Amazon – Stalkers or Good marketing?

by Alan Cole · Published Friday, January 29th, 2010 · Updated Thursday, September 17th, 2020

Amazon is an internet success story. They weathered the .com bust and have gone from strength to strength and their fairly agressive but highly focused marketing often impresses me.

I get quite a few e-mails from them with suggested products and most of the time their suggestions are very relevant. Over Xmas, after buying a Wii as a present for the family I received lots of e-mails with suggestions of games and accessories. I often get e-mails with cyling equipment, GPS devices, Apple products and software. I can understand this, if I look at certain products then Amazon have that info, can see what I’ve bought or looked at in the past and can offer suggestions of products I may be interested in. Much better than sending me a list of random products I have no interest in.

Sometimes though I get suggestions of things that makes me think they could be stalking me! I’ve been having a few issues with a new hard drive. I think the firewire port or cable is a little dodgy and it therefore disconnects itself. I’ve done nothing about it yet (other than fiddle with cables), I certainly haven’t looked online for a new one, but today I received an email from Amazon with a list of Hard Drives for under £100. I’m sure it was just a coincidence, but maybe they are stalking me!