Ultimately life is lived at micro levels. People obsess about their problems. They care about the immediate resolution of the problem at hand. When all micro level problems have been taken care of, macro level issues may interest them. If you are not convinced about this, look at your own life. How much time would you spend on studying the political situation in your country if your spouse has been diagnosed with cancer? You would rather spend time researching on cancer cures than researching on how best a politican could reform the country!
Sensitive marketers are aware of, and take advantage of , the marketing potential of the situation. They assume a “problem sensitive” approach to marketing. They see markets in arenas that most people have micro problems. That is why the health industry is recession proof and the food industry does a roaring business. Google became a giant search engine, because net surfers had a massive problem finding information on subjects that interested them. Branded clothes are sought after because the neo rich want to create the right impression or the social climber wants to be identified with the social set up he wants to enter.
It follows, that marketers need to understand personas if they want to promote their product. Target markets are nothing but a process of identifying the right type of buyer persona you can address. Politicians address voters, supporters and contributers. Universities target students and their parents. Vaccum cleaner manufacturers reach out to housewifes and large housekeeping establishments in hotels and other places.
Once the target market has been identified, the marketer must sensitively pinpoint the malady that can be best described in terms of “where the shoe pinches” syndrome. There can be no doubt that designing the advertising campaign around the syndrome will yeild the best results because it directs attention to real issues and not hypothetical ones. A quick review of the marketing campaigns that have touched your life personally wil testify to the truth of this assertion.
So, if you are planning a marketing campaign for you product in the near future, tune in to your buyer persona–live his life and his problems and target them. Sell a solution to the problem, do not sell a product!
If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, you must have read “The Inheritance Triology”. The characters in the book are extremely anxious that no one guesses their true name. The true name is nowhere defined, but one can infer that the true name is the real essence of the person and it can be figured out by people who know the innermost thoughts of the individual. If you know the true name of a person, you can have complete control over his thoughts and actions!