Targeted marketing is a process of identifying potential customers and promoting products and services via mediums that are most likely to reach those customers. Targeting is a marketing buzzword. I dislike buzzwords, heck I even dislike the word “buzzword.”When I did a search for images of “targeted marketing,” all the images showed a dart pointed into a target. Darts aren’t exactly warm and fuzzy things, which is very telling.
Those annoying display ads you see all the time on your computer is an example of targeted marketing. Companies use “cookies” to identify where you’ve been on the Internet and they tailor the ads based on your web searching habits.
So I peruse the Internet. As you can imagine, my display ads are usually exercise DVDs. I decided to branch out and look at some pretty Alex & Ani bracelets. I ended up ordering some of these bracelets.
Well for the next several weeks, guess what has been appearing in those display ads? The very same Alex & Ani bracelets. I’m over them. I searched for them and bought them. Now I’m on to something else. I have absolutely no interest in looking at the exact same bracelet that I just bought. It’s too bad Internet ads can’t be smarter and know that I’ve already bought a product. It would make more sense to show me similar items perhaps, like what Amazon does.
On second thought, it would be really creepy if the Internet knew I bought something.
I never, ever look at the display ads anyway, so it doesn’t matter to me what is showing on my computer. I have never bought anything based on what was showing up there.
What about you? What do you think of the display ads?
Image is from www.lorexinc.com.
Nancy Loderick's Blog 
Our Life In 3D
May 13, 2015
I dislike them appearing on my blog. I didn’t ask for them, I certainly don’t get any revenue from them. I clicked the box in my Settings saying Please Don’t Display these ads but they still do. If you work with Youtube its even worse. Yes, I can’t imagine too many people actually stop to look at these things. I just glaze right over them as a nuisance or obstacle to where I want to go. But they still appear. Advertising companies still think they can reach people that way and still sell their (my) advertising space. Pop Ups were the worst!
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Nancy Loderick
May 13, 2015
Hi Andy,
Isn’t that super annoying when you’ve specifically asked to have something NOT display and yet it is displayed anyway.
Don’t get me started on Pop-ups. They are the most annoying thing ever invented!
Nancy
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Bea dM
May 13, 2015
It’s irritating to get display ads about things you might have looked up out of sheer curiosity, others you might have already bought (like Nancy’s bracelets) and it’s only very very rarely you get one that’s a useful reminder about something you need to buy or at least decide about. But what’s really freaky is when you get ads you’re not remotely interested in, and then find out one of your good email pals has been googling the product in question….. .
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Nancy Loderick
May 13, 2015
Hi there,
Thanks for your comment. You make a very interesting point about ads that show up because of your email pals. I never realized that. I think all of my email pals are also googling exercise stuff!
I also wonder when companies will understand that if they annoy people, those people will certainly NOT buy their products. Display ads are very annoying.
Nancy
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the retrospective entrepreneur
May 22, 2015
Hi Nancy
Having spent so much of my early career in marketing ‘target marketing’ was an essential concept that ensured that you reached, as far as possible, only those consumers in the target segment. In those days this was only possible in a broad sense via choice of magazines, newspapers and TV. Ever narrower targeting was the holy grail but before the internet could only be dreamt of. The reason was that we knew a chunk of our marketing budget was wasted but we had no way of knowing which bit it was.
However, with the advent of current technology we can indeed target with far greater accuracy just those relevant consumers. Nevertheless, we are in some form of half-way house situation. Amazon knows I came looking for a left-handed screwdriver so it continues to bombard me with reminders and emails for left-handed screwdrivers. The problem is that it is, unbelievably, not smart enough to know that I bought the thing within 5 minutes with One-Click!
The main problem you identify (and it drives me to distraction too) is that it is simply too intrusive a technique and still too blunt. The exception for me are some of the Amazon book recommendations based on what I have already purchased that I have occasionally found to be relevant.
The other problem is that platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are trying to ‘monetarise’ their offering. They had an early concept that was heavily subscribed to by users with no thought at outset either why it should have them bombarded by adverts or PR on the one hand or how it could drive revenues on the other. The only defence I have found it that it seems to be possible to block advertisers….for the moment but they keep coming.
We are also at the mercy of stupid companies that really don’t know as much as they should about marketing and the minds and attitudes of their target consumers. They have always been there and they always will until they fade away, victim to their more intelligent competitors.
For a new generation that grows up with ever more intrusive targeting (e.g. text messaging in the high street to get us into a store we are nearing) I guess they will just accept it. For older generations (ahem…) like ourselves, it will, I suspect, continue to drive us mad.
Still I can’t imagine a world without social media that allows me to understand, make contact and friends around the world. I guess I’ll just have to get used to it!
Regards, Tony
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Nancy Loderick
May 25, 2015
Hi Tony,
Thanks so much for your thoughts. You put it best when you described this type of marketing as intrusive. I agree also with your observation that folks who have grown up with this type of marketing don’t seem to mind it as much.
Regards,
Nancy
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JunkChuck
May 27, 2015
My problem with the targeted marketing on the internet, when it is cookie based, is that after I buy something online I’m besieged by ads for the item–or similar items–after I shop and purchase. Maybe it’s better for folks who window shop more, but I tend to look at shopping as a problem to be solved. I don’t shop until I need something, and then I move pretty resolutely through the consumer process until I find what I need at an acceptable value and then: problem solved.
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Nancy Loderick
May 27, 2015
Hi JunkChuck,
I know what you mean. After I have purchased something, I’m on to something else and I don’t want or need to see ads for the thing that I just purchased.
Nancy
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The "Spinman"
June 10, 2015
Marketing through all forms of telephone and internet is out of control. I have one place which now rotates their calls through different cities so you can’t tell who is calling even with caller ID.
And they “avoid” the opt outs because they are calling from different locations each time. Shrewd tactic! I wish there was a way to stop them, but they’re like cockroaches, you just run them off and can’t really kill them!
Spinman
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Nancy Loderick
June 10, 2015
Hey Spinman,
Yes, telephone marketing is totally out of control. So much for being on the “Do Not Call” List, these companies don’t care. And, like you said they keep changing their phone numbers.
Thank goodness for Caller ID. Basically, if I don’t recognize the name, I don’t answer the phone. I never answer the phone if Caller ID says, “Private Name.”
Nancy
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The "Spinman"
June 10, 2015
Very logical thinking, Nancy. I used to do exactly the same, until one day my wife suggested answering these calls and waiting for the “opt out” selection.
Sadly, while that works for that particular number…(sometimes)…it does no good for the number they switch to!
It’s a no-win situation…
Thanks Nancy for your comments and for visiting. My close friends call me “Spinner!”
🙂
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Nancy Loderick
June 10, 2015
Hi Spinner (if I may call you that),
Thanks for your comment.
Nancy
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The "Spinman"
June 10, 2015
I insist on it! Thanks for the following here and the comments! Let me know if I can play a tune for you…
Spinner 🙂
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