Dr. Neil Hair

Bigbrother gone mad. I recently advised all of my students to cut out seemingly innocuous radio transmitting tags from their newly purchased clothes. Such a statement sounds like something out of a George Orwell novel, and had I said this back when I started teaching people would have thought me mad. I would have thought me mad. But they’re here, they’re not fictional, and they’re a marketers dream come true (if we could only get over the little issue of privacy). What's not to love? They tell us where you are, (therefore in many cases what you’re doing - even those of you who like to spend time in Craft stores like JoAnnes [you know who you are]), they tell us how many there are of you (provided of course all of you are wearing the little devils) and over time they allow us deep insights into your personal life by enabling us to spot patterns (Neil is for instance, always at home in bed in the zip code 14623 by 3am). Great news for marketers trying to understand how their products are used. Not so great news for those of you who arent at home in bed by 3am in a 14623 zip code. Why not check your clothes now, especially if you have any from the Gap, Banana Republic, Walmart, don't stop there, check your Gillette Razors too (which by the way activate CCTV cameras in stores these days when they are moved to deter shoplifters). Aint technology grand? In the UK they’re now being fitted by Michelin in peoples car tires and several banks are installing them in their credit cards (for security purposes alone of course to ensure that they arrive at pre-defined postal codes). Trust has always been seen as the cornerstone of any relationship, be it personal or commercial in nature. People don’t trust this technology by and large. Nor should they, we haven’t been educated as to the benefits of its involvement. Until such times that this technology is explained and promoted effectively I'll continue to advise you cut these suckers out of clothing. Enjoy the rummage through your wardrobe… dont forget the fridge too.

Update: It's no longer objects being tagged.