Amazon has made a science of this by applying this concept to advertising. Increasing relevancy and eliminating the intrusiveness associated with advertising is a direct benefit to both the consumer and the advertiser. Personally, I would welcome never having to see a feminine hygiene ad on my TV again.

Today, the cookie, a digital cousin of the bar code, is vilified out of fear and ignorance about consumer privacy.

Actually, cookies rarely contain personal identifiable information. If consumers’ right to privacy were truly the issue, would it not also apply to the rich vein of commercial data collected by Visa, Time Warner and even your local grocery store?

In 2010, we enter a world of addressable advertising that delivers highly personalized, relevant messages to consumers in a value exchange with advertisers. Addressable advertising harnesses behavioral and purchase data to assess buying intent and customization of messages, much like Amazon recommendations. Read more at adage.com