Iced Advertising...

Yesterday at Citgo I saw an ad for TBS' My Boys (http://www.tbs.com/shows/myboys/) on the ice freezer.

I've never seen the cable sitcom about a young, female sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times.

And I don't expect to.

First, it seems targeted to women. Second, I don't have cable. (I don't watch much TV,)

And finally, I wouldn't have remembered the ad -- except for my marketing tip.

Who decided that advertising a TV show on an ice freezer was a good use of ad dollars?

How do you measure how many people see an ad on a freezer, much less how many RESPOND to it?

How do you know that the people who buy gas -- or bags of ice match the show's demographic?

There seems to be a large contingent of advertisers who think getting an ad in front of a lot of eyeballs is the goal. It's not. The goal of advertising is, and always has been, getting in front of the RIGHT eyeballs. If this show is targeted to young women, why isn't the ad somewhere that's more focused on that demographic? What about tying into a brand of soda or snack that young women favor. How about advertising on that packaging?

And why isn’t the advertiser using a more measurable media? Isn't their audience online? Advertising online offers pinpoint accuracy and detailed measurement. Doesn't the target demographic read magazines? Buy placing an ad in targeted magazines each with a unique website would allow the advertiser to measure ad-generated traffic.

Is your advertising working? Can you measure the results of every ad you've placed? What's pulling its weight? What isn't?

Don't misunderstand. I realize the power of broad branding. But I think that's best used for brands with big budgets and a broad appeal.

Now you may think I sound jealous. Yes, I did once meet the owner of Crystal Clear Ice. Yes, I do wish selling ads on ice freezers was my idea.

But I would have done a better job of matching advertiser with the medium. Really.