• by Tom Hespos , November 1, 2005

Relevance is one characteristic of an online advertising program that drives success, and will likely continue to do so. We've seen it demonstrated time and again. A simple text ad of a dozen words or so, delivered contextually by a search engine will consistently put the coolest rich media technology to shame.

I've said time and again that I think advertising's holy grail is delivering on relevance, to the point where every ad I see is as valuable to me as the ads in my favorite niche magazines like Guitar Player and PC Gamer. In these editorial environments, ads are indistinguishable from content, from the standpoint of the value they deliver to the reader.

But perhaps it's time to amend that assertion. Relevance is nice, but it's apparently only a part of the equation.

The most relevant ad in the world, even a billboard advertising the latest in mobile technology as I'm on my way to the store for a new phone, still smacks of a ham-handed approach to communications. I'm left with the feeling that even with all the technology that's available to narrowcast and even personalize messages to potential customers, most consumer advertisers don't take advantage of the possibilities. I'm also left with the feeling that I'm seen as a target to broadcast messages to, instead of a person with whom advertisers want to communicate meaningfully.

Click on the most relevant ad you see on the Web today. Will you be taken to a place that is personalized to your wants, where the advertiser is trying to learn more about your needs? It's doubtful. More than likely you'll be delivered to a generic landing page, where most of the ad campaign's "clickers" end up. And the advertiser will try to sell to you with the same language that they're trying to sell everyone else with.

I think relevance is no longer the ultimate driver of success. It may be one of the larger variables contributing to success, but it's no longer the king of the mountain. I'd like to propose that hand-in-hand with the expectation of relevance is an expectation of communication. That is, customers expect to be able to say things like "this standard offer doesn't work for me" and have someone on the other end of the conversation engage them, perhaps with something that does work. Ideally, this type of communication could be patterned after the person behind the counter in your favorite mom and pop store--the guy who not only delivers what you want, but is also prepared to discuss it in depth, offer advice or just simply have a friendly chat.

So many of those mom and pop stores went the way of the dodo, thanks to the proliferation of big box outlets. I think folks want that kind of service again.

So perhaps we should add "right conversation" to the mantra of "right offer, right place, right time."