Week 0: Introduction

Hi, my name is Lucas Stein and I am very excited to start my senior project. Online advertising has always piqued my interest. Back in middle school, as I looked on Amazon for a new video game, I found myself seeing the same product on YouTube and various websites. I didn’t understand how that could happen and wanted to learn why.

In 10th grade, during my internship with Kadima Careers, I delved into the world of online advertising. During my internship, I ran Facebook and Instagram ads where I created many different advertising campaigns through Meta Ads Manager (the software that is used to formulate Facebook and Instagram ads). 

Discovering that ads could traverse platforms fascinated me. The ability to tailor ads based on audience engagement levels, such as choosing to advertise to people who already viewed 75% of an Instagram Reel, opened up new dimensions of advertising strategy. Furthermore, obtaining a user’s email meant extending the reach of advertisements across many platforms. 

Although I learned a lot, I had many unanswered questions and I wanted to dip my toes deeper into the world of online advertising. During my Senior Project I will be working at Digicom which is a growth marketing agency. Digicom focuses on “data driven and results focused marketing”(digicom.io). While at Digicom I will conduct Data Analysis and implement audience targeting strategies to create successful advertising campaigns.
But what is audience targeting? Why is it important? And what makes a successful advertising campaign? Well, that is why I am excited to begin my journey on my senior project and I am looking forward to answering all these questions in the coming weeks.