TARGET AUDIENCE!

[BLACK LION]

Okay. Would anybody have any input on identifying a target audience. Is this something that you kind of have to wait and see who buys your product or is this must have information before you go to market. I have been reading a book called Pyromarketing (recommended) which is very interesting but has left me with more questions than answers in my quest to identify my target audience. Anybody?

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[triniboy27]

IMO, there's 2 ways you can go about defining a target audience:

1) You can look into the marketplace and see if there's a desirable demographic you feel you'd like to cater to for some reason..whether it be they have a high disposable income or they aren't being served by the product offerings out there. You can then decide that that segment is what you're going to target and then tailor YOUR product offerings to suit them. This approach also works if you see a certain demographic gravitating towards certain characteristics (the streetwear industry is a perfect example of this) and then tailor your products to suit that market (like what a bunch of tshirt companies basically do)

2) The second way you can look at it (which in my opinion is a bit ass backwards) is to look at what products you're offering and determine who it can or does cater to. Once you've determined that, then you can again start to tailor your product mix, etc to focus on that market.

Any extension of this approach is where your products may appeal to 2 different markets...Levi's might be a good example of this...their 501 jeans (albeit in different forms) are sold to so many different demographics ..from the regular joe to the hipster..that way, you can now take your existing product and branch off into new markets.

As I said before, 1) is the approach most ppl would take because it doesn't make sense carrying/producing products that you have no market for.

My $0.02.

Edited by triniboy27 on Feb 9, 2006 at 11:54 AM

[BLACK LION]

Thanks Triniboy.

Excellent advice. The first approach sounds best. The problem is (not to take anything away from the streetwear culture) but I am trying to appeal to a consumer with slightly more sophisticated tastes. My clothing is more subtle and understated than most of the current "it" companies among the streetwear world (i.e., no rap lyrics, icons, or flamboyant all over prints.) I would like to maintain a certain level of exclusivity, but not in the typical "streetwear" definition (limited edition runs, etc.) however, the exclusivity would be found in the overall pesentation of the brand to the consumer. Any thoughts?

Thanks again for your help.

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[minya]

Take some business courses at a local community college. They'll be able to give you a lot more insight on these types of things.

[ok]

i think tailoring a product for a specific market is a good way to sell products to hot topic. if you want a good product for people who know their shit you better be ready to put your balls out there and make what you want to make. then hold your breath and hope people people with taste like your product.

for example-currently fucking skulls are everywhere. you could probobly make some shit with skulls and a good price point and sell a few units. but then you are left looking stupid while you wait for the next trend to copy.

consumers dont make the market, sellers make the market. make a great, unique product and create a target market.

focus on differentiating yourself and your product range instead of people. they are fickle and their tastes change.

great advice by the way minya. arent you a moderator or something. why do you even post shit like that.

[ok]

by the way-you did just get educated by a college grad with a bachelor of science in marketing.

[minya]

Quote: great advice by the way minya. arent you a moderator or something. why do you even post shit like that.

Uh, what? It's a suggestion. Chill the fuck out.

[BLACK LION]

Gee. Uh, thanks Minya, great advice. Anyway thank you Ok (for real). Everyone here has been awesome. Those who have contributed their advice and professional opinions will be rewarded(just give me some time).

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[baldy]

i agree with ok. from what i know, you make the product, and then you tell the marketing guys to sell it. you cannot find out what people want and then make a product for it, because, most of the time, people don't know what they want till they see it. so, ok is right from what i know. im also majoring in marketing right now too.

[neawts]

Well, anticipating trends (even subtle shifts in the market, not just things like "distressed denim") will gain credibility. Then you won't look like a new jack with no discernable personality. The odds of success depend on raw talent and pure luck. Sometimes things just work out. You have to be able to read the market, not just respond to it. I know that sounds like some vague marketing textbook bullshit, but I guess that's what it is.

In my view, if you have excellent product (and a clear vision/attitude) and are not a phony, your chances of success increase greatly. But then again, you have to be in the right place at the right time, maybe have industry connections, and...shit, it's tough.

[triniboy27]

Quote:

i agree with ok. from what i know, you make the product, and then you tell the marketing guys to sell it. you cannot find out what people want and then make a product for it, because, most of the time, people don't know what they want till they see it. so, ok is right from what i know. im also majoring in marketing right now too.

--- Original message by baldy on Feb 9, 2006 03:07 PM

So wait - you guys are telling me it's easier for dude to create a unique product rather than figure out what's missing in the market and then create that?

Isn't that going to be 100x more work and more risk?

What if noone likes his shit?

A good example of what i'm talking about is what starvinglawstudent is doing in his thread - he recognises there's a need in the market for well-made hoodies at an affordable price and he's basically figuring out what ppl would want to see in it before going ahead w/ production.

That way, when he comes to market, he knows there's an audience of ppl out there willing to buy.

[baldy]

hmm well production and design takes a lot of time, especially with techological devices n stuff. so by the time u get it out, the market will have moved on, especially in the fashion industry. marketing the product is sometimes better thann the appeal of the product itself.

[allocryptic]

I'm with ok on this one. While you should obviously be addressing a need in the marketplace -- like starvinglawstudent addressing the demand for good quality, affordable hoodies -- your focus should be on producing a quality product. Not to be corny, but a you have to have a product you can believe in, or you'll find yourself market-researching and focus-grouping your product development straight into obsolecence. It's probably a lot easier and LESS risky to find a smaller niche market for a quality product than trying to appease the fickle tastes of your chosen target demographic, especially when so many other companies will be doing the exact same market-driven thing.

[M4TM]

you don't enter a market without first evaluating the appetite.

No Shirt. No Shoes. No Dice.

Learn it. Know it. Live it.

[st199ml]

Triniboy is seemingly talking about finding a gap in the market through market research, etc, and then filling it with a product.

The other side of the debate appears to be the idea of producing a unique product/offering and staying true to your ideas.

Ain't no problem in either of these, but neither will identify the demographic/target audience you asked about.

Marketing is about intelligence. If you've got a product/idea for one, ask people about it (focus group, vox pops, pay for a survey question of the general public), the competition it'll be up against, etc. Then you can make decisions about who you sell to. It'll also help convince buyers if you can demonstrate (through hard evidence) that people are looking for what you've got to sell.

Truism here is marketing can be used to sell anything to anyone (with potentially varying degrees of success).

The complexity comes in balancing potential competing aims. The Burberry dilemma. Started out wooing the old money, ended up losing the old money pursuing the much bigger audience of working/middle class. You could argue they're happy with greater revenue but if the old money stop buying the shine goes off the brand and the sales to working/middle class can quickly dry up.

[BLACK LION]

What are vox pops?

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[fredfred]

Vox pop comes from the Latin phrase vox populi, meaning "voice of the people". The vox pop is a tool used in many forms of media to provide a snapshot of public opinion. Random subjects are asked to give their views on a particular topic and their responses are presented to the viewer/reader as a reflection of popular opinion.

You might wanna check this bbok out, it has some interesting points on postmodern marketing/buying behaviour/culure, etc. ...

'The why of consumption' S. RATNESHWAR

When the world zigs, zag!