Perspective and scattershot - tailoring your message

A co-worker recently volunteered to add some "beef" to a proposal that I'm writing.

I responded by telling the co-worker that if I didn't hear from him, I'd start asking, "Where's the beef?"

The co-worker then sent me a link to a YouTube video of Clara Peller.

I replied with a link to a YouTube video of Walter Mondale and Gary Hart.

If you are completely mystified by the preceding paragraphs...that's why I didn't send the YouTube link to you. My co-worker and I shared a common perspective on this one item, so each of us knew what the other was talking about.

Each of us have different amounts of knowledge. Some of us are older, while others are younger. Some of us have particular interests, while others have different interests. You could tell me an obscure Nintendo gaming joke and I probably wouldn't get it unless a guy named Mario were involved. I can talk about the impact of fast-food commercials on political campaigns, and if you were born after said political campaign - or if you were born in a country other than the United States - you'd be completely mystified by what I was saying.

This is why general advertising can often be ineffective. Let's say that you decide to buy a Super Bowl (yes, I used the term) ad to advertise your latest Nintendo game. Yes, because so many people watch the Super Bowl (yes, I used the term again) you'll hit some people who have interest in said game. But in this scattershot approach you'll also hit some people who can't tell the difference between a Nintendo and a Sega, or between a dedicated game console and a computer that runs SimCity Social.

Isn't there a better way to spend your millions of dollars in advertising? What is the most effective way to reach your desired audience?