Target Audience? "EVERYONE!"

[reuber1]

What is the best way to explain to someone that this is usually the worst answer to finding out what a client's target audience is?

[Mynock]

You can't possibly target everyone. It's impossible. If you make a giant billboard, your audience is people in their cars driving past your sign. TV ad isn't going to get everyone, if it's on during the day you prolly won't get any working types. Everyone as an audience is too vague your hook would be "by our stuff here"

[reuber1]

Here's the deal...

If any of our stores wants a custom web site design (instead of a premade Mr. Potatohead one), I send out a questionnaire that asks this as one of the questions. My boss doesn't feel I should ask this as we want to come across as "We know who their audience is, and ideally it should be everyone..."

Problem is, we service multiple types of stores that serve a diverse group of people themselves...example, for our music stores, some guy who is into guitars and pro audio may not be into pianos and orchestra instruments.

I know you can't have a target audience of everyone, but it seems the reasoning behind his logic is we want to grab as many customers as possible.

[DesignStudio]

it sounds to me like more of your boss's concern is that he wants you to seem like you already know who their target audience is without having to ask. like he is concerned you'll sound like you don't know what you're doing, that somehow in asking for the information you need you seem less professional. perhaps he could suggest a magic 8 ball to gather the information.

I would just pull out as many concrete examples of clients you already have and their actual target audience. Perhaps he'd like it more if you could explain what a waste of resources (time and money) it is to try to target everyone?

[reuber1]

it sounds to me like more of your boss's concern is that he wants you to seem like you already know who their target audience is without having to ask. like he is concerned you'll sound like you don't know what you're doing, that somehow in asking for the information you need you seem less professional. perhaps he could suggest a magic 8 ball to gather the information.

I would just pull out as many concrete examples of clients you already have and their actual target audience. Perhaps he'd like it more if you could explain what a waste of resources (time and money) it is to try to target everyone?
Exactly. We cater mainly to three different markets across the U.S. and Canada (and I think we have a store in Germany too), but those are very broad markets with a lot of sub-markets (if that makes sense).

And so far, two of the demo stores that I've done this with that I didn't send questionnaires to have been complete disasters. And the third, which I did send one out? Well, that was the site I posted in the showcase.

[captain spanky]

let me guess... your boss is more 'management' than 'design'?
it's a question you NEED to know... you HAVE to know this to efficiently create an effective design... so just ask your boss how s/he would would find out that info without asking. and remind them whas 'assume'ing does.

[reuber1]

let me guess... your boss is more 'management' than 'design'?
it's a question you NEED to know... you HAVE to know this to efficiently create an effective design... so just ask your boss how s/he would would find out that info without asking. and remind them whas 'assume'ing does.
Precisely. Hell, I'm the only one who knows how to operate Photoshop here, Illustrator more so.

[vxbda]

If this is a reputable company you work for, there should be a business plan or some kind of documentation outlining the various business systems in place. They would be incomplete without defining what the target markets are. Use them as a reference for your projects.

[mchilly]

If this is a reputable company you work for, there should be a business plan or some kind of documentation outlining the various business systems in place. They would be incomplete without defining what the target markets are. Use them as a reference for your projects.
yeh i agree!

[reuber1]

If this is a reputable company you work for, there should be a business plan or some kind of documentation outlining the various business systems in place. They would be incomplete without defining what the target markets are. Use them as a reference for your projects.
BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Sorry, that was nothing against you, just what you said made me laugh, my current circumstances considered.

[morea]

I think that reuber is laughing at the gratuitous use of the word "reputable" in this case. ;)

[reuber1]

I think that reuber is laughing at the gratuitous use of the word "reputable" in this case. ;)
Yeah, very gratuitous. :D

*sigh*

[vxbda]

Yeah, very gratuitous. :D

*sigh*

I don't want to assume things here. So, what you are saying is that the company you work for is NOT reputable, correct? Are you doing anything to change that? I mean, you are employed there, right? So shouldn't you be doing whatever it takes to make it work for you? Perhaps you should consider changing jobs.

[Patrick Shannon]

Are you doing anything to change that? I mean, you are employed there, right? So shouldn't you be doing whatever it takes to make it work for you?

If only it were that simple in corporate culture, trust me ;)

[reuber1]

I don't want to assume things here. So, what you are saying is that the company you work for is NOT reputable, correct? Are you doing anything to change that? I mean, you are employed there, right? So shouldn't you be doing whatever it takes to make it work for you? Perhaps you should consider changing jobs.
You don't know me very well (**vxbda does forum search**). You are correct, and I have been working on those things. Long story, but ultimately boring.

[Virgo Nightingale]

I went through this with my own boyfriend. I designed a website for him as a school project and when I asked him what his target audience would be, he says "Well, everyone! Like, duh!" I tried explaining why you can't target everyone in the world and that he'd have to narrow it down and he just wouldn't. He literally wants everyone in the world to listen to and buy his music and for everyone in the world to come to his gigs. Um, okay. I had to narrow it down for him when I wrote up my proposal for my professor.

[DesignStudio]

right, i mean i think it's obvious that you want day old infants from china and 98 year old deaf women from florida coming to your concerts in NJ. obviously everyone. duh. that would be a pretty crazy concert though.

this is a hard concept to communicate to people. i'm not sure why. don't people remember the law of deminishing returns from high school econ?

[undressedmonster]

If only it were that simple in corporate culture, trust me ;)

Corporate culture? Ha! You should try it in the public, government-run culture.

[undressedmonster]

Side note: Everyone involved in the marketing process should read this book (http://www.amazon.com/Positioning-Battle-Your-Al-Ries/dp/0071373586/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-9836701-3137606?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175371474&sr=8-2).

[budafist]

Maybe there should be a tick sheet of age groups for the client to tick. There should be about 100+ options. Clients that say "everyone" are often too lazy to refine their audience is all. Multichoice answer helps them narrow it down.

[Seapony]

Here's the deal...

If any of our stores wants a custom web site design (instead of a premade Mr. Potatohead one), I send out a questionnaire that asks this as one of the questions. My boss doesn't feel I should ask this as we want to come across as "We know who their audience is, and ideally it should be everyone..."

Problem is, we service multiple types of stores that serve a diverse group of people themselves...example, for our music stores, some guy who is into guitars and pro audio may not be into pianos and orchestra instruments.

I know you can't have a target audience of everyone, but it seems the reasoning behind his logic is we want to grab as many customers as possible.
I'd argue somewhere along these lines:

You can't appeal to every group. Using music as an example, it's safe to say that diversely speaking just about any type of group uses guitars in one way or another. But is there a common denominator within those groups that motivates them to buy? More than likely not. Otherwise, what's the point of offering ANTHING tailored in life? The principle is no different than someone who customizes shoes, suits, cars, homes...why the very thought. Everything should ideally be standard and generic, to appeal to everyone as you said.

Fact is, "tailoring" makes the "target" feel special. Like they are being uniquely considered over others. As though they are understood by the company offering the product. It therefore fulfills a psychological appreciative need inherent in all humans. And this associative "kinship" has been researched to inspire among other things, product loyalty. It also demonstrates not only an interest in a client's market, but the client themselves, which makes them feel pretty special as well. It shows that we're willing to do our homework to give them 110% return on their investment.

So going back to the guitars, how do you tailor a site to make a heavy metal guitarist feel special enough to invest in buying as well as the classical Boston Pops guitarist? How do you meet the needs of both artists at once? How do you reach a target market of "everyone" if you can't address a pop rock guitarist and a nun who likes to strum guitar during a rousing Sunday mass? Making idealistic general assumptions can sometimes lead to cataclysmic consequences. In your attempt to get appeal to everyone with generalisations, you may lose more in the long run than gain.

Well, I've rambled enough, but I think you get the gist...I think. Hey, it's 3am, what can I say.

;)

[reuber1]

Thanks Seapony. I should probably say I'm venting more than asking for the obvious (or to some, not-so-obvious), as I already mentioned some of these things to them, but I just don't think my bosses get it, at least the main one. He's very strongheaded and stubborn, and typically unwilling to admit being wrong, or unwilling for a subordinate to have a good idea, but I cited that the stores I worked with that didn't get this information from were complete disasters and they were unhappy with what they got (even though what they got was FREE... :rolleyes: ), but the one store I did get this info from was REALLY happy with the overall design. Maybe they're willing to concede at this point.

I'll come back to these if I need to ever support my case.

[Seapony]

Thanks Seapony. I should probably say I'm venting more than asking for the obvious (or to some, not-so-obvious),

Hehehe...3am post. Must remember not to post at 3am.

;)