Cable Ads Take “Targeting” To A New Level

Back in January I wrote a post called “Marketing in 2009 is cool”. In this post I discussed the cool new ways we will be marketing our shows and events in 2009 and the future.  Today, I found a cable marketing/advertising advancement.

There is an Associated Press story today on cable companies taking a page out of online marketing.  The writer gives an example that you are watching a show on Comedy Central.  The show goes to a break and a Ford Mustang spot comes on.  Ford knows that you have been shopping for a new Mustang.  At the end of the spot a button pops up and asks if you would like more info.  If you say yes, they send you out a packet or have someone call you. 

Does this sound like science fiction?  Well, it’s real.  Several cable companies are going to “test drive” it this summer. 

As soon as I read this I thought this idea would be great for sports teams.  Think about this:  Someone watching your sports team on TV has an interest in your team, right?  Well, why not run a ticket package spot during the break.  Then have a button pop up and ask if they are interested.  If they say yes, then someone in the ticket office calls them.  You don’t get any closer to “direct ask” marketing then that. Think about the great lead list you will get.

Cable already has an advantage with targeting.  They have network choices that are targeted to one group or another.  For example women are more apt to watch Lifetime and Hallmark.  Cable companies are now going to take this “targeting” even closer.  The article said that cable companies are going to try targeting ads to demographic profiles.  For example, neighborhoods with larger youth populations might get spots for summer concerts.  While neighborhoods with high-end income levels might get spots for exotic travel.  Two different people in the same town, watching the same program, on the same cable company might see two different commercials. 

What if you saw an ad on ESPN for Thomas & Friends Live?  In the past you might say “wrong demo”.  But the reason you saw the spot was because they know you bought tickets in the past year for Sesame Street Live.   Some might think big brother is going too far.  As a marketer I am always interested in how to reach my target demo. With marketing budgets thin and TV ratings spread even thinner, this might just be a solution.

Even The Big Three Are Doing It

They can continue to produce cars no one wants or can afford. They build automobiles that are very 20th century.  They cry to Congress they need a bail out. They don’t understand what’s so wrong with flying the private jets to DC.  You can say all of that but don’t say they are not hip on the non-traditional marketing scene. 

Yes, it’s true they are taking to the web to sway all of us what “good guys” they are.  They are going digital to have us tell Congress that we love the Big Three and want them to get the money.    According to today’s Wall Street Journal Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler are bringing their message to Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the blogs.

The car companies understand these online messages will last a long time.  Once something is posted it can stay out there forever.  I see this all the time even with this blog.  Posts that I wrote months ago are still getting hits everyday. 

They know that the right use of ”tag” or “keywords” will get them to the top of the Google search. I am sure that the car companies are currently among the top searches.  When a searcher types in these words they could be sent to one of the many websites or blogs that the car companies have set up to lobby their case.  They are even buying search ads on Google.  Ford has staff that’s job is to scan the social network sites and exchange messages with other users. 

Another good reason the Big Three are using these forms of marketing is the image of spending “big bucks” on traditional marketing to get the message out.  I guess they did learn from the corporate jet screw up.  I still cannot believe not one of the CEO’s or their “people” didn’t think about the image of flying a corporate jet with their hands out. Is this not part of PR 101?  Of course to fix that mistake they make the return to DC into a big driving event. How predictable of a PR move was that?

Look for more big corporate companies to take the marketing message deep into the web in 2009.  I will say it again; this is marketing/PR for the 21st century.

Have a great weekend!