• by Amanda , December 20, 2007

Out of last-minute-shopping panic (and interest) I visited Gifts.com this weekend anxiously trying to find presents for those hard-to-buy-for loved ones in my life. It has officially become one of my favorite websites.

For those who haven’t visited the site, gift suggestions are broken down by recipient, by interest and by occasion, among others. Within these categories, suggestions for what a person with a certain personality type might like are listed with additional links to other similar products. There are presets categories for just about everyone.

For “argument’s sake” I took the personality profile quiz to see what gift was supposed to be perfect for me. Surprisingly, many of the presents were entirely accurate.

After spending far too many hours searching for presents for everyone I know, (including those I already have gifts for) I decided that this site is the perfect example of how targeted marketing can be incredibly useful. Consumers are entering personal information directly into a website for marketers to respond to with targeted present suggestions for consumers to pick and choose from. This model shows how pleasant the connection between marketers and consumers can be. The only caveat I can see is that a consumer will likely see ads in the upcoming month targeting their supposed interest in rare English teapots; I know I’m still receiving Amazon suggestions for NASCAR fanatic memorabilia after buying a gift ages ago.