The days of identifying a target audience by age and sex are long gone.  Nowadays, we usually identify target consumers by their behavior—what they buy, what they don’t buy and what lifestyle factors influence their need or desire for a product.

Meanwhile, media has also changed.  While TV remains enormously valuable to brand communications, it is far from the advertising behemoth it once was.  Live viewing audiences are small compared to the past, while DVR users who view in time-shifted playback may never see your ad.   Diversifying the media landscape even more, new types of social and digital media appear seemingly every day.

New Approaches to a Changing Landscape
So how do we match the changing consumer with the changing media landscape?  We do it by seeing both as an opportunity to better match brand messages with interested consumers.  Adults that are age 25-54 may generally be buying your product, but adults 25-34 utilize media far differently than adults who are 44-54.  Hispanics have a different approach to consuming media than Anglos and economic conditions may lead some consumers to change their media habits month to month.

As part of Empower MediaMarketing’s Consumer Connection Approach, we delve deeply into targets and sub-targets to identify what media works for whom, even within a broad consumer base.  We may recommend a mobile plan for the younger part of the target, while identifying newspaper as a better way to reach their elders.  Integrated plans can include targeted cable TV, online TV program opportunities and sweepstakes; all coordinated to complement a particular consumer interest, affinity or relevant media property. 

Media and targeting are more complex than ever.  Advertisers need a partner with the research resources and planning knowledge to find opportunities that maximize every media dollar.

By:  Julie Pahutski, SVP/Consumer Insights