Creative Ideas that inspire

Personal Note

Forward Movement

Ah, autumn in Orange County, California—a few half-hearted heat waves and unlikely chances of rain, but mostly just pleasant, sit-in-the-sun weather. It's what we know, having lived here all our lives.

If we ever were to move elsewhere, we'd be wise to learn a whole lot about the place. After all, we'd want to fit in with our new community, developing friendships and contributing in positive ways. It'd be sort of like targeting a market—which is just what this month's feature article discusses.

Hoping this helps you move forward,

Project Focus

An Ad for an Ad Maker

Yes, designers have to promote themselves too. AdvantGroup created this ad for a chamber of commerce event program, having served as the creative-services sponsor for the event itself.

See more of our works. >>

Debi Calvet
Principal

Chris Calvet
Principal

Feature Article

Target Practice, or Hitting the Bull's-eye

Every business has a target market—and it's not just "anyone who'll buy what I sell." Defining your target-market segment, says SBA.org, helps make "strategies for designing, pricing, distributing, promoting, positioning, and improving your product, service, or idea easier, more effective, and more cost-effective."

We suggest three essential strategies for targeting your market.

Get to know them. Develop an affinity for your target market by learning what activities they enjoy, what age group dominates, what educational level is typical, and so forth. Depending on who composes your target market, you might need to understand and even support its members' personal values. A qualified market-research firm can help you learn what you need to know. "Informal research"—getting acquainted at meetings and social events held by special-interest clubs or professional associations—can help too.

Speak their language. If your target market's industry or interest group uses its own terminology, learn it so you can use it effectively in your communications with them. Utilize visual styles that stir their emotions, incorporating what you've learned about their music and arts preferences and even the fashions they favor. Speaking your target market's language—both verbally and visually—will help make your advertising and marketing much more effective.

Go where they go. Reach out to your target market wherever they go to buy or learn about what you offer. At industry trade shows or consumer expos, use an exhibit that captures attention, staff your booth with people who connect well with others, and hand out materials that are worth keeping. For industry or interest-group networking events, serve as a speaker or sponsor, providing something of value with no strings attached. When you advertise, focus on the special-interest or industry publications your market reads, the Web sites they frequent, and the broadcast media they prefer.

Hitting the bull's-eye with your target market requires the right focus—on the people in that market, not just your product or profit (SBA.org)—so get to know your market, speak their language, and go where they go. Chances are, you won't miss!

(AdvantGroup can create tradeshow graphics and print advertisements focused on target markets.)