The Target Audience is Dead: Welcome to Tribe Marketing
The days of thinking about a "target audience" around age, location or gender are behind us. Instead, marketing in 2024 is about embracing Tribe Marketing—an approach that focuses on understanding how people interact with your brand or product, not who they are on paper. The old-school approach of defining your audience as "40-year-old men who like sports cars" is outdated. Today, it's all about tapping into real behaviors, interests and aesthetics.
So, Why is Traditional Targeting Dead?
Once upon a time, marketers relied on demographics—age, gender, or location—to define their target audience. But this approach is too narrow in today's digital world. Think about it: how many 40-year-olds, teenagers, or millennials share the same interests? Probably not many. We’re living in a world where everyone is online, and audiences are far more dynamic and complex than a set of demographic data points.
Thanks to tools like programmatic advertising, brands can now reach people based on what they do, not just who they are. But relying solely on one hyper-targeted demographic group could limit your reach. As Stewart Gurney noted in Marketing Mag, building a marketing ecosystem that includes a broader range of connected audience groups is the future of sustainable growth (QUESTIONPRO)
Welcome Behavioral Marketing
Behavioral marketing focuses on understanding your audience’s actions—from what they search for, buy and engage with. This allows brands to meet people where they are in their journey and offer tailored experiences that speak directly to their needs and interests. Here are some key points to understand why this is a game-changer:
Affinity-Based Segments: Instead of narrowing in on "Stressed Sue from Parramatta," behavioral marketing lets you create segments based on real-time interests. Whether someone is searching for reviews, clicking on ads, or watching videos on YouTube, you’re tracking what matters now.
Focus on Behaviors, Not Beliefs: While attitudes and opinions can influence decisions, they can be fleeting and hard to track. On the other hand, behavioral data—purchases, clicks, searches—gives you concrete insights into what your audience wants. As research suggests, behaviors are more consistent predictors of future actions (PRELAUNCH / KANTAR)
Tailoring Messages to the Right Moment: Not everyone is at the same stage in their buying journey. Behavioral marketing allows you to create targeted messages based on where someone is in the funnel, from awareness to purchase. For example, someone searching for phone reviews may need a different message than someone browsing phone accessories (KANTAR)
The Target Ecosystem: A Better Way to Reach Your Audience
It's not enough to target one group of people. To build lasting relationships with your audience, you need to think about the ecosystem of behaviors that surround your product. This ecosystem includes:
Core Consumers: The loyal advocates who resonate most with your brand’s values and mission.
Potential Buyers: The people interested in your product or category but aren’t yet sold.
Influencers & Amplifiers: Those who can help spread your message further through word-of-mouth or social media.
By taking a broader view and building an ecosystem of different but connected audiences, you avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. This ecosystem-based approach ensures you're reaching a larger portion of potential buyers, while still delivering targeted, relevant messages. (QUESTIONPRO)
How to - Behavioral Marketing
If you're ready to transition to behavioral marketing, here’s how you can get started:
Analyze Behavior: Start tracking what your audience does—what they search, click, and buy. Use tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and behavioral segmentation platforms to build a detailed understanding of their actions.
Create Behavioral Segments: Build segments around real behaviors. For example, create a group of users who frequently search for reviews, another for those who buy during sales, and a third for people engaging with your blog content.
Tailor Your Messaging: Develop personalized content and ads for each segment. Someone who has just discovered your brand may need a different message than someone who’s on the brink of making a purchase.
Monitor and Adjust: Behavioral patterns change. Be sure to regularly analyze and update your segments to stay relevant and keep up with evolving behaviors (GARTNER)
Tribe marketing is the future.
Next time someone asks, "Who’s your target audience?" You can confidently say: It’s not about who they are—it’s about what they do.
And that’s how you grow a brand in 2024.
Sources:
QUESTIONPRO https://www.questionpro.com/blog/the-rapidly-evolving-landscape-of-business-and-consumer-behavior-market-research-stands-as-a-cornerstone-for-companies-seeking-to-navigate-the-shifting-currents-of-market-trends-and-customer-preferen/
HUBSPOT BLOG https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/marketing-trends
KANTAR https://www.kantar.com/company-news/the-trends-that-will-move-the-needle-for-marketers-in-2024