Too many times, I’ve been part of creative brainstorming sessions or meetings and the topics of direction and target audience never want to be bridged. To some, making something “look cool” is the ultimate goal because “more people will want to look at it or keep it.” Let’s be honest with ourselves. “Cool” is a relative term and means something different to a 23-year-old fresh out of college than it does a middle-aged mother with four kids.

Cool Has Many Different Meanings

If you’re a person who’s ever said, “It should be cool,” you’re only 5% right.

That’s because, yes, the piece should look compelling enough to keep, however the message needs to be on point with your company’s end goal and target too. Every business should have identified an audience to engage and benchmark goals to reach them. Every project is a steppingstone toward that goal. If your goal is to look “cool,” you need to reevaluate the priorities of the brand and what it is that you do. Being “cool” is a byproduct of great marketing, design and execution. So yes, a designer can make your piece and campaign look cool with all the bells and whistles, but if your demographic is women in the 50-60-year-old range, I hate to break it to you, but they’re not interested in your version of cool. You have to target the right people with the look and message.

Before going into one of these meetings, try to identify the following:

  • Who is your target audience?
    And be real with yourself. We all have an idea of who we want to target, but the reality is, that may not be who you’ve actually Nothing is more of a waste of time than strategy discussions if you’re clueless about the individuals that engage your brand. That doesn’t mean you can’t try to get your message to who you want, but you cannot do it at the expense of those you already reach.For social strategies, understand who the demographic is that frequently uses each social platform that you have a presence on and focus your efforts.
  • How does your target audience view you?
    Seriously ask yourself this one question: What is my reputation to my customers and in my industry?

    If you ignore this question, then you’ve already lost. This may be the single most important question YOU EVER ask yourself about your business. The lifeblood of your brand is held in the hands of the customers who use your products or services and consume your marketing. Own your reputation. If it’s not the reputation you desire, that’s OK. You now have a starting point for a strategic conversation that can help you build goals to improve your reputation. Things are looking up.
  • What’s feasible?
    If possible, come prepared with an idea of what you can and cannot do from a monetary standpoint. Be ready to talk about budgets and the financial limitations that you have so you can streamline the discussion and figure out the best course of action without going too far down a rabbit hole for something that you can’t do.


Everyone wants a Rolls-Royce Phantom, but in most cases, a Chrysler 300 is just as good.

Are You Reaching Your Target Audience?

With these tips, we have helped set out the tools to help you streamline your communication and marketing policy to ensure your brand reaches the right people. How is your company doing? Are you communicating properly to your target audience or will these tools help you achieve your goals?