The answer to this question has long been known: “Your target audience needs the product.” Among the goods for any social stratum of society there are leaders and outsiders of sales. At the same time, the leader in one niche will not always take the same position in another.
When forming a group of potential buyers, decide in what environment you want to gain popularity. By finding this out, you will attract the attention of the widest possible range of people to your product.
To select the target audience, “Generation Marketing” is widely used. This theory is based on the eternal conflict of “fathers and children” and reflects the differences in attitudes towards life at different stages of a person’s maturation. Three generations are considered as potential consumers: X, Y, Z.
Generation X
Generation X are people born between 1960 and 1980. Their character and attitude to life were formed in the course of historical changes in the life of the country. These are accomplished individuals who do not believe in a bright future and are more concerned about a confident present. When choosing, the last word should remain with them. They clearly know their problems and appreciate their comfort. Attracting them to your side will help the position: “Don’t worry. We will do everything for you!”
Generation Y
Generation Y are born in a recession era (1980-2000). Against the backdrop of the emergence of a market economy, the advancement of the Internet and digital technologies, a generation of self-confident, dynamic people with limitless, from their point of view, opportunities has grown. High income is not important for them, the possibility of self-realization is more valuable. For them, there are no authorities, much more important is the opinion of friends and reviews on the Internet. The thesis will help to win their trust: “We will create a product together with you!”
Generation Z
Generation Z were born after 2000. Their requests are only being formed and so far this is not the most solvent segment of the market. For them there are no borders, the main values are freedom, independence, leadership. The “key” for them is bright and visual ads and video clips on social networks.
According to another typology, they are also called the iGEN generation, read the article “iGEN generation – growing up with a smartphone in a backpack” for more details.
Advertising message
Ideally, you should clearly understand the problems of your customers and clearly see the solutions to these problems. But in reality, things are not so rosy. The lion’s share of consumers will initially turn to your information out of pure curiosity. And in order to weed out such “onlookers”, we are guided by the following principles:
- Determine a specific portrait of a future client: gender, age, financial situation (the more detailed, the better). Perhaps one of your friends will fit this description. It is always easier to interest a specific person – you will speak the same language. Agree that a conversation with a friend and a report to the boss are 2 different ways of communication. And this is laid down on a subconscious level, both in you and in your counterpart. It is unlikely that the boss will appreciate street jargon, and a friend – pompous business turns.
- What problem of the selected audience will your proposal solve (the concept of “Jobs to be done”)? If, for example, you want to sell a ballpoint pen, then the student will choose something pink and shiny, but on the table of a serious businessman, such an accessory is hardly appropriate. And this is obvious, because style is important for a student, and status is necessary for a businessman.
- Give the most complete description of your offer. This will help the potential buyer make a decision. Without receiving such information, it is very likely that a person will leave to look for it in other sources and it is not a fact that he will return to you.
- Use ‘delicious’ things like gifts and discounts with caution. For an inexpensive product, this will go with a bang, but on the contrary, a buyer of a well-known brand may be scared away: “Well, Louis Vuitton can’t be sold at a discount!”.
Thus, it becomes clear that without a thorough study of the target audience, successful promotion of the product to the market is impossible. Or, as D. Carnegie said: “Personally, I love strawberries with cream, but for some reason fish prefer worms. That’s why when I go fishing, I don’t think about what I love, but about what the fish loves.” Productive fishing!
Expert in legal marketing. Head of marketing agency MAVR.
Business degree “Master of Business Administration” (MBA).