[img src="" caption="" credit="" alt=""]
ZoomInfo, the people search engine that gets its data from gathering biographical information on just about everyone, whether you know about it or not, is launching an advertising network. And in going along with the current trend of tempting fate when it comes to controversial activity with web surfer's cookies, ZoomInfo will be offering up these cookies to companies looking to provide more targeted ads.
There are a couple of things to consider here: you'll need to first visit ZoomInfo in order for it to have your cookie. Additionally, you'll have to have a general presence on the web, whether this be for social networking, your own website, or any type of e-commerce activity. So when you purchase an item from a company's website, it could then work with ZoomInfo to compare "cookie notes" in order to provide more targeted ads to you, online, via email, and the next time you visit the company's website.
With ad:tech going on in NYC this week, we've seen a lot of announcements in regards to advertising networks, new methods, and new ways of obtaining and using data for the benefit of targeted ads, especially when it comes to online communities. MySpace is launching self-serve ads, which could be a side swipe counter-move to Facebook's upcoming ad network, which is said to provide more targeting options. It's undeniably, and also blatantly, the current wave of activity taking place in the online advertising industry.
So what are we most likely to see as a result? Push-back from some consumers, and also from privacy advocacy groups. Ask.com and AOL have already taken measures to appease privacy advocacy groups by giving users the option of blocking cookies while on their respective sites, which blocks the subsequent display of targeted ads. As VentureBeat reports, some of the measures taken in recent months for targeted ads on social networks has given up dismal results, with targeting not working as well.