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I got an interesting piece of mail from the folks at Google today. It was an offer for $250 worth of Google Adwords. While this isn’t the first time I have gotten a mailer like this, what struck me as odd is that the company name on the mailing address was “SIP TO THE skype NETWORK” a company I have zero affiliation with, but whose offering is, to say the least, “very targeted” to someone in my industry and profession. (See image below).
Now I have a skype account (and use skype frequently) and I also have an account with Google (I use Google Adsense, Google Adwords, Google Reader and Google Knol), all of which use the same email address and same contact information (the same information found on the mailer, with exception of the company name).
What got me thinking about them cooperating and is a little “scary” is:
- I have no affiliation with SIP TO THE skype NETWORK, but it is extremely close to my profession and interests and we all know Google is about targeted advertisements.
- Below the 800 number, redemption url and coupon code is a link to the site (www.siptoskype.com). Why is that there? What does that have to do with Google Adwords?
- I was curious about what I would find so I went to the site and it just looks “off” to me. It has a weird set of bread crumbs at the top, a weird overview of the program and the download page is set in a frame.
So are Skype and Google collaborating here by sharing and then selling customer data to advertisers? Is NCH software buying customer data from someone and using Google Adwords coupons as a way to market their site? Whatever the case may be, this is very strange and given where advertising is going these days scary and a possible example of “what’s next” in targeted advertising.
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They (NCH Software) are likely gaming Google. Google has programs they have run in the past with credit card companies, whereby if you sign up for a “virtual credit card”, in some cases as low as a $5-$10 prepaid card, you get a coupon code that you can redeem fo $50, $100, $200…sometimes $250 in Adwords credit, with a “new” account signup.
You can see all the folks who work these loopholes selling their wares here
I can tell you for sure Google did not generate that mailer. They are very likely committing a criminal fraud by generating this mailer and using Google’s trademarked images on the mailer. Shady….
@ Cory:
You should come look at it. It is as real as it gets. I am going to try and activate this to see what is up.
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