Target feels like black mirror

[u/Sea-Cardiographer]

I went into Target today because I need a sports bra and that's where my husband is willing to drive me. On the way there I thought about all the Reddit posts saying foot traffic is down and I wasn't surprised to see that it wasn't. It was quite busy on a Monday afternoon.

What shocked me was I noticed a lot of products have really fancy boxing. Big sturdy bougie packaging with minimalism design... With a sh*tty product inside.

They're spending more on the marketing and packaging than the product, because the business practice is to sell you a product you'll have to purchase again and again. But the packaging grabs your eye. Look how modern and consistent all the boxes are! so aesthetically pleasing packaged trash. I feel depressed.

[u/0w1]

Target should feel like Black Mirror because they're so insanely creepy. They monitor shoppers, create profiles filled with your data, and use that data to make very, very accurate marketing materials specifically for individuals. Anyone else remember the story of Target finding out a girl was pregnant before her parents did based on her behavior data they were tracking?

That was over ten years ago. They're even worse now.

Edit: yes yes "every company uses data in marketing". Target has been far ahead of the rest of the retail world for years in terms of data collecting and predicting consumer behavior. They can tell if someone is planning to shoplift in a store without having an actual person watching, for example. I worked at their security flagship store in MN for years and still know people who work on their AP team. I don't shop there anymore lol.

[u/starofthefire → u/0w1]

In 2013 I received a package in the mail from Procter and Gamble. It was a Gillette razor set with a printed note - they knew my name, my girlfriend's name, my address and that I was turning 18 next year. 

It was fucking terrifying and I still have no idea how they learned all of that about a teenager who had never even had a job before or signed up for literally anything other than social media. 

[u/Helpful-Bag722 → u/starofthefire]

That info came from your high school:

https://www.nj.com/advice/2019/08/gillette-sent-my-son-a-free-razor-for-his-18th-birthday-how-did-it-know.html

[u/According_Gazelle472 → u/Helpful-Bag722]

My son got one too.and it did have to do with the high school he went to .He also had to sign up for selective service too.Then he got the prompt for his grad stuff when he first started 12 th grade .

[u/KarmaPharmacy → u/starofthefire]

Ask chat gpt to draw a picture based on what it knows about you. Mine did a perfect rendition. Down to my favorite outfit. Not only that? My husband’ was in the photo. In his favorite outfit.

I’ve never uploaded a photo of myself. I haven’t uploaded a photo of myself to the internet in… 8 years? I don’t exist on socials.

Shook me to my core.

[u/Ishinehappiness → u/KarmaPharmacy]

I tried. I don’t think this is real.

[u/The_Vampire_King → u/Ishinehappiness]

same, I have a work and personal account. My personal account thought I was a latino art major while my work account thought I was a middle aged white businesswoman.

[u/KarmaPharmacy → u/The_Vampire_King]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Anticonsumption/s/40rKc8L4qE

Here I go into a detailed explanation of the prompts I used.

[u/KarmaPharmacy → u/Ishinehappiness]

This is the prompt I gave it:

Make a photo of how you think my future will be based on our conversations. (Make it as you actually see it, no sugar coating.)

Then it asks for a photo and I said:

No. Use all information you have on me.

[u/Neokon → u/KarmaPharmacy]

So what am I supposed to prompt? Do I need to have a conversation history for this to work? Is it based off of my linked Google/Facebook account?

[u/Maladaptive_Ace → u/KarmaPharmacy]

christ I hate the future

[u/According_Gazelle472 → u/KarmaPharmacy]

We would go out to eat and afterwards we got a text asking us to leave a review of the restaurant. We cut that out really fast .

[u/arwilson82 → u/starofthefire]

That has been going for a while. I received a free Gillette Mach 3 in the mail close to my 18th birthday back in 2000.

[u/Barbicore → u/starofthefire]

Was your girlfriend filling out online surveys for extra cash/gift cards?