DJ Sprague

If you really want to connect with your customers and targeted prospects across all marketing and brand touch points, reverse engineer your approach, and think as your buyer personas do.

Begin with extensive qualitative and quantitative, primary and secondary research, including focus groups and interviews to determine and quantify the following information about your customers or intended customers as they relate to your product or category:

1. What are their problems?
2. What are they trying to accomplish?
3. What do they aspire to?
4. What resources do they currently use to research solutions to their problems?
5. What options do they currently have to solve their problems?
6. What age group do they belong to?
7. What is their gender?
8. What is their educational background?
9. What media do they consume?
10. Where do they live?
11. What do they do in their free time?
12. How much do they typically make in annual income?
13. What types of careers do they typically have?

You get the picture.  The more you can define your various buyer segments, groups, cells or “buyer personas” the better.  And don’t stop there.  To really get a feel for your personas, give each a name, age, gender, bio, and a picture of what they may look like.

Now you can start really getting into the psyche of your buyers, and creating an integrated marketing campaign that addresses their needs and expectations from every touch point.  This is where you begin to build a powerful and memorable brand that creates loyalty and referral business.

Apple computers did this very well, as did Harley-Davidson, Audi, “W” hotels and resorts, Ritz-Carlton?Ǭ�and Disneyland.  Until you understand where your customers are coming from, and what they are trying to achieve and become, you cannot speak to them effectively.

Bottom line: Your brand image and experience should revolve around your buyer personas.