How many times have targeted ads aimed right at you?

Thanks to big data and social media, the marketing and advertising world is becoming more efficient. These technologies help us filter all those unnecessary exposure to irrelevant content, and thus optimize advertisers’ media budget. (And of course, invade our privacy.) However, it seems like that every one is discussing big data and using targeted ads as one important marketing tactic, yet not many of them utilize it in a proper way.

Here are some unsuccessful examples:

Abercrombie & Fitch (The brand is recently swamped by growing criticism. Hope they don’t mind I adding one more here.)

I purchased a puffer jacket at A&F’s online store the other day. Not long after I completed my purchase, I went on Facebook just like I usually do. Then I found a targeted ad from A&F recommending me to buy a puffer jacket AGAIN! It has been a week from my purchase. And guess what? The puffer jacket is still there. What are the odds that I would buy another puffer jacket (the same one) right after my purchase? Believe me, it’s not the first time they did it to me.

Booking.com

These are the places I booked hotels at during this year. And these are the emails I have been receiving every single week during this year. Every time I came back from the visit, I would surely receive a “lonely” email from booking.com which recommends me to see some of the best deals in that location. How annoying?! What are the odds I would go visit Palm Springs the day after I came back from there?

Yes. Since the cost for targeted ads are not so expensive, the waste is somehow affordable especially for those big names. However, the most concerning problem behind this is losing people’s attention and patience. According to Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook (Vaynerchuk, 2013), consumers might be glad to see those content (targeted ads), yet the more irrelevant content you are throwing out, the more likely you are losing your audience’s attention and patience. Remember! People can easily opt out from your email list or hide your ads on Facebook for good. That being said, you are losing the potential opportunities to advertise to your target audience. And it’s very difficult to get them back.

Therefore, please think from the consumers perspective!

To Abercrombie & Fitch: Why would I need to buy the same clothes I bought just one hour ago? How about changing the sales ads right after my purchase to a Thank you note?

To Booking.com: Why would I need to book a hotel at a place where I just came back from? How about changing recommending the same places I went before to helping me explore more exciting destinations, unless your data shows I am a businessman who went to the same place a lot within a short period of time.

I am sorry to only pick up A&F and Booking.com. I am pretty sure there are many other brands like them out there.