define the right target audience for your product - amy elkes
TRANSCRIPT
What(is(Iterative(Insights™(Day?
Iterative(Insights
InQcontext(Learning
Collaborative(Engagement
Multiple(Consumer(Touch(Points
Research(Principals(for(Better,(Faster(Marketing(Decisions
Learn more at: digsite.com/blog/iterative
About%Your%Speaker
Amy%ElkesPrincipal/Owner(ofAmy(Elkes(Consulting
Define&the&Right&Target&Audience&For&Your&Product
Amy(Elkes,(Principal,(Amy(Elkes(Consulting
Why&is&finding&the&right&target&so&important?
• Aggressive(and(growing(competition• Value(of(early(momentum• Capabilities(of(digital(and(social(media(targeting(• The(cost(of(getting(it(wrong(could(be(failure.
So,&why&do&so&many&companies&get&it&wrong?• Several(common(mistakes(get(in(the(way(of(defining(the(perfect(target(for(your(product(or(service:
1. FOMO2. I(am(My(Consumer,(My(Consumer(is(Me3. Need(=(Target4. Superficial(Target(Definition5. Wrong(Competitive(Set
1.&FOMO
• Picking(a(target(does(not(meaning(excluding(the(rest(of(the(potential(buying(universe• Don’t(fall(into(the(trap(of(trying(to(be(all(things(to(all(people• Example:(“The(snack(bar(for(everyone!”
Although(the(calories(are(low,((the(amount(of(protein(is(not(competitive(
against(other(bars.(
8 Joe(P.
They(were(all(grainy(and(had(a(sandy(texture.(They(all(seemed(overly(
processed(and(hard(to(recognize(what(could(be(in(them.
= Chrissy(K.
Case&Study:&Patagonia
• Target:%Dirt(bags
• Buying%universe:
For nearly 40 years, Patagonia has prided itself on selling high-quality, high-performance outdoor apparel
to dirt bags. Dirt bag is a term used affectionately around the company offices. It describes the kind of person who might organize an impromptu game of hacky sack in the middle of an El Capitan ascent,
casually enjoy a bottle of beer while free soloing a sheer face on Mount Arapiles, or hitchhike outside Tahoe
holding a cardboard sign reading Will belay for food!!!
- Slate.com, March 2015
Photo(credit:(Poppys8style.comPhoto(credit:(Patagonia.com
2.&I&am&My&Consumer,&My&Consumer&is&Me
• Typically(true(only(for(very(small,(entrepreneurial(companies(and(products• Avoid(the(“focus(group(of(one”(mentality• Example:(Organic(food
Early Adopter Current%Target%Consumer
3.&Need&=&Target
• New(products(and(services(exist(to(fulfill(consumer/customer(needs• But(needs(alone(do(not(define(targets• Consumer(targets(with(the(same(“need”(often(require(different(solutions
Target%Consumer%1 Target%Consumer%2
Need:%An(alternative(to(high(heels(88 comfortable,(yet(stylish(shoes(I(can(wear(to(work(that(won’t(hurt(my(feet.
4.&Superficial&Target&Definitions
• Target(definitions(often(fail(to(go(deep(enough• Demographics(– Nielsen(statistics(should(not(be(the(yardstick(anymore• Attitudes(– Hard(to(define(and(even(harder(to(verify
Target:%Female(Baby(Boomers(focused(on(healthy(living.
The&targeting&spec&too&often&left&out:&Behavior
• Addresses(the(gap(between(“what(I(say”(and(“what(I(do.”• Unlike(attitude,(behavior(is(trackable• Behavior8based(targeting(is(one(of(the(key(elements(of(Iterative(Insights.
Target:%Female(Baby(Boomers(focused(on(healthy(living:(Must(exercise(regularly,(consume(a(daily(vitamin,(and(purchase(brands(such(as(Kashi,(Skinny(Pop,(and(
Vitamin(Water.
5.&Wrong&Competitive&Set
• Think(carefully(about(the(competitive(set• What(other(products(fulfill(a(similar(need?• What(differentiates(your(target(consumer’s(need((or(ideal(solution)(from(the(products(already(available?(
• Example:(Functional(coffee(drink
Case&Study:&Honest&Tea
• Target%Consumer%Profile:%Age(30865(•(Likely(to(live(near(a(concentrated(urban(area(•(Likely(to(have(graduated(college(or(have(an(advanced(degree(•(Likely(to(currently(be(bottled(water(or(RTD(tea(drinkers,(occasionally(drink(iced(cappuccino(•(Interested(in(running,(hiking(and(outdoor(healthy(activities•(Agreed(that(they(wanted(something(not(as(boring(as(water(but(didn’t(have(all(the(“junk”(in(commercial(bottled(tea.(
From the start, our product was less sweet than what everyone else was offering. And that was why we felt it was relevant, because
everything out there was much more like soda than it was like tea. And it’s grown. Our differentiation has grown. So now everything
we offer is organic. A great deal of what we offer is also Fair Trade-certified. We’ll continue to raise the bar and find new ways to set ourselves apart. But we’re too small to compete directly with
the big companies on their terms. We have to do it on our terms.
- Seth Goldman, Co-founder, Honest Tea
Sources:(HonestTea.com,(Seth(Goldman(of(Honest(Tea:(The(‘Perfect(Ingredient’(for(Social(Impact,(Wharton.Upenn.edu
Defining&the&right&target&audience
• Don’t(be(afraid(to(home(in(on(a(specific(consumer(group.((
(Don’t(try(to(be(all(things(to(all(people.)
• Don’t(assume(your(consumer(thinks(like(you(do.
• Start(with(the(need,(but(don’t(stop(there.
• Include(behavior,(not(just(demographics(and(attitudes,(in(your(
target(definition.
• Give(thoughtful(consideration(to(the(right(competitive(set,(and(
define(a(target(that(is(not(fully(satisfied(by(competition.
Thank%you….%Questions?