Social networks have reached a point of mainstream adoption, which leaves room for lots of compromises in terms of monetization, access and consumer control.  Factor in the way in which brands are taking to social networks for their own advertising purposes, and you’ve got an interesting dynamic going on.  Caught in the middle are the very networks where users gather, collecting their preferences, relationships and transactions (social and otherwise).

It’s brought a number of privacy concerns to light, from an advertising perspective especially.  And while networks like Facebook have surfaced a number of these growing pains, there’s quite a void to be filled when it comes to fostering good relationships between brands and consumers, directly, through the means of mass communication, and across a myriad of channels.

Earlier this week we discussed how Diaspora’s alternative to Facebook has brought about opportunities for consumer ownership over their branded and socially oriented data.  I recently had a chat with VisualDNA, about a similar topic.  VisualDNA has an interesting approach to consumer data ownership, and it’s one I’ve been keen on since their launch a couple years back.

VisualDNA has evolved into an audience targeting tool, which is in line with its early efforts, after all. Enabling consumers to develop data and profile info about their needs, interests, taste and intent, users are broken up into Audience Groups, which can be targeted in a number of combination deals.

It’s a bit of a social marketing experiment, steeped heavily in consumerism, but it’s one that looks to retain consumer control over their own data, which Leighton Webb, head of VisualDNA’s U.S. operations, says is being commoditized.  “We’re after more direct relationships between brands and consumers, with everyone participating in agreement,” he went on.  “This is something Facebook is going to have to reconcile.  It’s part of a new generation of sell-outs.”

Simply knowing how your own data is being used, across websites, retailers and social networks, is something individuals often know very little about.  It may not seem like they’re being taken advantage of, but their collective count turns into a plethora of metrics that advertisers can simply play around with.  VisualDNA seeks to better that relationship between consumer and brand, not through its own network with page “likes” and updates, but through autonomy.  This becomes the basis for VisualDNA’s ability to serve dynamic ads on what it knows about the user, within this cooperative network.

Where VisualDNA is losing ground to similar services and other third parties seeking to better brand relations amongst consumers is in real-time web involvement.  “We’re currently in discussions around developing real-time web stuff… it hasn’t taken off yet, but it will,” says Webb.  “At that point we’re prioritizing our product map, so we’ll probably partner around that.”

And while I’m in favor of waiting out trends to see their true value, I do also hope VisualDNA finds a practical way to incorporate real-time data within its client and consumer offerings.  Those analytics firms delving into the advertising industry are still unable to deliver usable data back to the consumer, and this is where VisualDNA has an opportunity to do something new.  I think it’s ultimately where brand marketing and consumer relations is going, especially as brands and marketers begin to realize just how important consumer recognition, access and control over their own data really is.