is a controversial type of advertising that activates opposing reactions on consumers’perspective. Specifically, acceptance of the OBA is positively related to relevance, usefulness and credibility of the personalized advertisements, while the intention to avoid personalized ads is strictly related to the privacy concerns. Consequently, OBA acceptance and avoidance affected the click intention on the ad and the behavioral intention that are decisive for the success of data-driven digital advertising. Originality/value – Prior research came up with complex theoretical frameworks that explain antecedents of OBA focusing only on ethical issues in marketing, on the effectiveness of a single OBA campaign or on how to create a successful advertising campaign. However, no study focuses on the intended or actual behavior of shoppers. Specifically, filling the gap in the existing literature, our research applies an SEM approach to identify both benefits and risks and the antecedents of the actual behavior of individuals in terms of actual purchases promoted by OBA

The influence of mobile ad fraud on intercompany relationships : the case of Hang My Ads

Mestrado em MarketingDesde o seu início, a indústria da publicidade mobile tem vindo a enfrentar problemas de fraude associados a grandes perdas financeiras e danos na forma como as empresas se relacionam. O presente estudo explora os efeitos dos problemas de fraude nas relações entre empresas da indústria; abordando o ecosistema da publicidade das aplicações mobile, o contexto focal da Hang My Ads e os processos de adaptação necessários para lidar com os efeitos da fraude. O ecosistema da publicidade de aplicações mobile revela organizar-se em advertisers, intermediários, publishers e empresas de tecnologia, e é marcado por desafios como a fraude, a falta de transparência e a falta de regulamentação. Advertisers e publishers parecem adaptar-se de formas semelhantes, embora diferenças sejam detetadas nos processos de planeamento e agendamento do serviço, produção, e ?outro? ? onde advertisers adaptam mais e investem mais recursos; mas também ao nível de estrutura organizacional ? onde as adaptações parecem estar relacionadas com a dimensão da empresa. Além disto, a investigação confirma a ocorrência de adaptações ao nível da díade, que se propagam para a rede de empresas mais alargada. Além de perdas financeiras e baixo ROI, a realocação de orçamentos de acordo com a competência do publisher para lidar com fraude é confirmada; o estudo revela ainda como efeitos da fraude danos aos níveis da experiência do utilizador, da reputação da indústria e da eficiência das empresas. Um esquema visual do mapeamento do ecosistema e um modelo de análise modificado são propostos.Since its emergence, the mobile advertising industry has been struggling with fraud issues that cause great financial losses and damage how companies relate to one another. The present study exlores the effects of fraud issues taking place in the mobile advertising industry on intercompany relationships; particularly, it looks at the mobile app advertising ecosystem, the focal context of Hang My Ads and the adaptation processes undertaken by advertisers and publishers to tackle the effects of fraud. The mobile app advertising ecosystem is found to be organized in advertisers, intermediates, publishers and technology companies, and characterized by marking challenges such as fraud, lack of transparency and lack of regulation. Advertisers and publishers seem to adapt in similar ways to one another, but differences are found at the processes of service planning and scheduling, production, and "other" - where advertisers adapt more and seem to invest more resources; and at the level of organization structure - where adaptations appear to be related with company size. Furthermore, the case confirms the occurrence of adaptations taking place in the dyad and propagating to the broader network. In addition to financial losses and poor ROI, the reallocation of budgets according to a publisher's competence to handle fraud is confirmed; moreover, it is found that damages at the levels of user experience, industry's reputation and companies' efficiency are caused by fraud. A visual scheme of the ecosystem's mapping and a modified framework of analysis are proposed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

When Personal Becomes Profitable: Data Collection and the Complex Link Between Corporate and Government Surveillance and the Risk to Civil Liberties

Personal data represents a commodity of increasing interest to both the United States government and large corporations. While their reasons differ, the two powerful entities have worked together to radically expand the domestic surveillance activities in the U.S. As the government surreptitiously expanded its domestic surveillance under the guise of its “war on terror,” it quickly realized that the advanced technology and access to personal data held by many large corporations presented a valuable source of surveillance information. These companies, in turn, similarly saw an opportunity for revenue in both the sale of the data and large governmental contracts to provide the technology and infrastructure to support the surveillance activities. Thus, a disturbing yet symbiotic partnership has developed, and with it a political environment that thwarts efforts to disclose and provide appropriate regulation to supervise these activities. All of this leaves the civilian population at an increased risk—a direct result of an industry that treats the individual as both a product and a consumer. In turn, the transition from personal information to profitable information has created a myriad of social and political implications that have not yet been fully analyzed or understood. Only the future will tell how these developments will ultimately play out, whether in favor of corporate-government interests, or the protection of civil liberties. This is a critical decision for the future of the United States, and the overarching issues surrounding privacy in the digital age have not been adequately addressed by either the legislative or judicial branches of government. As technological developments continue to advance, and the demand for, and value of, personal data continues to increase, the insistence that these issues be addressed will seemingly need to come from American citizens, as their right to privacy is continually being eroded. One can only hope that this insistence is not brought about by catastrophic circumstances

Implementation of artificial intelligence solutions in a trade company to attract customers – buyers of pharmaceutical products

В условиях современного конкурентного рынка торговые компании, особенно работающие в фармацевтическом секторе, сталкиваются с проблемой привлечения и удержания клиентов. Использование технологий искусственного интеллекта привлекло значительное внимание как средство повышения вовлеченности клиентов и улучшения результатов бизнеса. В этой диссертации исследуется актуальность внедрения решений искусственного интеллекта в торговой компании для решения этих проблем и извлечения выгоды из появляющихся возможностей. Целью магистерской диссертации является исследование потенциала и предложение стратегии внедрения решений искусственного интеллекта в деятельность торговой компании для привлечения клиентов, приобретающих фармацевтическую продукцию. Объект исследования – информационные технологии в торговой деятельности. Предметом исследования является стратегия эффективного внедрения ИИ-решений, направленная на привлечение клиентов фармацевтической продукции. Исследование направлено на понимание того, как ИИ может оптимизировать различные аспекты деятельности компании, чтобы повысить вовлеченность клиентов и улучшить общую эффективность бизнеса. В задачи исследования входит выявление наиболее эффективных приложений искусственного интеллекта, анализ их влияния на поведение и удовлетворенность клиентов, а также предложение стратегии и плана ее успешной реализации на практике. Эта диссертация дополняет существующий объем знаний, исследуя конкретное применение решений искусственного интеллекта в контексте привлечения клиентов, приобретающих фармацевтическую продукцию. В нем исследуются новые подходы и стратегии использования технологий искусственного интеллекта, таких как машинное обучение, обработка естественного языка и персонализированные рекомендации, для создания инновационного опыта работы с клиентами и получения конкурентного преимущества на рынке. Результаты этого исследования имеют практическое значение для торговых компаний, работающих в фармацевтическом секторе. Внедряя решения искусственного интеллекта, компании могут улучшить взаимодействие с клиентами, повысить точность прогнозирования спроса, оптимизировать управление запасами и предоставлять персонализированные рекомендации по продуктам. Эти результаты могут повысить удовлетворенность клиентов, увеличить продажи и обеспечить долгосрочную лояльность клиентов.In today's competitive marketplace, trade companies, particularly those operating in the pharmaceutical sector, face the challenge of attracting and retaining customers. The utilization of AI technologies has gained significant attention as a means to enhance customer engagement and improve business outcomes. This thesis explores the relevance of implementing AI solutions in a trade company to address these challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities. The purpose of this master's thesis is to investigate the potential and to propose the strategy of AI solutions implementation in a trade company's operations to attract customers who purchase pharmaceutical products. The object of the study is the information technologies in the trading activity. The subject of the study is the strategy of effective implementation of AI solutions aimed at attracting customers of pharmaceutical products. The research focuses on understanding how AI can optimize various aspects of the company's operations to enhance customer engagement and improve overall business performance. The objectives of the study include identifying the most effective AI applications, analyzing their impact on customer behavior and satisfaction, and proposing a strategy and a plan for its successful implementation in practice. This thesis contributes to the existing body of knowledge by examining the specific application of AI solutions in the context of attracting customers who purchase pharmaceutical products. It explores novel approaches and strategies to leverage AI technologies, such as machine learning, natural language processing, and personalized recommendations, to create innovative customer experiences and gain a competitive edge in the market. The findings of this research have practical implications for trade companies operating in the pharmaceutical sector. By implementing AI solutions, companies can enhance customer engagement, improve the accuracy of demand forecasting, optimize inventory management, and provide personalized product recommendations. These outcomes have the potential to drive customer satisfaction, increase sales, and establish long-term customer loyalty

Not Just A Place For Friends : Teenagers, Social Networks, and Identity Vulnerability

This study is an empirical analysis of adolescents\u27 risk management on internet social network sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Using a survey of 935 U.S. adolescents gathered by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, I investigate the influence of offline social networks on online socialization, as well as the impact of parental and self mediation tactics on risky online information-sharing practices. Overall, the relationship between offline social network strength and online communications methods was inconclusive, with results suggesting that most teens use online communications in similar ways, regardless of offline connectedness. Some relationships were discovered between parental and individual mediation tactics and risky online information sharing, largely supporting the use of active mediation techniques by parents and informed control of shared information by individual users. User demographics had a strong effect on risky information sharing, with gender and age playing a significant role. This study also offers some suggestions for parents and policy-makers interested in the topic

Can Upward Brand Extensions be an Opportunity for Marketing Managers During the Covid-19 Pandemic and Beyond?

Early COVID-19 research has guided current managerial practice by introducing more products across different product categories as consumers tried to avoid perceived health risks from food shortages, i.e. horizontal brand extensions. For example, Leon, a fast-food restaurant in the UK, introduced a new range of ready meal products. However, when the food supply stabilised, availability may no longer be a concern for consumers. Instead, job losses could be a driver of higher perceived financial risks. Meanwhile, it remains unknown whether the perceived health or financial risks play a more significant role on consumers’ consumptions. Our preliminary survey shows perceived health risks outperform perceived financial risks to positively influence purchase intention during COVID-19. We suggest such a result indicates an opportunity for marketers to consider introducing premium priced products, i.e. upward brand extensions. The risk-as�feelings and signalling theories were used to explain consumer choice under risk may adopt affective heuristic processing, using minimal cognitive efforts to evaluate products. Based on this, consumers are likely to be affected by the salient high-quality and reliable product cue of upward extension signalled by its premium price level, which may attract consumers to purchase when they have high perceived health risks associated with COVID-19. Addressing this, a series of experimental studies confirm that upward brand extensions (versus normal new product introductions) can positively moderate the positive effect between perceived health risks associated with COVID-19 and purchase intention. Such an effect can be mediated by affective heuristic information processing. The results contribute to emergent COVID-19 literature and managerial practice during the pandemic but could also inform post-pandemic thinking around vertical brand extensions