The personalized offer: maybe those brands don’t know you

So how many times has a direct mail piece or unsolicited email leaked through that begged you, pleaded with you to come back! Comcast, AT&T Uverse? Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? Their marketing communication is personal, with your name, always with your address (email or otherwise) but what do they know about you? or better yet, do they even care about you?

Personalized marketing that’s, well,  not personal

Large companies and even mid-sized to smaller companies can now get tons of data on you. How you shop, what you buy, what your age group does, what your neighborhood does – but do they really get you? They can get right down to delivering ads for HDTVs on sites that have nothing to do with TV because you’ve been looking at them on Amazon (I know, this is happening to me). What all these companies, analysts, researchers and yes, sad to say, marketers are not doing is spending the time to find out what I LOVE ABOUT THEM if anything. Getting customers to understand and value your offers comes from knowing what the heck the consumer really values and is looking for, not just making targeted sales. This is the brand-building aspect of direct marketing.

Targeting: what I value – in you

The companies that get this right in their ads are exemplified by the Corona beer ads. These ads show the consumer getting what they desire out of life—relaxation, detachment and oh yeah, a beer! I now associate that desirable life experience with the Corona brand.

So, get it together, VIZIO, Amazon and yes, Dominos, and  realize it ain’t just buying a damn product it’s me getting the experience I’m looking for and connecting that back to you. So next time, remember that I love having a pizza when I get a movie or it’s a Friday and I can kick back with my family and not cook. Your brand needs to get me.