What is… Brand Audience?
Your Brand Position is based on a foundation and that foundation is your Target Audience.
The target audience should be clearly defined but broad enough to encompass a strong working definition of the company’s customer base.
This part of the brand positioning process will most likely take the longest to complete. However, understanding your audience is vital to communicating with them effectively and successfully.
It’s not uncommon for a business to reanalyze and refocus the definition of their target audience later in company growth. Often, the initial definition of the target audience is overly broad or segmented. Narrowing the definition often helps the marketplace or audience recognize that messaging is being specifically directed at recipients.
This greatly enhances messaging.
To construct a strong definition of your Target Audience, you need to have a very good understanding of who makes up this group. This requires market analysis that offers a level of depth past the obvious. It also mandates reasonable research goals within time and budget constraints.
This type of research is a classic case of “completable” being better than “ideal” because true market research is an ongoing rabbit hole. Market research never ends but the understanding of your Target Audience will continue to grow as your brand expands.
In the best case scenario, it’s an ongoing project. But you have to start somewhere.
Overwhelmed yet? Don’t be. It’s much easier than you think, once the market research is completed.
Here are some samples of target demographic statements:
- Adults 25-54 living in the southeast United States with annual household incomes ranging from $25,000 to $65,000.
- Single custodial parents with one or more children under the age of 12 in the Midwest.
- Single, urban women 18 -24 who participate in online multiplayer gaming activities three or more times per week.
- Small business owners operating service companies with 10 or fewer employees in the United States.
- Chief Financial Officers at Fortune 500 companies with an income of over $100,000 who travel frequently for work.
The previous statements could lead to Target Audience statements like this:
Old Spice Body Wash: “For the active young man who wants to smell fresh and clean after a strenuous workout.”
Flirty Girl Fitness: “The aspirational activity and clothing for fit, fabulous and youthful women who want to add sex appeal to their workout.”
Remember this guiding principle:
Knowing your target audience is imperative. Understanding them leads to success and growth.
Continue exploring our Branding Dictionary here: https://www.momentacreative.com/news/branding-dictionary
For more reading on Brand Audience, we recommend:
What is Target Audience? (article)
https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-a-target-audience-2295567
10 Ways to Learn About Your Target Audience (video)
https://youtu.be/YSSEZw3Kepw
Identifying Target Audience for Social Media Campaigns (video)
https://youtu.be/Mt1Z3M2NPBk
Jamie Rose is partner & COO of Momenta Creative. We nicknamed Jamie the “Fun Machine” at the office because of her infectious laugh and unending energy. Don’t let the sparkling personality fool you. Her sharp, plugged-in approach to communications is what landed her previous positions with companies like The New York Times and The Global Fund, and what makes her indispensable to our clients today.