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The Ultimate Guide to Target Audiences Introduction Welcome to Latana’s Ultimate Guide to Target Audiences! Is your marketing resonating with your audience – or falling on deaf ears? Whether you run marketing for enterprise software, fast-food, or luxury fashion, appealing to the right people is the cornerstone of effective marketing. Maybe you have already tried casting a wide net and realized marketing to everybody is expensive and doesn’t work? This guide aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to attract and engage customers who are loyal to your brand. At Latana, we help businesses every day to build a stronger brand by defining and tracking relevant consumer groups, known as niche audiences. We’ve seen first-hand that getting your brand in front of the right people can make or break your marketing. That’s why we decided to share our insights and expertise in this guide. Enjoy! Table of Contents C h a p t e r 1 What is a Target Audience? C h a p t e r 2 What are the Benefits of 
 Having a Target Audience? C h a p t e r 3 How Can You Find Your 
 Target Audience? C h a p t e r 4 Tools to Help Define Your 
 Target Audience C h a p t e r 5 How Your Target Audience Can Improve Your Brand Awareness: Featuring Case Studies from 
 the UK Travel Industry bonus chapter The Audiences Sustainable Brands Should Be Targeting Chapter 1 What is a Target Audience? Chapter 1 What is a Target Audience? A target audience is a specific group of people who is likely to be interested in your product or service and has the means to purchase it. Let’s take a look at some real-life examples of how successful brands focus on appealing to target audiences to build brand awareness and loyalty. case study Zipcar Zipcar is a company that deals in car hire. Users sign up online and then can book a car by the hour or day. Cars are parked around major cities, 
 so there’s no need to visit a Zipcar office for the keys; users simply unlock their chosen car through the app. Once they’re finished with it, 
 they just park it where they picked it up. The main user of Zipcar is the urban-based millennial. Those who maybe can’t afford a car full-time and don’t need to use one on a regular basis. As millennials are mainly found on social media, Zipcar has focused a lot of its branding efforts on Facebook and Twitter. From witty posts that engage and a responsive social media team across the two platforms, they’ve really nailed their engagement with millennial social media users. Examples of Zipcar’s Facebook and Twitter posts case study Chipotle Another brand that does millennial marketing extremely well is Chipotle. Known for its use of fresh and sustainable ingredients in its Mexican food, Chipotle created a fictional web series called “Farmed and Dangerous.” Featuring a millennial farmer, Chip, who battles a corrupt food production company, the web series was more of an experience as the brand also created a dedicated website featuring trivia and behind-the-scenes clips. The brand didn’t stop there. They even released an iPhone game that further helped pull millennials into this unique branding experience. From Chipolte’s iphone game From 
 “Farmed and Dangerious” 
 web series case study Quaker Oats Now let’s take a look at a brand that has proven to be effective at targeting the older generation. Quaker Oats gets an 86% approval rating from baby boomers, which is a whole 10% more than from millennials. 
 So, why do these porridge oats get so much love from older folk? One of their secrets could be their branded events, such as the AARP Life@50+ event in Washington DC. Visitors could take dance lessons or enjoy free samples from Quakers, all in the name of promoting healthy living. There was also the chance to win a $50,000 grand prize which visitors could enter by submitting videos of their dance moves. All those people who attended the event would have gone away associating Quaker products as being healthy choices in the grocery store. 86% of baby boomers consider 
 using Quarker Qats Chapter 2 What are 
 the Benefits of Having a Target Audience? Chapter 2 What are 
 the Benefits of Having a Target Audience? There are many reasons why focusing on target audiences will help 
 you improve the effectiveness of your marketing. It’s not always about how you’re marketing, it’s who you’re marketing to. You could have 
 the best campaign concept in the world and it would still be a flop if 
 you didn’t get it in front of the right people. Let’s take a closer look at 
 all the ways focusing on target audiences will take your marketing to 
 the next level. Save your money Marketing to the wrong people isn’t just ineffective, it’s also expensive. Let’s say you’re running a social media campaign to promote your new product. Without knowing who to target, you 
 are likely to spend a lot of money reaching a wide group of people, without generating many conversions. It’s much more efficient to invest your budget on ads targeted to a specific group of people 
 who are likely to be interested in what you are offering. Build loyalty The right customers will often mean repeat business. After all, focusing on a few specific industries or demographic segments makes it easier to understand their needs, keep up with product innovation, and offer excellent customer service. This is likely to 
 result in loyal customers who stick around and even recommend 
 your brand to others. Stand out from the competition Niching down makes it easier for you to position your business as 
 an authority or expert in a particular field. Furthermore, you will likely face less competition, as the more specific your product or service is, the fewer companies there will be competing for your customers. 
 In other words, it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond, than 
 a small fish in a big pond. Earn a higher profit Your pricing strategy is a delicate matter. The temptation to 
 price high can backfire, but generally speaking, customers are 
 more inclined to pay more for a product or service that fully meets their needs – especially if they feel there is no viable alternative. 
 Be sure to research your target audience demographic and conduct 
 a competitor analysis to understand customer needs and how your product compares to other solutions on the market. Drive your content marketing Investing in content marketing as part of your marketing strategy 
 is one of the best things a business can do to get inbound marketing leads and resulting sales. With so much content available online, 
 it’s easy for content to get lost in a sea of digital noise. The solution? Invest in content that inspires, educates, and provides value to 
 a specific audience. Consumers want content that is highly relevant to them and answers their burning questions. Consumers will feel more engaged with your brand and see you as a trusted authority 
 in your industry – which means you will be top of mind when they 
 are ready to make a purchase. A bonus for marketers is that Google loves organic content, and will rank your pages higher. Chapter 3 How Can 
 You Find Your Target Audience? Chapter 3 How Can You Find Your Target Audience? Now we’ve cleared up what a target audience is and why you should be marketing to them, let’s dive into how you can go about defining the right audiences for your brand to focus on. Analyze your product Take a step back and look at your product with fresh eyes. Who is it for and why is it for them? It’s important you take the time to answer these two questions correctly, or else you might run into difficulties later on. Ultimately, the answers to these questions should also explain why your target audience should buy from you. For instance, if your brand offers services within the financial industry, you need to consider who those services are going to benefit the most. Companies or individuals? If the former, B2B or B2C? You might even want to dig a little deeper to see the demographics of individuals who may be attracted to your services, such as age and gender. Combing through your services very finely will allow you to establish and analyze your exact target audience. Conduct a thorough customer analysis Your best customers are likely to have a bunch of traits in common – whether in terms of demographics, such as age, gender, and location, or hobbies, interests, and values. The best place to start is probably your CRM or customer database. Pay attention to who buys from you, how often, and the average order size. How old are they, on average? Where do they live? How are they purchasing your product? What professions do they work in? What are their hobbies or interests? Are they single or partnered? Do they have children? Who do they live with? What is their income? All of these questions will help you identify the people benefiting most from your product or service and you as a brand manager, can align your strategy accordingly. Check your social media Examine your online presence and social media following. Who 
 is a fan of your company page and regularly engages with your content? They must like you! Identifying your high-value, loyal customers makes it easier to set priorities in your targeting strategy. Then, look at what kinds of content they engage with. The insights you’ll find on your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts are 
 a useful indication of which topics and formats resonate with your audience. Collect customer feedback Does your product or service meet consumer needs? What kind of advertising will pique their interest? What features and benefits do they want from your products or services? Of course, you’ll need to speak to your audience directly to get any usable data to answer these questions. Carrying out customer surveys is one way to go about collecting this data. You’ll be able to put your burning questions directly to those who already use your brand. As well as this, you can also carry out research on social media. It’s also worth using Facebook and Twitter polls to see exactly what your followers think. These are completely anonymous so your customers shouldn’t be too cautious about holding anything from you! Do due diligence on the competition It always makes sense to see what the competition is up to. 
 Maybe their target audience isn’t exactly the same as yours, but perhaps there is a crossover? In what ways are they engaging 
 them that may also work for your strategy? Which channels are they present on and what kind of content are they creating? Maybe they are doing something completely wrong and will save you the trouble of making the same mistake? Learn how they are engaging their target audience and analyze the ways they are targeting them, then, do it better! Embrace change Your target audience may change over time and that’s okay! Whether a new product or service has gone to market, or your target audience has eyes for another brand, it happens. By using brand tracking software to monitor your brand awareness, you can start to understand this change and seek out to explore this new audience who’ve entered the market. Give yourself full permission to adjust your strategy accordingly and focus your attention on attracting and nurturing this new audience Evaluate your decision So, you’ve made a decision on who makes up your target audience. But is it the right one? It’s important that you evaluate the outcome t
 o make sure it’s correct. Sometimes evaluating your own decisions isn’t that easy, so it 
 might be worth talking to colleagues in the marketing team and across the company (such as sales and customer service) to hear their perspective. The first thing to consider is whether there are actually enough people who fit the criteria of your target audience. Marketing to target audiences brings lots of benefits but if the niche is too small, then you might not have enough people to target. And that means growing sales and revenues could prove to be very tricky indeed. Are you sure that your target audience will benefit from your product or service? Just appealing to your target isn’t enough—there needs to be a tangible benefit, or else your customers will quickly lose interest. These benefits need to be more than just the features of the product or service. One example is that a new cell phone might be advertised as having a fast Internet connection. That sounds like a benefit, 
 but it’s actually only a feature. However, this does mean that users will experience faster load times for websites and apps, which is 
 a big benefit. It’s this benefit—the consequence of the product feature—that needs to appeal to your target audience. Otherwise, they might not find a good enough reason to purchase from your brand. Chapter 4 Tools to Help Define Your 
 Niche Audience Chapter 4 Tools to Help Define Your Niche Audience Digital tools can help you identify your most loyal and valuable customers, so you can decide which target audiences you should focus on. Google Analytics You’ve probably already paired your website with Google Analytics. There’s a wealth of information you’ll be able to glean from all this data, including the demographics and interests of your website visitors, the pages that they spend time on, and the search engine, social media platform, or another website that sent them to your site. Social Listening Social listening is a fancy name for snooping on social media. All it involves is you taking to the likes of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see what people are saying about your brand. This is a great method of analyzing your niche audience’s perception of your brand. Sure, you could spend your time scrolling through Twitter and Facebook for every mention of your brand, but it would be much 
 The software monitors online conversations and will be able to provide you with an analysis of what’s been said after a specific period of time. Knowing what your niche audience is saying about you will help you understand them a bit more. Facebook Business Page Insights Almost every business has a Facebook page, but have you taken a look at the insights recently? In the Page Insights tab, you can find valuable information such a the interests and age of your page's audience and the actions they take. You might discover that some audience members interact with your page more often, such as younger people, women, or people who reside in a certain area. This helps you understand which audiences are particularly engaged with your brand. Latana So, now you’ve got some data on your target audience, it’s time 
 to put some of that to work by helping with decision making. Latana’s AI-powered brand tracking software can help with that. 
 By tracking your brand over time, you’ll be able to use the tool’s scalable insights to see the changes in your brand performance. 
 Part of the tracked data will be deep audience segmentation for target audiences, for a very precise audience definition. Using the tool’s interactive dashboard will also give you the chance to find 
 new audiences that are accelerating growth. 20% Competitors 15 10 Australia August – September 2020 Unaided Awareness N26 Revolut TransferWise Monese Curve General population 5 35% 0 30 August 2020 September 2020 N26 Revolut TransferWise Monese Curve 25 20 15 10 Custom Segment Save Cancel 5 Age 0 N26 Revolut TransferWise Monese Curve All Responses 18 – 25 26 – 35 36 – 45 46 – 55 56 – 65 Gender August 2020 September 2020 Delta All Responses Male Female Education All Responses High Medium Lo w Chapter 5 How Your Target Audience Can Improve Your Brand Awareness ChAPTER 5 How Your 
 Target Audience 
 Can Improve Your Brand Awareness: Featuring Case Studies from 
 the UK Travel Industry How does appealing to target audiences help drive brand awareness? We used our own brand tracking data to see how four successful travel brands in the UK built exceptionally strong brands by focusing on specific target audiences. Travel Brands in the UK 2019 General 
 Population 59% 54% 34% 60% Kayak Secret Escapes Skyscanner Airbnb Young Urban Males 52% 47% 34% 57% Airbnb Secret Escapes Skyscanner Kayak Top 3 Cities 58% 52% 28% 58% Airbnb Secret Escapes Skyscanner Kayak Millennials 67% 63% 31% 73% secret Escapes Airbnb Skyscanner Kayak case study Kayak Kayak is an excellent example of how not all audiences perform the same. If Kayak decided to opt-for catch-all marketing across the general population, they would have a brand awareness level of 59%. Now that 
 is not bad at all. Just 1% off Airbnb and a high enough level that will very likely bring sales and profit. However, their brand awareness shoots to 73% amongst millennials, ahead of Airbnb by 10%. This is because Kayak has built a strong 
 brand by appealing to its primary audience, millennials. By focusing 
 and nurturing a more niche audience, Kayak has the potential to grow 
 even further. K e y Ta k e a w a y Figure out who your most loyal and profitable customer groups are and then double-down in order to generate growth. case study Airbnb Let’s look at Airbnb. Airbnb boasts the highest level of brand awareness overall, yet they’re falling behind Kayak in terms of younger audiences. Why is that? In the UK, young people are less likely to stay in a home when they travel than those in the US or China. This could indicate that Airbnb’s marketing either isn’t as successful in the UK, or they’re focusing on the wrong things. Basically, it seems Airbnb is not selling the travel experience young British people want. However, they are working on this. Airbnb grew its Experiences category by over 2500% in 2018. Realigning their product offering to promote adventures and activities rather than homestays will hopefully enable them to increase their brand awareness among millennials. K e y Ta k e a w ay Even the market leader needs to stay on top 
 of their game and ensure they are not losing popularity in certain customer groups. case study Secret Escapes Secret Escapes knows how to reach the right customers. Although their overall brand awareness score is 54%, when it comes to millennials, this shoots up to 67%. Millennials are the ones most likely to benefit from Secret Escapes’ product, considering they specialize in discount luxury travel, something that appeals to budget-savvy millennial travelers looking to get more bang for their buck. If Secret Escapes began using brand tracking software, they could continue to find exactly where they fit the best within the millennial group so they can take over even more of this market space. K e y Ta k e a w ay Figure out how your product or service provides value and consider who stands to benefit the most from it. They are the customers you should be focusing on to build your brand. case study Skyscanner Skyscanner is lagging behind all the other brands, both among 
 the general public and across all the target audiences we measured. 
 So what went wrong? Skyscanner recently admitted to needing a change. They’ve pointed at their lack of brand structure and clear target audience as the primary reason they’ve struggled to gain a foothold in this competitive market. Today, they’re rebranding their marketing to cater more specifically to their core users. Strengthening their ties to young, seasoned travelers could potentially turn around their brand awareness score. K e y Ta k e away For your marketing to be effective, you need to be clear on who you are trying to reach and what kind of messaging will appeal to them. Keep an eye on your brand awareness within your target audience and adjust your message 
 if it is not resonating. bonus Chapter The Audiences Sustainable Brands Should Be Targeting Bonus chapter The Audiences Sustainable Brands Should 
 Be Targeting Brands can’t ignore sustainability anymore—not when 88% of consumers want brands to help them make a difference by being eco-friendly. But creating sustainable products and services isn’t enough. You also need to market them to the right audience. Many companies don’t realize that there isn’t just one group-type of sustainable brands, neither is there one singular sustainable audience. Choosing which of these audiences to market to will make all the difference. We’ve done some research into audiences that are largely swayed by 
 a brand’s environmentally friendly status. Let’s dive into the various sustainability-driven audiences and help you indicate which one is 
 the best to target with your campaigns. The Enthusiastic Exper ts The Enthusiastic Expert is a consumer who prioritizes whole-system sustainable thinking. More often than not, they’re in the 35-45-year-old age bracket, live in rural areas, and have a medium/high education level. These are individuals who are dedicated to sustainable and eco-friendly living, so you will need to put in the hard work to convince them that your brand meets their high expectations. After all, these are the people who place a brand’s sustainability above all else when deciding where to buy products and services. As Enthusiastic Experts are so attuned to sustainability, they believe that any brand committing environmental damage should pay higher taxes. They’re also very strict with themselves about avoiding brands that don’t act sustainably. In terms of how this audience compares with their 
 peers, Enthusiastic Experts are a lot more vocal 
 about environmental matters and are usually more knowledgeable about sustainable brands too. Case study Boden One brand well-equipped to convince the Enthusiastic Expert to pay 
 with their hard-earned cash is Boden, a clothing line aimed at older fashion fans who usually have children. Boden is well-known for its exceptional sustainability policies that include supporting an ethical supply chain, reducing environmental impact, and supporting equally responsible and sustainable charities. Boden has begun using its sustainable profile as a way to penetrate 
 a fledgling industry: children’s clothing. While this industry should be booming (new customers are born every day), many big brands are closing down (Mamas & Papas and Mothercare in the UK this 
 year alone). For other brands to avoid falling to the same fate, they 
 need to create something original, long-lasting, and affordable for their customers. Boden did just that this year by launching new clothing made from Econyl nylon sourced from discarded fishing nets. A brand that is so outspoken about sustainability and willing to move with the times is 
 sure to catch the attention of Enthusiastic Experts. The Inspired Innovators The youngest of our sustainability audiences, the Inspired Innovators are Gen Z and Millennials who come from urban and higher-education backgrounds. This group prioritizes innovation and forward-thinking. Inspired Innovators are usually early adopters and are keen to try new ideas and products. On top of that, 
 they’re the audience that tends to be the most proactive 
 in seeking out sustainable brands and are willing to boycott brands that don’t fit this model. They are somewhat vocal and knowledgeable about sustainability although, the biggest difference that sets them apart 
 from the Enthusiastic Experts, that they are not in favor 
 of higher taxes for unsustainable brands. The best way for your brand to engage with Inspired Innovators is to prove to them that you are at the forefront of sustainability. Thought-provoking messages alongside interesting products and innovative thinking will help to keep these young consumers on your side. case study Lush One such brand that has captured the hearts of Inspired Innovators is Lush. This beauty company is known for its quirky products and exceptional environmental policies. The brand is really pushing to capture the hearts or innovators by 
 opening the very first plastic packaging-free beauty shop in Manchester. Lush is also able to innovate in times of crisis. When the COVID pandemic hit and most Lush stores were closed worldwide, the brand saw its customers switching to online shopping. Such an instant high demand in products would see other brands bring in the technology to mass-produce but Lush stayed true to their morals and stayed producing handmade products. This was made possible by innovative tools that made work more efficient instead. The Considerate Conventionalists Next, let’s take a look at the Considerate Conventionalists. This group is made up of slightly older consumers, usually aged 45-65 who live in more rural areas. This audience appreciates transparency, knowledge, and empowerment. These are a fairly mainstream bunch of consumers as 
 their views on sustainability are average compared to 
 the previous two audiences. Therefore, their view on sustainable brands is that they are important 
 but slightly less so. Considerate Conventionalists tend to be somewhat knowledgeable about brands that offer sustainable 
 goods although they aren’t all that clued-up on the subject in more technical terms. Despite that, they are still open 
 to paying more for products and services that are environmentally friendly. When it comes to boycotting 
 and higher taxes for unsustainable brands this group generally stands against both. How to coax the Considerate Conventionalist over to 
 your brand? You just need to highlight why the sustainable attributes of your products or services are important. Provide them with plenty of information and transparency to easily promote your brand to this mainstream group. c a s e s t u dy Bulb Bulb, a UK green energy supplier, is tapping into the Considerate Conventionalist audience by putting information on sustainability out there, and in a way that it is easy to understand. The company is aware that as sustainable energy and utility companies are now moving into the mainstream in the UK, most consumers are becoming more aware of how these firms benefit both themselves and the environment. In order to get the interest of these consumers above other brands, Bulb is doing a good job promoting itself in simple terms to consumers by saying they’re simpler, cheaper, and greener than other energy brands. The Reserved Rationalists Finally, the Reserved Rationalists. This audience is made up of consumers who are on the lookout for value for themselves. They are slightly older in the 35-44, 45-55, and 55-65 age groups and often live in urban areas with 
 a medium to high education. If you’re going to have trouble convincing an audience about the positives of sustainability, this is it. Even though these consumers do believe that sustainable products are a good thing, they adhere to the idea much less than all the other audiences. Laggards that are often unwilling to pay more for sustainable goods, Reserved Rationalists 
 are neither knowledgeable nor vocal about sustainability. As this group is not proactive in hunting sustainable brands, they don’t know which brands are actually 
 acting sustainably. They also disagree with boycotting 
 and higher taxes for companies that do not implement sustainable policies. In order to appeal to the Reserved Rationalist, you will need to prove that your sustainable brand provides them with value. There’s not much point in trying to prove any positives of sustainability to them as they are likely to think that you’re selling them a fad. To win them over, you need to show that sustainable products are value-driven. cas e st u dy Amazon Amazon is really making the effort to set itself up as a brand that can 
 win over the Reserved Rationalists. How? Well, one tactic they have successfully put in place is simply being honest. Amazon has put its 
 hands up and has acknowledged the part it played in damaging 
 the environment. But now it is set to rectify that damage as much as possible. Amazon has set a number of impressive policies in place: 
 it has purchased 100,000 electric delivery vans; it hopes to be completely emission-free by 2030. In addition, the brand has vowed it will become even easier to buy sustainable products from the site. As consumers appreciate convenience, this is sure to get at least some of the lost customers coming back to Amazon. L ATA N A What’s Next? Appealing to your target audience is the secret to truly powerful marketing. Now, you should have the knowledge and tools to find the right audience for your brand. ‍ The data shows that focusing your time, money, and energy on people likely to buy from you will have a positive impact on your brand awareness. The most successful brands have a clear target audience and understand what their customers want and need. When your resources are limited. Your time and money are best spent reaching the right people. Now, you should feel confident in your ability to target relevant target audiences and take your brand to the next level. AI-Powered Brand Tracking Contact Us For General Inquiries: [email protected] For Sales: [email protected] For PR/Partnerships: [email protected] www.latana.com