Episode 7

Behavioral Advertising – How Does Targeting Really Work?

Behavioral targeting has undeniably changed marketing and advertising, fueling the online advertising industry’s growth to $540 billion globally. But what’s the real impact... for marketers and for consumers?

In this episode, Elena, Angela, and Rob discuss a recent article featured in The New York Times that digs into what it means to target (and be targeted) online. They explain the different types of targeting available to marketers, pros and cons of each, and why it’s important to be skeptical when evaluating data to determine the success of marketing campaigns. Just a heads up? We’re big fans of contextual targeting.

Topics Covered

• [00:45] Reviewing “If It’s Advertised to You Online, You Probably Shouldn’t Buy It” from The New York Times

• [04:30] What are the different types of online targeting?

• [10:00] What are the benefits and downsides of behavioral targeting?

• [17:00] Exploring contextual targeting vs behavioral targeting with a study by HP

• [22:00] How do you know when marketing is really performing?

Resources:

2023 New York Times Article

2023 SSRN Report

2022 AdButler Blog

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