The offline and online data collection worlds are about to collide as never before. Facebook will soon announce partnerships with Axciom, Epsilon and Datalogix, three real-world data marketing giants with access to billions of pieces of information about Americans’ shopping habits, according to a person familiar with the deal. Facebook will not share its users' data with these firms, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. Instead, it will allow advertising clients to enlist the help of offline data to deliver targeted Facebook advertising, the source said. A supermarket loyalty card user, for example, might see Facebook ads that reflect their grocery-buying habits.get on Facebook Facebook will use added security features to make sure data doesn't flow between it and the database firms, and that matches will be made using a technique that makes individual consumers blind to the companies involved, the source said. The source requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak on the record about the deal. Still, the marriage of real-world and virtual databases has some privacy advocates nervous. Pam Erlichman, spokeswoman for Datalogix, confirmed in an e-mail that her firm “is participating” in a new advertising partnership with Facebook, but directed additional questions to Facebook. Axciom also referred all questions about the deal to Facebook. Epsilon did not immediately respond to requests for information about the deal, which was first reported in AdAge. A spokeswoman for Facebook said she would not comment on the report.unblock facebook Data brokers Acxiom, Epsilon and Datalogix already use their vast records -- which include e-mail lists, grocery store shopping habits, and much more -- to send highly targeted junk mail and other kinds of advertisements to consumers. Increasingly, these firms have tried to sell their market intelligence online. In a recent brochure, Datalogix makes its case for merging the two worlds: "Why are offline transactions relevant online? Because they’re a more predictive indicator of intent rather than banner ad clicks. Too often, marketers view click-throughs as response data. But a click-through is not a sale," it says.facebook proxy This isn't the first time Facebook has partnered with Datalogix; the social media firm announced last fall that it was conducting research with Datalogix to show that Facebook ads actually encouraged offline purchases. Through that arrangement, Datalogix is tracking groups of Facebook users who were also in its database to see if those who saw certain kinds of Facebook ads were motivated to make later purchases at grocery stores. Facebook was unable to identify individual consumer purchases through the research , the firm said at the time, but was able to see if ads were, in aggregate, effective in getting shoppers to buy grocery items. Here’s how the data sharing will work, according to the source: Epsilon, Datalogix and Axciom will upload lists of customers to Facebook, tagged through email addresses or phone numbers. Facebook will then find matches among its users, and create what it calls “custom audiences.” These can be narrowly focused –18- to 24-year-olds in California who drink cola, for example. Then, these audiences can be targeted with precise softdrink ads. http://www.myfbproxy.com/easily-bypass-internet-filters-to-unblock-the-facebook-program http://www.myfbproxy.com/is-it-necessary-for-us-to-change-the-ip-address-frequently http://www.myfbproxy.com/clear-the-blocks-to-access-facebook-at-work-and-school