A marketing strategy for a better world

Who are your customers?

Traditionally, this question was answered in demographic terms. ‘Our customers are middle-aged, male, white, and live along the country’s west coast.’

As a marketer, this helped you zero-in on a particular group of customers. You could advertise in places they live, with messages that specifically appeal to them. You can design your branding to reflect their taste.

However, as we move to a more diverse and inclusive world, targeting customers demographically becomes problematic. There is less emotion attached to demography – less people are proud of belonging to a certain ethnicity – especially those with privileged backgrounds. Besides, serving only customers of a particular race or age-group may not fit in with the world you wish to create.

The alternative is to ask another question – what do your customers believe in? Do they believe in a more equitable world? Do they wish to fight climate change? Do they care about fair wages for the people who manufactured their goods?

If you can identify with how your customers see the world, regardless of how old their are and what their ethnicity is, you still have a means to target them, on matters that they are proud of. Also, the internet is better suited to target people based on what they believe, rather than who they are.

Targeting people psychographically rather than demographically is a win-win. It can not only make the world a better place, but it is also good for business.