I’m a regular user of Google’s Gmail. Like it quite a lot in spite of the criticism and obvious issues.
One feature, however, is annoying, funny and useful at the same time. I mean the Google AdSense ads in e-mails.
This one chain of e-mails was about a meeting at Helsinki, between me and four other people (all part of a marketing group for a nonprofit). We discussed possible meeting times and places.
Which ads were relevant, according to Google?
Following text ads were presented (in finnish, english translations for titles follow):
Oletko raskaana?
Raskauskalenterimme ilmoittaa mitä tapahtuu sinulle raskauden aikana.
(Are you pregnant?)
Freelance graafikko
Ammattitaitoa kuin
pienessä kylässä.
(Freelance graphic designer. Editor’s comment: Typo at finnish title)
Kaikki odotuksesta
Tietoa, vertaistukea ja arjen komiikkaa.
(Everything about expecting a baby)
Vihaatko tyrkyttämistä?
Lue B2B-markkinoijan pikaoppaasta mikä on markkinoinnin hunajapurkki.
(Do you hate pressing (your customer)). Editor’s comment: hard to translate.)
********-äitiysvaatteita
Mallisto, jälleenmyyjät, verkkokauppa. Tervetuloa!
(****** -maternity clothing)
Ei krapulalle
Juhli ilman krapulaa
Kokeile hintaan 0,20 €
(No to hangover)
Vauvan nahkatossut
Käsinvalmistetut vauvan nahkatossut -Yli 40 hurmaavaa mallia!
(Leather slippers for babies)
Miltä vanhempien juominen
näyttää metrin korkeudelta? Muodosta mielipiteesi täällä!
(How does it look from height of 1 m when parents drink?)
Conclusions?
Yeah. Right.
I do have two children.
I drink occasionally and yes, who likes hangover anyway?
Yes, I’m interested in B2B marketing.
Was the marketing then targeted right?
Yes and no.
I still wonder if it should have been different. Topic of e-mails was something completely different, nothing about children, drinking or pregnancy. Marketing, yeah. Nothing else. The freelance designer was a good one.
All in all, not that good results.