Why you have to go beyond context
Recent comScore data shows that iVillage has high reach among women, so if an advertiser wants to target women online then iVillage seems like a safe bet. However, the same comScore data shows that 42 percent of iVillage visitors are actually men. So, when an advertiser pays a premium to advertise on iVillage in the hopes of reaching women, four out of 10 ads will be wasted.
To catch one customer you must use many nets.
Most demographic data resources will include an average of 40+ percent waste in targeting accuracy. Some sites (The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSN, Yahoo!, et cetera) have registered user bases that are more accurate, although they lack the ability to scale out to the rest of the internet.
Effectively reaching your target, therefore, requires a combination of demographic, contextual and behavioral data. Demographic Targeting should be used as a key part of your marketing mix, but not as a stand-alone solution.
Want to dig deeper with DT and ad networks? Check out these additional resources that will help you get started:
- Senior Editor Dawn Anfuso compares contextual and behavioral targeting.
- Jeremy Helfand talks about the nuances of targeting and how to use demographic targeting to boost the ROI on your marketing dollar.
- Advertising.com's Nada Stirratt explains what retargeting is, and how ad networks can help you boost conversions.
- Marissa Gluck's "6 Tips for Working with Ad Networks".
- Our Media Strategies Editor Jim Meskauskas compares 14 ad networks and their capabilities in the Ad Networks Crib Sheet.
- Editor Nanette Marcus adds another 15 networks to the list in Ad Networks Crib Sheet, Part 2.
- ValueClick Media's general manager Dave Yovanno sits down with iMedia's exec editor for a long talk about ad networks.
- And there's much more in iMedia Connection's Ad Networks section.