Tom Hespos was focussing on ad targetting in this blog post, but he’s accidentally made a powerful case for trusted references.

“As much as we might not like to admit it, what we perceive our needs to be is heavily influenced by our friends’ needs. You might be perfectly happy, thinking all your needs are met, but if your five best friends suddenly purchase new cars, new Kindles, or a new style of clothing, it’s likely that you’ll consider buying these new things yourself. To paraphrase George Carlin, rest his soul, coveting other people’s stuff is what keeps the economy going.

“The influence our friends have over our purchasing habits isn’t automatic. Of course, we have to know about our friends’ purchasing habits. Once we know Fred bought a new Honda Accord, we have to go through a consideration process of our own. Getting to that consideration in the mind of the consumer is the classic challenge for most marketers.”

In addition to the very nice recognition we just received from AlwaysOn, TurnTo has been nominated for the Silicon Alley Awards in the “Most Loved Product” category.  If you like what we’re doing - or even if you just appreciate the potential - please vote for us.  It’ll only take a moment.

http://tinyurl.com/cl4u7l

Thank you thank you!

There are many stellar businesses on this list.  We’re honored to be included in their company.

The AlwaysOn East 100 Award is given to private, emerging technology companies creating new business opportunities in high-growth markets. TurnTo was selected by the AlwaysOn editorial team based on demonstration of growth, market opportunity, quality of innovation and customer traction.

“It’s no secret that technology and innovation are vital to bringing our country out of economic recession,” said Tony Perkins, founder and editor of AlwaysOn.  “The companies on this year’s list have not only created innovative technologies that solve real business problems, but have stimulated economic growth through the generation of new jobs. I congratulate every winner selected for this year’s award and wish them all tremendous success in the future.”

You can read more about the award here: The AlwaysOn East 100.