Stop Optimizing.
Start Targeting. 

In a Big Village survey, only 6% of consumers said banner ads “always” feel relevant, and just 27% said social media ads often do. If ads aren’t reaching the right audience, no amount of optimization will fix the disconnect.

Marketers have been trained to equate “optimization” with progress. But constant bid tweaks, creative swaps, and channel shifts can mask a bigger problem: weak audience definition and poor data quality. When targeting is off, budget leaks out of the system, relevance declines, and performance stalls.

This new report from Big Village and Deep Focus, part of Bright Mountain Media, explores how to stop the leaks and start driving measurable results. You’ll learn:

• Why optimization can’t rescue poor targeting

• How much budget is really lost to leakage, waste, and fraud

• Red flags that signal an audience problem (not an optimization one)

• Four steps to re-anchor your media in research, signal, and value

• A case study with Aruba Tourism Authority, showing how better targeting drives higher intent and stronger results