The Personality Marketplace came about after I noticed one simple truth: online ads are like heat-seeking missiles; television ads are like hand grenades.

Now that I think about it, why am I using weapons of war to describe advertising? Yikes.

When I watch a half-hour television show, I might see ads for eczema medication (I don’t have eczema), a politician I would never consider voting for, a luxury car company (not in this lifetime, not on this income!), and a home improvement store. The advertisers have a 25 percent success rate, since we have been doing a lot of home improvements. Television advertising is regional and advertisers have to rely on the behavior of everyone in my zip code, averaged out, in order to get the best bang for their buck.

Internet advertising, on the other hand, is much more targeted. During a 10-minute session on my phone to check the weather and scroll social media, I might encounter an ad from Lowe’s reminding me of the exact baseboard trim I have in my cart; a meal subscription that has gluten-free Mediterranean options, prepped and ready to cook using the skillet I ordered three months ago; a 100% cotton clothing line that is ethically sourced but also colorful and affordable; and a purveyor of cat litter solutions that solve the problem of cats tracking litter on the floor.

The online ads are pretty much 100 percent accurate. And that’s not by accident. Through my own experience as a marketing and communications professional, and with my own consumer experiences, I have deployed my razor-sharp wit and unmatched hilarity to help you understand the way advertisers use their information to sell things to us.

While I absolutely do not believe marketers are evil, I do understand that part of the job is to be manipulative. And by understanding how that manipulation works, we can hopefully avoid some unnecessary purchases or at least spend a little time figuring out how to get past the sales pitch and into what we really want – the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

I even created a quiz to help you understand your marketing archetype!

P.S. Along the way, there will undoubtedly be posts that have nothing whatsoever to do with the main topic of this project. Consider them bonus material, and let me know whether you love them or super-love them. Thanks for reading!