ChasNote

Tom Hespos latest MediaPost column hits the mark on ad targeting so well, I wish I had written it. (My attempt: ChasNote 4/13/05.) Because online advertising has better targeting capabilities than offline media, media buyers take advantage of online’s micro-targeting and lose the benefit of reaching prospective paying customers who don’t fit the “ideal customer profile” outlined in the RFP.

“Let’s say we’re putting together a test launch of a widget in Philadelphia. To advertise that widget, we decide to go with some spot radio, so we plan to purchase 15 GRPs a week in Philly against our demographic target–Men 18-49. We do a little spot cable, too. and we also look to advertise the widget online across six content sites, using inventory that is both geotargeted to the Philadelphia DMA and demo-targeted to M18-49…. One big difference is that the Internet advertising is a lot more focused on the target. Remember that, in advertising on the radio and on cable TV, our ads are guaranteed against our demo target of M18-49. But in advertising in those environments, we also reach a ton of women, kids, senior citizens and other folks we might not consider to be part of our target market. Assuming that the widget can be used or purchased by people outside the demographic and geographic target, some of those people from outside the targeting parameters of the traditional plan are going to buy the product…. The Internet’s targetability looks like a surgical scalpel in comparison….. The dynamics of how broadcast and online are purchased have led quite a few advertisers to carve out a distinct role for online in the media mix — online becomes the focused medium that reaches the target and the target only. At the same time, broadcast inherits heavy-lifting chores, in large part due to the limitations on its targetability. Seems strange, doesn’t it? One medium does a great job of reaching a focused audience and is rewarded for it by being relegated to the role formerly played by direct mail.”