THE “I DON’T LIKE THAT AD, SO IT DOESN’T WORK” MYTH

or all the brown-nosing and pleading and cajoling and flattering that some advertisers do, you’d be forgiven for assuming their sun, moon, and stars revolve around you. But the truth is, they don’t. And many—perhaps most—of the ads you see, hear, and experience are aimed at someone else.

In these days of “niche” marketing—where many brands direct their marketing at highly specific audiences—most of us intercept ads that are targeted at someone else. Which might explain why so many messages fail to impress. An octogenarian isn’t expected to “get” an edgy LeBron James ad for Nike, just as an eleven-year-old won’t get too excited about commercials offering insurance discounts to drivers fifty-plus.

Ads that don’t speak to you can seem tiresome or inappropriate, and this may lead some to the mistaken conclusion that those ads aren’t effective. The truth is, they simply might not work on you.

How can you tell whether an ad is effective or not? Here’s a good rule of thumb: if it irks you, ask yourself if it’s advertising a product or service you might reasonably be expected to buy. And more to the point, are you part of the core audience that brand is probably trying to reach? Think beyond the simple boundaries of age or gender and ask yourself whether you’re part of the social tribe that brand is trying to reach.

As you might imagine, those who complain about the tone or creative content of an ad are rarely part of the group the seller is targeting. On the other hand, if you conclude that the brand is trying to reach someone like you and you still hate their ad, then—yup—it could be a clunker.