The “algorithms” are also dumb as fuck. For example on a large retailer site you spend a couple of hours browsing for a particular kind of item. You are comparing different kinds, looking up reviews and issues, watching YouTube videos about them. And finally you pull the trigger and but the thing. Then for the next 3 months that site (and others that picked up on the research) will go: Hey here are some more of that thing you like, you really liked it right? Would you like to compare some more items?
Uhm no, I actually bought said thing, you made the sale. All of that “targeted” advertisement is just wasted, I have zero interest anymore since the need has been filled.
It’s either that or stuff I can’t afford (like memory or graphic cards) or really weird stuff I have no idea why it’s being shown to me. Sometimes very alarmingly so. Just recently I got an ad that said “Popular in your region” and it was for illegal Nazi dogwhistle flags, “self defense knifes”, baseball bats and tracksuits. That’s a bit scary. On the other hand the same site gave me an ad for an “easy to conceal” blowjob machine sex toy. Like holy shit what kind of people are living in my region?
Targeted ads have been terrible for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I ever bought anything through an ad or hardly ever even clicked on them. Only time I click on them is because the site and my adblocker are fighting and when I try to click somewhere on the page, it inserts an ad the last millisecond, shifts the entire page so I accidentally click on it.
Amazon thought I was a toilet seat collector for 3-6 months after I bought a 3-pack. No amount of not clicking on those promoted items could convince them otherwise.
I bought a used school bus on eBay a few years ago (to turn into a skoolie) and since then I’ve been bombarded with ads for used school buses. I can assure anyone interested that one is more than enough. Yes, there are school districts and companies that maintain large fleets of school buses, but they do not buy them on fucking eBay.
One of the parts that gets me is there is a good opportunity for more sales there (if that should happen is another debate I don’t have the energy for). A few years ago I bought an electric kettle. So cue months of ads for electric kettles. It’s a kettle, you only need one. Now if I had been shown different teas or coffees, stuff I would use the kettle to make, they would have absolutely hooked me easily. I had a new toy, I was excited to use it, I would have loved trying new teas with it. I still did, but they were all ones I chose.
Yup! Bought an android phone on Amazon. I got a bunch of ads for phones or incompatible accessories. Amazon… You know I bought a android phone, why are you selling me a lightning cable? You know it was a pixel phone, why are you selling me a phone case for a Samsung s series phone?
I’ll piss off a bunch of lemmy users with this but… I don’t mind ads. I hate useless ads. As you said, ads about teas or coffees would of been useful for you. 99% of the time if I buy something I don’t need more of that, maybe some associated stuff but not that. If I buy a video card yesterday I don’t need another one. Sell me the latest games. Sell me da monitor with high fps/resolution to show off what the video card can do. I buy a clothes washer, I don’t need another one. Sell me detergent. Sell me fabric softener.
How have all the advertising companies missed this?
I always just assumed I was too weird to effectively algorithmicly advertise to. I’m far away from the average American by a lot of measures and my interests are very niche.
When I get suggestions or ads they feel like they are for someone else a lot (I like your blowjob machine example, many ads assume I’m male and lonely even though I’m a woman. Maybe that demographic is so lucrative and I’m so hard to sell to that I get those ads)
The “algorithms” are also dumb as fuck. For example on a large retailer site you spend a couple of hours browsing for a particular kind of item. You are comparing different kinds, looking up reviews and issues, watching YouTube videos about them. And finally you pull the trigger and but the thing. Then for the next 3 months that site (and others that picked up on the research) will go: Hey here are some more of that thing you like, you really liked it right? Would you like to compare some more items? Uhm no, I actually bought said thing, you made the sale. All of that “targeted” advertisement is just wasted, I have zero interest anymore since the need has been filled.
It’s either that or stuff I can’t afford (like memory or graphic cards) or really weird stuff I have no idea why it’s being shown to me. Sometimes very alarmingly so. Just recently I got an ad that said “Popular in your region” and it was for illegal Nazi dogwhistle flags, “self defense knifes”, baseball bats and tracksuits. That’s a bit scary. On the other hand the same site gave me an ad for an “easy to conceal” blowjob machine sex toy. Like holy shit what kind of people are living in my region?
Targeted ads have been terrible for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I ever bought anything through an ad or hardly ever even clicked on them. Only time I click on them is because the site and my adblocker are fighting and when I try to click somewhere on the page, it inserts an ad the last millisecond, shifts the entire page so I accidentally click on it.
Amazon thought I was a toilet seat collector for 3-6 months after I bought a 3-pack. No amount of not clicking on those promoted items could convince them otherwise.
It thought I was a transvestite for lime a year after a Christmas where I bought my my mom a sweater, and my girlfriend jewelery.
Like full on recommending me panties and lingerie in my mens size 32 waist.
well that’s the problem. people usually buy one
I bought a used school bus on eBay a few years ago (to turn into a skoolie) and since then I’ve been bombarded with ads for used school buses. I can assure anyone interested that one is more than enough. Yes, there are school districts and companies that maintain large fleets of school buses, but they do not buy them on fucking eBay.
One of the parts that gets me is there is a good opportunity for more sales there (if that should happen is another debate I don’t have the energy for). A few years ago I bought an electric kettle. So cue months of ads for electric kettles. It’s a kettle, you only need one. Now if I had been shown different teas or coffees, stuff I would use the kettle to make, they would have absolutely hooked me easily. I had a new toy, I was excited to use it, I would have loved trying new teas with it. I still did, but they were all ones I chose.
Yup! Bought an android phone on Amazon. I got a bunch of ads for phones or incompatible accessories. Amazon… You know I bought a android phone, why are you selling me a lightning cable? You know it was a pixel phone, why are you selling me a phone case for a Samsung s series phone?
I’ll piss off a bunch of lemmy users with this but… I don’t mind ads. I hate useless ads. As you said, ads about teas or coffees would of been useful for you. 99% of the time if I buy something I don’t need more of that, maybe some associated stuff but not that. If I buy a video card yesterday I don’t need another one. Sell me the latest games. Sell me da monitor with high fps/resolution to show off what the video card can do. I buy a clothes washer, I don’t need another one. Sell me detergent. Sell me fabric softener.
How have all the advertising companies missed this?
True. If I buy a fridge try selling me other kitchen appliances because I might be remodeling. Don’t try to sell me more fridges. This is ludicrous!
I still get recommended tampons because my ex-gf bought some with my Amazon account 5+ years ago. Peak recommendation brilliance.
can you imagine being a transman post hysterectomy?
I always just assumed I was too weird to effectively algorithmicly advertise to. I’m far away from the average American by a lot of measures and my interests are very niche.
When I get suggestions or ads they feel like they are for someone else a lot (I like your blowjob machine example, many ads assume I’m male and lonely even though I’m a woman. Maybe that demographic is so lucrative and I’m so hard to sell to that I get those ads)