What’s Keeping You From Your Target Market?

If you want to convince your family or friends to take a long trip, you wouldn’t suggest a trip by covered wagon, would you?

No, of course you wouldn’t. Travel by covered wagon is impractical, outdated, and has been replaced by safer, quicker alternatives with greater appeal to the modern person. You would make your argument based on what you know about your audience

A young traveler might propose to a friend a trip by car, discussing the fun that could be had on a cross-country road trip. Making the case to most leisure or business travelers, you would suggest travel by plane, for the sake of speed. For someone afraid of flying, you might recommend a bus or train.

The mode of transportation you recommend and your messaging would differ depending on the audience.

My point here is this: in order to effectively market an idea or a product, you need to know your audience. You can’t use the same message to reach an audience that doesn’t value the same things, that lives with different circumstances. You need to know what messages will reach the market.

Is your target market different than your current audience? Then what are you going to change?

If you want to reach a new audience, you can’t continue to do the same old things that haven’t worked before.

It might mean evolving your brand image or changing your messaging. It might even mean changing your product. Sure, you’ll probably alienate some existing customers along the way, but if you are convinced you need to reach the new market, change is inevitable.

Far too many companies and organizations try to reach new markets without change or adaptability. This is not a strategy for growth.

What do you think? How can we use what we know about our audience to promote change to our brand, to our messaging, to our product?

Photo credit: DaveWilsonPhotography

Nielsen Notes, 12.6.09 – Breakfast and Discussion

When it comes to social media and your brand, one of the major questions is: who can be trusted to guide you through the murky waters and often changing landscape?

This Thursday, I will take part in a panel discussion at the Milwaukee Social Media Breakfast. The topic? Snake Oil Salesman or Social Media Expert?

I’ll share my thoughts on the topic here at another time, but if you’re in Milwaukee, I hope you’ll consider attending the breakfast.

My fellow panelists are some really smart people who know what they’re talking about. I know I’m eager to hear what they have to say. They are:

Jeff Larche, @TheLarch — Owner of Digital Solid
Matthew Olson, @_Signalfire_ — Owner and Creative Director of Signalfire, LLC
Sue Spaight, @SueSpaight — VP of Account Management and Digital Strategy at Meyer & Wallis

Here are the basics:
December 10, 2009 – 7:30 am to 9:30 am
The Moct – 240 E. Pittsburgh Ave. – Milwaukee
WiFi and Light Breakfast Provided
Twitter Hashtag: #SMBMke

You can find more details and register here.

Nielsen Notes, 11.29.09

This edition of Nielsen Notes falls in the category of books I would like to read.

Although I haven’t extensively studied or researched legal issues associated with marketing and communications, I find them to be interesting. This past week, I read this article about a new book on copyright law from William Patry, an intellectual property lawyer who is currently chief copyright counsel at Google. He also writes a blog about the book, and he presents the book’s table of contents in his November 8, 2009 post.

I hope to pick up this book and find out more about Patry’s take on copyright issues.

Photo credit: Joe Gratz

Nielsen Notes, 11.22.09 – Broadening Our Influences

I have a wide variety of interests, but there are definitely things that just don’t interest me. I would like to think that I do a pretty good job of informing myself beyond the areas that interest me the most.

I try to read articles associated with headlines that don’t grab my attention at first glance. I try to learn about the interests of those around me. I try to read and explore blogs and articles that aren’t associated with my career or hobbies.

I’ve read in numerous places, that looking beyond our immediate interests can extend our creativity and prompt new ideas. I have experienced this on occasion, and I think it’s a good thing in helping me to become a more knowledgeable individual.

That being said, I think I’m going to try to make an even more concerted effort over the next month to learn about new areas. I think I will try for one new topic per week.

What do you read or explore outside of your area? Do you use other techniques to learn about new things?

Photo credit: -POD-

Nielsen Notes, 11.16.09 – The tangled web of marketing, PR and communications

This edition of Nielsen Notes falls in the “ideas for further development” category. I’m hoping to flesh out my thoughts on this a bit more to generate something worthy of an actual post in the future.

On more than one occasion, I have found myself thinking about the relationship between the marketing, public relations and communications functions within an organization. Should these roles fall under the same umbrella as they do in some organizations? Should they be found in different departments as they do in other companies? Should someone working in a public relations role be reporting to someone who is more concerned with advertising? Does social media help bring marketing, PR and communications together or does it tear them apart?

Without a doubt, these areas are related. In my mind, integration and cooperation are key, but to what extent?

What are your thoughts? Do you think your opinion is influenced by whether you work in an agency or specific corporate structure?

I continue to work on an arrangement that will allow you to easily view previous Nielsen Notes posts and their respective categories.Photo credit: foxypar4