The Target On Your Back

Shortly after the invention of the wheel, a prehistoric caveman decided he needed to sell his new product. Since everyone would have been a prospect, he didn't need to work too hard on targeted advertising. However, it wasn't long before he found out that large wheels sold better with the younger crowd who were trying to make their cars look goofy, while the smaller wheels were a favorite with the older crowd who appreciated the ease of use. Fast forward a few million years to the extreme targeting that savvy marketers use today, and it's almost impossible to imagine how far we've come.

It would be easy to assume that most of the advertisements we see each day are a coincidence. Watching a few hours of TV is likely to present you with a number of products and services that you will never use. That's how it's been for more than 50 years. Advertisers are smart enough to make sure that they place their commercials in television programs that are likely to have viewers who are also prospects, but that's about as far as the technology would go.

The arrival of online commerce has forced advertisers to completely reevaluate their options. As soon as you first tried Amazon.com, they began collecting information about your shopping and purchasing habits. It's no surprise that when you purchase a DVD player from Amazon, you're presented with suggestions to buy several new movies. This is an example of technology allowing a merchant to hyper-target you as a prospect. Why bother showing you a selection of gardening tools when you're much more likely to buy some DVDs to watch on your new player. This is an obvious example, but the past year has brought about new levels of targeted advertising that are almost scary.

One of the latest trends is re-targeting. When you reply to a promotional email from a large retailer like Macy's or Nordstrom, they now have the advantage of knowing that you're actually interested in their products! This allows them to follow you around the internet to keep their message in front of you as long as possible. Through the services of online advertising networks, marketers can extend the amount of time that you see their message, even after leaving their website on your browser!

It's not a far leap of the imagination to start seeing display ads similar to those in the movie Minority Report. As our hero walks into The Gap, he's recognized the scanners and immediately presented with audio/visual promotions that inquire about his last purchase and show him other items that may be of interest. When the technology allows for this level of real-world marketing, I wonder if the public will react positively? It's fascinating and creepy all at the same time.

Whether you realize it or not, even your personal electronic devices are being used to influence your purchases. The free music service Pandora has become littered with clickable banners and audio advertisements over the past year. Since you're logged into their server for your "free" music, it's only logical that they are delivering ads to you based on your world wide web cookie trail. With more than 13 million iPads estimated to be sold this year, the micro-targeting industry is poised for a very profitable merging of technology and advertising.

The next time you decide to make a purchase, take a moment and consider how you arrived at the decision. Was it spontaneous or carefully planned? Did you research the purchase or act on the advice of a friend? Were you familiar with the company or did you try something new? If you're anything like me, it depends on the transaction. Either way, you can be sure that the details of your purchase will be carefully scrutinized in ways we can't yet imagine.

**Shane Payne is owner of IDEA Post Production, providing both creative and technical services for the advertising and entertainment industries.