Dissertation

Online and digital platforms have
provided brands with ability to
offer quick, easy, instant and
accessible services to demanding
consumers. However, this isn’t
all online retail can do for it’s
customers. Online can provide
solutions to addressing individual
consumers rather than consumer
stereotypes. As highlighted by
Adam Woods, writer for Marketing
Magazine, “most people don’t want
to be anonymous. Customers want
to be treated as individuals and
they are heading for platforms and
companies that understand this”
(Woods, A. 2012).
“Customers
want to be
treated as
individuals”
(Woods, A. 2012)
[Fig 27] Facebook (2015).
Big Data is one of the many revolutions that has opened
up the doors to targeted marketing on a whole new
level, allowing hyper-personalisation to come into
it’s own. Facebook alone holds enough information to
target extremely specific, niche consumer bases; not
just by age or gender. As reported by Digital Trends
in 2013, “there are 1.15 billion [people] on Facebook,
making it the one of the best resources for information
on any given individual with an account” (Kotenko, J.
2013). Today, Facebook has over 1.59 billion monthly
active users (Statista. 2015), this continuous growth of
Facebook is not just insanely fast, but also contributing
to level of data it holds and consequently the power of
Facebook. The combination of advanced algorithms and
Big Data means that computer-based decision-making is
more accurate and multifaceted than ever before. These
advanced computer systems are allowing companies to
analyse data and respond with the appropriate marketing
techniques and advertisements in a matter of minutes.
Not only does this help to make targeted marketing much
more specific, but also more personal than ever. Meaning
that companies can not just target extremely specific or
niche consumer groups, but also personalise this further
to meet individual consumer tastes and needs. This is
where Facebook excels.
28