Let’s explore why household data does not take advantage of the opportunities that mobile offers. Just because there are teenagers in the household does not mean that every household member will respond to the same ad. For instance, a back to school fashion ad delivered to a teenage girl on a social network app may emphasize the latest trends that all of her friends will be wearing.  She can then engage with the ad to get her friends’ opinions.  For the mom in the household, who is catching up on the daily news on her tablet, that same advertiser can display an ad about where to find the latest styles her daughter will be asking for at the best prices.  This then can create a dialogue between the mother and daughter about planning the shopping trip for back-to-school clothes.  The advertiser’s message has certainly gotten across.

Household level targeting can also lead to undesired consequences.  At its most innocuous form, the message can fall on deaf ears.  It is highly doubtful the teenage son is interested in hearing about retirement planning although his parent might.  But it can also have much more unintended consequences such as that same teenager being exposed to alcohol ads aimed at the adults in the house.  A national study published in January 2006 concluded that greater exposure to alcohol advertising contributes to an increase in drinking among underage youth. Specifically, for each additional ad a young person saw (above the monthly youth average of 23), he or she drank 1% more. This is definitely not what the advertiser intended.

When it comes to mobile advertising, don’t consider household targeting sufficient.  Instead, consider more precise forms of targeting that are now available on mobile such as demographic and behavioral targeting.  And precision doesn’t mean giving up privacy as personally identifiable information is not needed to achieve the desired result. Create relevant ads that engage consumers on a personal level and leave household targeting to direct mail.