Universal Appeal
March 26, 2008
A basic rule of marketing is to select your key demographic. This is typically used for targeted media buys, messaging, etc. While still a useful process, demographics are becoming less about “target audience” and more about data points.
A more advanced method is to determine a psychographic profile of your ideal customer. This is the personality of your customer; the persona. The primary value is to better understand your audience so that you can make a stronger connection with them.
Both methods are intended to bring focus to the marketing process. In terms of positioning, the point is to narrow your focus so that you broaden your appeal. In addition, we all know the common maxim “If you try to mean everything to everyone, you will mean nothing to no one.”
Despite all of this, most entrepreneurs and CEOs will claim that their product is for “everyone”. Why is this? Maybe it is because they are instinctively talking about the “idea” behind their business. They may have a point, because what are the demographics and psychographics of Ideas? Most ideas have a broad, even universal, appeal. They certainly cross all demographics - and most pyschographic elements.
We marketers still must help our clients create focus in their marketing efforts. But just because the marketing needs to be focused, it doesn’t mean the idea has to be.
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