This article was originally published in US News. You can read the full article here.

People with hay fever hate dust. That was the premise of a marketing drive launched by British vacuum cleaner maker Dyson with U.S. retailer Target Corp.

Using data about its customers’ shopping habits, Target homed in on shoppers who likely had allergies and showed them ads for Dyson’s cordless V6 vacuum on social media and Target’s website. The result: sales for the vacuums doubled among shoppers who regularly purchase anti-allergy treatments and products such as Claritin or humidifiers on Target.com and in stores.

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While retailers have a long way to go before they come close to Google and Facebook digital advertising prowess, their instant access to data on what is selling puts stores in a strong position, said Joe Zawadzki, chief executive of MediaMath, which helps brands manage ad campaigns.

“To the extent that the retailer can help the manufacturer, it becomes a new revenue opportunity and a way forward for them,” he said. “We’re very much at the start of this.”