WTF with Target's targeted marketing?

[RosieTR]

Got a flyer in the mail: "$20 gift card if you register with Target" and blah blah blah your wedding day yadda yadda yadda.

Except, oops, we are coming up on our 15th anniversary! I suppose this could be blanket marketing, though it was addressed specifically to me. So, not sure what that's about? I'm not exactly the demographic that is likely to be planning a first wedding and there's nothing I can think of that would have triggered the data miners that be to pick this up. Also I can't remember when last I bought anything from Target. If anything, it was something like shampoo and a few months ago at best.

Anyone else get weird stuff like this?

[solon]

I don't know, but you better register and get your $20!

[Doubleh]

Have you bought anything at target that would also be bought by someone ahead of a wedding - maybe party goods, invites etc for an anniversary party? I heard a good podcast probably npr planet money taking about how target look at what you've bought recently and compare to other shoppers who made similar purchases then send you coupons based on what they bought next.

Example on the show was a guy who complained to them about inappropriate advertising when they sent new baby related coupons to his teenage daughter. Turns out she was indeed pregnant and target already figured it out before he knew!

[RocketSurgeon]

I got a letter from Target telling me that they're going to cancel my card because I haven't used it in two years.

[Miss Piggy]

I got a letter from Target telling me that they're going to cancel my card because I haven't used it in two years.

Do you not shop at target anymore, or do you just not use their card? Cuz 5% off is a pretty good deal, is it not?

Here's an article about the teenage daughter being marketed to. It's a bit humorous.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/#17af33934c62

[Jack]

Getting poorly-targeted ads is better than getting correctly-targeted ones, IMO -- it means you're successfully eluding their attempts to mine your data!

[RosieTR]

I don't know, but you better register and get your $20!

What, register for my "wedding" but really it's my birthday? Or our anniversary (which we usually don't buy each other gifts but may have some household thing to buy or other)? Ha ha.

I had heard about the pregnant daughter thing, which was interesting! Other than that story, I have been pretty unimpressed by the targeted marketing that the internet should be affording corps. Yet they often still just go with demographics. A couple in their early 40s should demographically be thick into soccer-parent stuff, not wedding stuff, so they aren't even doing the basics.