When Simon Sinek delivered the TEDx talk on how great leaders inspire action, it became one of the most watched/heard TEDx talks about product marketing. I have personally lost count on the number of times people have shared the video through different channels. But it is has a fundamental flaw. In the structure, he doesn’t factor in the “Who” part.
Any campaign that doesn’t consider audience in the formula has a higher chance of failure. If you don’t know your customer, you will never know what to tell them. In the age of ‘swipe right’, expecting brand loyalty is a pipedream. Brand engagement is a possibility, though. This means that your customer who loves your product may ditch it if not engaged over a period of time.
At the same time, your customer behavior is dependent on multitudes of internal and external factors. Brands today need not look at just TG but micro TG behaviours to engage them. For instance, branded as the generation rent, Millennials and Gen Y underwent a significant behaviourial change during the last two years.
The Post Generation Rent Study by Godrej Housing Finance revealed that these cohorts are now keener than ever to be financially independent and secure. Consequently, the idea of renting stuff witnessed a relegation to owning assets. Validating the finding, a similar survey conducted by Standard Chartered found that almost half of the Gen Y respondents were saving for a major purchase such as a new car or home (compared to 28% of over-45s), while 39% said they were pursuing better investments (just 26% over those over 45 said the same).
Similarly, Neilsen’s recent global report termed this to be the era of alignment. The report noted that the “past two years highlight that adaptability, as consumer behaviour has significantly accelerated the converging of our linear and digital lives. As that convergence continues, well-defined data strategies will help marketers engage in meaningful, personalised ways that foster long-term growth and prosperity.”
Read it along with the change in the TG spread across rural and urban markets. Forced by the national and state-wide lockdown (and of course economic viability and hybrid work environments) a significant part of India’s youth population moved to smaller towns and villages. As internet access and smartphone usage grow, these influx of digitally-aware audience will alter the general behaviour exhibited by these markets.
In the aforementioned report, Jamie Moldafsky, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Neilsen, notes, “Unlike the finite amount of time in a single day, device and platform choices are seemingly infinite. As consumers toggle between devices and platforms, it’s clear that their attention can be divided. But there’s always a time and place where they focus—and that’s where marketers must be, armed with the right message.”
Therefore, it’s the opportune moment for communicators (like marketers) to relook at the audience, the brand purpose and the message afresh. So an iron-clad audience group based on age and demographics stands effective because the fundamental behaviour of the group has altered. So, a brand communication targeted at this TG is built on the premise that it prefers renting, has lower chance of performance.
Real audience engagement is only possible when you target the right audience, on the right platform, with the right message, and at the right time.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
Supreeth is a journalist by education, he started his career working as a desk editor at the digital arm of the Dainik Bhaskar Group. He later worked at senior editorial roles with several leading general and trade media publications such as the Indian Express Group, IPP Media India, Haymarket Media Group, and Geospatial Media, writing and editing stories on various niche subjects including marketing technology, printing, packaging, publishing, and geospatial science. His first stint as a communication professional was with India’s largest PR firm, Adfactors PR Pvt Ltd., before moving to his current role.
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