BERLIN/CHICAGO (Reuters) - People with hay fever hate dust. That was the premise of a marketing drive launched by British vacuum cleaner maker Dyson with U.S. retailer Target Corp.
FILE PHOTO: Facebook, Amazon, Alibaba and Google logos are seen in this combination photo from Reuters files. REUTERS/File Photos
Using data about its customers’ shopping habits, Target homed in on shoppers who likely had allergies and showed them ads for Dyson’s cordless V6 vacuum on social media and Target’s website. The result: sales for the vacuums doubled among shoppers who regularly purchase anti-allergy treatments and products such as Claritin or humidifiers on Target.com and in stores.
Data about real people and real behaviors “actually get a much stronger result because the fidelity of that data is so much richer,” said Kristi Argyilan, Target’s senior vice president of media and guest engagement.
Retailers ranging from Target and Walmart Inc to grocers such as Tesco Plc are working aggressively to attract big advertisers to their websites in a bid to drive sales, according to interviews with retailers, packaged goods makers, consumer data firms and marketing consultants.
Specifically, they are selling more ad space, pop-up banners and search-bar keywords to consumer goods companies such as Kraft Heinz Co and Procter & Gamble Co. These makers of everything from soup to shampoo are investing more to advertise on retailers’ websites where people who already have an intent to buy are guided to specific products using their individual shopping habits.
This online ad revenue offers significantly higher margins for retailers than selling goods in stores.
By carving out a space for themselves in the booming digital ad market, they are taking on Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc and the $114 billion they received last year in global online ad
