So far, I would say that microtargeting is all about tailoring messages to smaller segments of an audience and macrotargeting is about having a more broad message that would apply to more segments of an audience. They both seem very straightforward.
Would these techniques work on me, yes. They have been working on me—when I get certain catalogs or direct marketing pieces in the mail, probably even when I get spam in my inbox.
The questions are (in my mind): is this technique/tool useful enough to spend the kind of money necessary to use microtargeting effectively?
I just don’t know if I would want presidential candidates spending millions of dollars on finding out what I watch on pay per view or what kind of soda I buy.
From the NY Times Article, What’s for Dinner, “For example, Dr Pepper is a Republican soda. Pepsi-Cola and Sprite are Democratic. So are most clear liquors, like gin and vodka, along with white wine and Evian water. Republicans skew toward brown liquors like bourbon or scotch, red wine and Fiji water. When it comes to fried chicken, he said, Democrats prefer Popeyes and Republicans Chick-fil-A.”
I happen to know a registered Republican who prefers Popeyes and Coke, where does that fit in?
The danger would probably be using just this type of categorization and no other research or data. As with any type of information, it needs to be put in context and validated for it to be useful. Another thing that worries me is the cost associated with the data mining and analysis necessary for microtargeting. Should millions of dollars be spent by each candidate on finding out what kind of cereal an individual buys? Could that money be put to better use?
According to Susan Davis, as of June 2008, the 2008 presidential campaign has resulted in nearly $195 million of political television advertising airing across the nation! That is $195 million on television ads alone, what happens if each candidate decides to spend that much on additional microtargeting, gets a HUGE database full of information and then doesn’t analyze it correctly?!
I am still on the fence and need to read a LOT more about this topic to decide whether or not I think it is worth the time, money, effort…I can find arguments either way. Some say it works and is worth it, some say it doesn’t work. I guess it is like everything else, it depends on how the numbers are read and who is paying for the research.
