Over the last several years, I’ve enjoyed the luxury of greater personalization through most of the media I consume. Each morning when I turn on my computer iGoogle greets me with ‘Hello Kelsey’ and it takes only minutes to comb through the headlines of my favorite news sites and hand-selected blogs, local weather and my puppy of the day- all of which I’ve chosen as my content. As I crawl about the web, I am served only ads that matter to me. Those boots I’ve been cost-comparing are now glowing in a web banner with a 20% off coupon. Sold. During a recent visit to Las Vegas, I received a text message as I entered Caesar’s Palace asking if I’d like the restaurant deals and entertainment lineup for the evening. Why yes! Thanks Caesar. You know me so well.

Through these experiences, I’ve come to expect a high level of relevance in all the media I consume. And wherever irrelevant content impedes my life, it is not welcome. Which is why I am so fond of the fast forward button on my DVR. Traditional advertising—television commercials, newspaper ads, billboards—are just not speaking to me. These forms of media continue to reach the masses in a very impersonal way.

That is the challenge for brands who dare to venture into the traditional advertising space in 2010: just how personal can you get?

In a recent AdAge article which forecasts the year’s marketing challenge, the personalization standards set by the web will be tough to achieve for brands in all categories no matter what the media. Specifically regarding TV advertising, the author of the article suggests opting out of commercials and instead opt for “…propositions designed for a specific moment or for a distinct group of viewers. Maybe there’s a contest aimed at viewers of “Gossip Girl”; perhaps there’s a weekend-weather-themed promo sponsored by Home Depot aimed at viewers who may be considering weekend plans.”

This reminds me of the Subway, Carefree and Ziploc plugs peppered throughout episodes of the Biggest Loser.

Another fair attempt of this is shown in Becca’s recent blog post about Honda tailoring their commercial messaging to be more relevant both to the time period in which it aired (the holidays), and to the audience it was reaching (Southern California).

Or the Chase billboards along freeways throughout LA which play to the type of people who live there.

What other ways can advertisers keep up with people’s expectations and get more personal with their traditional media?