Advertising is getting more and more convenient for Marketers! The smart technology is making it very easy for companies to invest marketing dollars more wisely than before. Small to medium business often times shy away from advertising and marketing plans but I assure you that it is so easy to get exactly what you want for more bang for your buck!
Take for example, behavioral based advertising. Several agencies (i.e. newspaper companies with online presence, online advertising companies, etc) are able to offer online advertising that utilizes browser’s cookies and caches. Your ads can be targeted to a specific audience with your requested criteria.
Let’s say for example, that you are a Los Angeles based swimwear boutique with an online shopping cart. You can request that your ads appear on the screens of those who have recently visited your website along with Nordstrom’s swimwear pages, Tommy Bahama, Expedia beach vacations, and Cruise vacations who are within your targeted region (targeted by zip codes, cities, or distance). The next time internet browsers go to a page where there are ad spaces, there’s a chance that your ad will appear.
In the consumer’s point of view, it is not by coincidence that the product you were just researching about happens to show up on the corner of another website you are visit. It is not serendipity that the Jimmy Choo shoes you were looking at showed up on the ad spaces when you logged on facebook. The truth is, your online behavior is being tracked and marketers can finally get a decent ROI with an ad that can be tracked and analyzed.
Needless to say, I am no longer in the market for print advertising.
Mae Day Marketing 
That’s kinda greyhat Sweeney!! Interesting though for sure.
Is it? Nevertheless, it is the direction that the digital/online advertisement is going.
Well the actual TECHNIQUE is awesome, I just never realized how it could be interpreted as your customer’s DESTINY to use you, lol. I just don’t want to be tricking someone into using stuff, you know?
That picture of the blonde bimbo just gives the picture of some uninformed, manipulated consumer. You ever get sucked into buying one of those “make money online, I promise” things?
Their sales funnels are almost hypnotic. Then after you spend $497 – there’s a bunch of upsells! And they get you to buy those too!
Then $2,500 later – you realized all the things they promised start to fall apart. I never want to have that kind of affect on someone! That seems like sleazy tactics, what a lot of Internet marketers do.
There’s just a clear line between those scammy markety techniques, and more legit techniques. That blonde bimbo thinking it’s her fate to use your product because she’s seen your ad a handful of times recently, that’s crazy!
I never thought of a person thinking that because of remarketing. It’s definitely possible.
Is it grayhat? I don’t know, what’s your definition of grayhat? 🙂
Wow, I’ve been offline for a while. In response to your comment, I think that the golden rule as always is too much of something is never good. Of course, I wrote that blog in a marketer’s perspective. So many business owners are losing hope in spending marketing dollars because nothing ever feels worthy spending money for. Finally, we are at a technological stage where your ad buys are completely “targetable” (I made up that word…lol) as well as quantifiable. Of course, people have to be responsible advertisers. Targeted ads like the one I wrote about can really be helpful. For example, a consumer could be searching for vitamins and would appreciate more options but can’t find it or don’t have time to find it. A targeted ad can appear on the corner or side of a website and it can help the buyer learn more or decide to buy. What you seem to be describing is more of a bait and switch or some kind of unethical marketing tactics.
The photo is there obviously for attraction… so readers would click on the blog. I don’t think what I described is “grayhat” – I think the better term is “big brother.” 🙂