Recently I've been working on audience dossiers, part of our our brand development strategies. When developing brand strategy for our clients we create a character that represents a composite or an average of the target audience and bring him to life. Based on primary and secondary market research, we name the character, apply age and other basic demographics. We talk about his daily life or work (or both) and even attempt to describe what is going on inside of his mind. We’ll even find a picture to put on the profile.
Time for a little side story: One time we found what we thought was a great head and shoulders picture for a character, a woman in her late 50s with a bright smile and attention to her hair and makeup. I even remember her name. Linda. It wasn’t until we had her in the presentation that we realized Linda wasn’t wearing anything, at least not on her shoulders. Yikes! We all had a very nice laugh and editorialized what Linda’s closet behaviors might be. (Ah, working with a bunch of creative people and fun clients is good.)
Anyway, I’d say that writing audience dossiers is one of the most fun things I do in my own work. And, fortunately for our clients and me, it’s also a useful exercise. When marketers describe their audiences in dry bullet point demographics alone, they have a hard time imagining their relationships with them. Once you meet the ideal client and can bring him to life, you more clearly imagine your conversations and thus create better marketing, sales messages and brand communications.
Time for a little side story: One time we found what we thought was a great head and shoulders picture for a character, a woman in her late 50s with a bright smile and attention to her hair and makeup. I even remember her name. Linda. It wasn’t until we had her in the presentation that we realized Linda wasn’t wearing anything, at least not on her shoulders. Yikes! We all had a very nice laugh and editorialized what Linda’s closet behaviors might be. (Ah, working with a bunch of creative people and fun clients is good.)
Anyway, I’d say that writing audience dossiers is one of the most fun things I do in my own work. And, fortunately for our clients and me, it’s also a useful exercise. When marketers describe their audiences in dry bullet point demographics alone, they have a hard time imagining their relationships with them. Once you meet the ideal client and can bring him to life, you more clearly imagine your conversations and thus create better marketing, sales messages and brand communications.
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