We have seen brands come-and-go and campaigns come-and-go, but do you ever sit and ponder to yourself, why are they gone? Probably because they didn’t understand or research their target audience as well as they should have.
Playing on human emotions and the human condition is what makes or breaks the success of a powerful, engaging and memorable campaign. By giving your audience material that they can expand on and giving them a chance to tap into their own empathetic reserves gives them more room to interact and possibly commit to a brand or campaign. If something speaks to them, your audience is more likely to speak back and therefore creating an interaction and conversation.
Empathy ensures that you listen to your target audience and that you have taken note of their needs and desires. Understanding your demographic is the greatest responsibility of a marketer. By marketing in the correct tone of voice and with the correct visual references ensures you have put yourself in your target demographics’ shoes.
Facebook has become one of the most valuable resources in extracting information, be it personal preferences, or thoughts and opinions directly from the target market.
Studies have shown that individuals are more willing to share personal details and emotive thoughts via social media than via a printed survey where they need to physically answer to another person or give a quick response. Doing a survey digitally and in their own time gives individuals the opportunity to think about their answers rather than it just being reactive. By implementing the same narrative as seen on Facebook or other social media platforms in a marketing mix could be foundations of a successful marketing campaign.
Using that information, engage and sympathize with your audience. Ask questions such as: Would the target market appreciate this? Am I being offensive? Is this my personal taste or my target audience’s? Is my tone domineering or conversational?
There are so many questions one must ask before taking a campaign public.
Understanding your market and being able to relate are what all marketers and designers should be aware of. Speak from a genuine place, use platforms to teach and relate.
Written by Chase Liebenberg: Graphic Designer, The Blue Room