It was shaping up to be a dreary Thursday until I stumbled upon this headline over at The Official Google Blog: “There’s a perfect ad for everyone.” I felt as if some benevolent god had hurled a spear of sunlight through the clouds and hit the bullseye of my heart dead-on. For close to a half century now, I have been searching for my perfect ad, and I have to confess that I had begun to despair that the object of my desire, the ad that would be the apple of my eye, simply didn’t exist in this world. A couple of nights ago, after perhaps one too many glasses of wine, I found myself tearfully saying to myself: I will never find my perfect ad.
I should not have underestimated Google and its kindhearted ad-serving algorithms. Now I know that somewhere deep in the Googleplex a flock of code-writing cupids is hard at work fashioning a promotional message that will dovetail perfectly with each and every one of my rational and emotional purchasing triggers. I need only be patient. My ad will come.
Yes indeed, I had the same reaction when I saw their full-color two-page spread in the Monday NYT with the same message.
That and, Isn’t it great that Google knows that the right ad for *me* is in the Monday Business section of the Gray Lady? Now that’s precision targeting.
Someday my prince will come / Someday I’ll find my love / And how thrilling that moment will be / When the prince of my dreams come to me…
Snow White waited for her Prince. We wait for our ad. Somehow I was hoping for more.
Great post…keep creating, Mike
To paraphrase an old quote (whose provenance I’ve forgotten): I could have read lots of ads, but I waited for my perfect ad. And one day I found it … but it was looking for the perfect customer.
“deep in the Googleplex a flock of code-writing cupids is hard at work fashioning a promotional message that will dovetail perfectly with each and every one of my rational and emotional purchasing triggers.”
“Stupid Cupid…stop picking on me.”
Forget trying to find a husband, all I need is advertising.
Just wanted to send a note to say that I have just finished your book ‘The Shallows’ and enjoyed it very much.
I was so happy to read a detailed analysis of what I suspected was happening to me, and that it was real! (One likes to have one’s gut feelings confirmed!)
I’ve been keeping a wary eye on my technology for quite some time, and now I’m going to be positively suspicious!
Thanks for your work.
Though it is only one book, it spoke volumes to me!
May you always be able to read AND think deeply!
Deborah
Read this and thought of you and “The Shallows”
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=does-addictive-internet-use-restructure-brain