Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The Challenge of Successful Online Advertising
Historically, advertising is a mode of communication that has been a one-way channel with
a narrow agenda: show and sell. In traditional media, the success of an advertising campaign
was attributed to the assumption that people will change an existing behavior if skillfully
but simply encouraged and manipulated to do so. The most effective way to do this was
to divide and conquer by segmenting an audience into broad target demographics. You're
between the ages of 25-35, single, and female; you'll LOVE this!
So why doesn't this work for online marketing? The reason: Consumer metrics have
evolved to a psychographic level. Turning the tables for a moment, as a
user
, I believe it's not
enough to be targeted on a demographic level; I expect to be targeted on a psychographic
level. When I'm just a demographic, it doesn't work. I'm not
just
25-35, single, and female; I
enjoy hiking, going out to local restaurants, and sharing cat videos with my friends. Ads that
are unrelated—or worse, ads that offend my beliefs and values—can feel alarmingly intrusive.
Designing a successful advertising campaign in the new online consumer culture re-
quires elements of precise, behavioral targeting. The Legacy Media assumption must be
adjusted to refl ect varying reactions to advertising. Rather than attempting to change an ex-
isting behavior, the goal of the advertiser should be to build upon known preferences and at-
titudes. What one person might
fi nd offensive, another might
not even notice. Personal choice,
from an opt-in/opt-out perspec-
tive, has proven to be a success-
ful marketing adaptation. This
method addresses the demands
of the audience, creates poten-
tial to enhance conversion rates,
and introduces an additional
revenue source (on the product
side by shifting to a subscription
model in an opt-out event).
If I as a
user
come to the realization that I will inevitably be exposed to advertisements,
I want advertisers to give me the option to pick and choose what I am shown. Simply put,
don't show me what
you
think I would like—show me more ads with cat videos!
Kaze wants Rob to be quiet; the plot unfolds
—Suzanne E. Tow, Advertising Media Buyer
