What if I told you I had an all new targeting technology that is one hundred times more powerful than anything on the market?
What if I told you I could target an audience so narrow, I could be in front of women who are 25-35, who are at home, who just finished sending an email and want a pair of pink fuzzy slippers?
I bet you think it’s expensive! The truth is, this level of targeting already exists. In fact, it has existed since the dawn of advertising.
The beauty of the concept is simplicity. When you advertise pink fuzzy slippers to the world, the only consumers that will react and engage your advertisements are the ones that actually want pink fuzzy slippers. Or, at least those slightly interested.
What this means to you is that your “targeting” of the consumer had nothing to do with some technological wizardry or advanced behavior algorithm. It had everything to do with your message, your value proposition to the consumer.
In fact, one of the factors that has made traditional media so effective is that often we’re exposed to a product or service we didn’t even know we wanted until we saw it.
How do you think companies like Walmart increased their average ticket order? By bringing consumers something surprising, something they didn’t expect. How many times have you left with something extra in your shopping cart that wasn’t on your list?
To make my final point, often, it’s not the consumers that predictably fit the bill of our target customer, but those we never expect, that create significant growth in our business.
So, the next time you need to run a digital campaign targeting women who are 25-35, are at home, just finished sending an email and want a pair of pink fuzzy slippers, consider running non-targeted display and let the consumers choose you, not the other way around.
Advertising in the Digital Age 