A Few Words About Targeted Marketing

Regardless of what anybody says, I don’t believe that people like to be sold to, much less manipulated by advertisers. I read a spokesperson’s comment for either Facebook or Google — don’t recall which, they are so similar these days since both want to control the world — who said that people want their advertising better targeted to themselves. Yeah, right. People don’t want targeted advertising, you stupid jerk, get your head out of your butt.

Sure, it’s worse when the advertising doesn’t fit your parameters whatsoever, but it’s still highly irritating when the advertiser is trying to manipulate and trick you into buying a product you have no need for at all. And that covers most useless crap that is sold today and pretty much explains advertising, targeted or not.

I get emails from companies trying to sell me industrial plumbing supplies, meant for commercial buildings. That’s as welcome as an ad for baby food or birth control. People ask why I don’t carry loyalty cards, and the reason is I don’t want nor appreciate targeted marketing. I also don’t care if things I regularly buy are on sale because I’ll buy it locally to put money back into the neighborhood, regardless of price.

Many older buyers are like me. Younger buyers are much different. In fact, Honda, the car manufacturer, can’t reach its targeted audience anymore, which is young people, because kids don’t watch TV or read newspapers in print. As a result, Honda has decided to sponsor music concerts, which isn’t nearly as annoying.

But I still walk around with a big fat bullseye imprinted on my forehead simply because I am a real estate agent and a high profile agent in Sacramento at that. It means that mortgage lenders and other real estate companies continually use targeted marketing, calling to set up a special coffee date. I never met up for coffee when I was dating, for chrissakes. I made the guys meet me wherever I went, Home Depot to buy a weed wacker, getting my oil changed, whatever. Online companies call because they can’t find my email anywhere. Go ahead, you try to find my email; it’s not out there.

Anybody is free to send me an email through a variety of portals, but if it’s advertising or spam it is deleted before my eyes skim past the subject line. I really miss the days of when slamming down a phone carried a message. Clicking off by tapping the disconnect button doesn’t have the same satisfaction. There is a downside to it, though. The other day a guy called who sounded just like a telemarketer. After I asked: please don’t call me again, and when the phone was about to go dead, just before it disconnected I heard him cry, no, wait, wait, I’m an agent.

Fortunately, I have redial and CallerID.

If you’re looking to buy a home in Sacramento, you can contact the Elizabeth Weintraub Team. We won’t pressure you or try to sell a home to you. We are providers of new listings as soon as they hit the market — as a real estate agent is your best and only real source to receive current homes for sale in Sacramento. If you want to tour a home, you can let us know.