Disney CEO bullish on direct Web marketing to consumers

Walt Disney Co chief Robert Iger said on Wednesday advertising will rapidly grow more sophisticated as media firms begin tracking consumer preferences and selling the data on to advertisers. But Iger warned that privacy concerns may come to the fore with the growing ability of Web ads to monitor individual preferences and target surfers with custom ads. Iger has warned that fundamental changes now underway in the broadcast and cable industries may permanently cut TV advertising sales and prices, leaving traditional media companies looking for ways to make up that revenue when the economy recovers. The executive told the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference that media companies can pump up online sales volumes by either selling consumer information or by marketing directly to consumers based on individual tastes.