How to Determine a Brand’s Target Audience
A brand’s audience is who the brand is targeted at. A brand should have a clearly defined audience so that it can communicate with them effectively. The brand must also be consistent with its advertising, even when it is advertising to different audience segments.
There are several things that a company should think about before defining their target audience:
- Product Suitability. Some products will suit one audience better than another. For example, if the product is baby food, the target audience will be parents; a company would not market baby food to children or the elderly. Some products, such as computers or cars, may have multiple target audiences. In these cases, the company may have to adjust the brand and product appearance so that it appeals more to the group that they want.
- Size. A company may want a large target audience, or several segmented audiences. Alternatively, they may want to focus their advertising on one segmented audience, and deepen the brand experience. The second method will involve trying to get more sales from a smaller group of people, but may be more successful if the company immerses the group in the brand identity, or if the product is uniquely suited for the group.
- Disposable Income. If the brand is trying to sell a product, the company must make sure that the audience can buy it. Marketing a sports car to children may make sense, because they would enjoy the ride, but they do not have the money to pay for it themselves, and sports cars are likely to cost more than a parent would like. Sports cars are marketed towards young adults, who have the money to pay for them.
- Perceived Value. The perceived value is how much the brand appears to be worth. If the brand is a luxury brand, its products will appear to have more value than if the brand is a necessity. Similarly, a higher quality brand will have a higher perceived value.
If the product is suited to multiple audiences, the company may want to consider the different audiences before deciding on one or two to market to. The company should research the different target audiences they are considering, and decide which ones suit them best. The company may need to create a different brand for each audience, if they are diverse audiences.
Once the company has determined their target audience, they must determine what brand image would be best for the target audience, and adapt their advertising message and product appearance to match. The brand experience must be consistent, so that the audience is not confused by varying brand appearances. The advertising medium must be available to the target audience, and the advertisements should draw on their ethics and values.
Resources:
Great Ideaz provides secure online collaboration workspaces where you can determine your target audience. To see how we can help you, visit greatideaz.com.
Melissa Davis’s The Fundaments of Branding
