Pre-Launch Advertising Decisions: Determination of Target Audience
What are Pre-Launch Advertising Decisions?
Before a company launches an advertisement on TV, newspapers, or Instagram, the marketing team must sit down and make four critical Pre-Launch Decisions:
- Who are we talking to? → Determination of Target Audience
- Where will we show the ad? → Choice of Advertising Media
- How will we measure reach and impact? → Advertising Measures
- How will the ad look and feel? → Advertising Layout & Advertising Appeal
Among these, determining the target audience is the very first and most important decision because every other decision (message, language, celebrity, media, and timing) depends on WHO your audience is!
1. What is a Target Audience? (And How Does It Differ from Target Market?)
In simple words, the Target Audience is the specific group of people at whom an advertisement message is aimed.
💡 Beginners’ Confusion — Target Market vs. Target Audience:
- Target Market: The group of people who actually use or consume the product.
- Target Audience: The group of people who need to see the advertisement so the product gets bought.
- Example (Baby Diapers like Pampers / MamyPoko Pants): The consumers are babies aged 0–2 years, but babies don’t watch TV ads or go shopping! So the Target Audience for the advertisement is young mothers and parents aged 22–35.
2. The 5 Buyer Roles in a Target Audience
In an Indian family, the person who uses a product is not always the person who decides or pays for it. An advertiser must identify which of the 5 Buyer Roles to target:
The 5 Family Buyer Roles (Example: Buying a Gaming Laptop)
1. InitiatorCollege student says "I need a laptop"
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2. InfluencerTech-savvy friend recommends HP/ASUS
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3. DeciderParents + Student agree on budget & model
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4. BuyerFather/Mother pays at the store
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5. UserStudent uses the laptop daily
- If Kellogg’s Chocos advertises on cartoon channels, it is targeting the Initiator/User (Kids).
- If Kellogg’s advertises in a morning newspaper talking about “Whole Grain Nutrition & Calcium”, it is targeting the Decider/Buyer (Mothers).
3. Bases for Determining the Target Audience (Segmentation Criteria)
How does a company narrow down “140 crore Indians” into a sharp target audience? By using 4 major bases of segmentation:
| Segmentation Base | Key Variables Included | Real Indian Advertising Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Demographic | Age, Gender, Income, Education, Occupation, Family Size, Marital Status | • LIC Jeevan Anand: Targeted at working professionals & parents aged 28–50. • Spotify Student Plan: Targeted at college youth aged 18–24. |
| 2. Geographic | Region/State, Tier-1 Metro vs Tier-2/3 Town, Urban vs Rural, Climate | • Mahindra Tractors: Targeted at rural farming belts in MP, UP, Punjab. • Woollen clothing ads: Shown heavily in North India during Nov–Jan, not in Chennai. |
| 3. Psychographic | Lifestyle, Personality, Values, Hobbies, Social Class, Attitude | • Royal Enfield Bullet: Targeted at adventure-loving, free-spirited riders. • Organic Green Tea: Targeted at health-conscious fitness enthusiasts. |
| 4. Behavioral | Usage Rate (Light/Heavy user), Brand Loyalty, Benefits Sought, Occasion | • Sensodyne Toothpaste: Targeted at people seeking a specific benefit (tooth sensitivity relief). • Tanishq Jewellery: Occasion-based targeting during Weddings, Dhanteras, and Akshaya Tritiya. |
4. Step-by-Step Process of Determining the Target Audience
- Analyze the Product’s Features & Benefits (USP): Understand what problem the product solves and at what price point (e.g., a ₹10 soap vs. a ₹800 luxury serum).
- Study Existing Customers: Look at past sales data — who is already buying the product?
- Conduct Market & Competitor Research: Run surveys or focus groups and check whom competitors are targeting.
- Segment the Market: Divide the broad market using Demographic, Geographic, Psychographic, and Behavioral filters.
- Create a “Target Audience Persona” (Buyer Profile): Build a clear picture of the ideal viewer.
Example Persona for Zomato Late-Night Delivery Ad: “Rohan, 21, hostel student in Indore, sleeps at 2 AM during exams, uses Instagram Reels heavily, orders budget food under ₹200.” - Align Message, Language, and Media with the Audience: Once the audience is fixed, the company chooses the right language (Hindi/Hinglish/Regional), tone (funny/serious), and media channel.
5. Importance of Determining the Target Audience
- Prevents Wastage of Advertising Budget: Showing a luxury BMW car ad to school students wastes crores of rupees.
- Helps Craft the Right Message & Tone: You use slang and memes for Gen-Z (Swiggy/Zomato), but respectful, trust-focused language for senior citizens (SBI Pension Plans).
- Guides Media Selection: Teenagers are found on YouTube & Instagram, corporate executives on LinkedIn & Economic Times, and rural audiences on Doordarshan, Radio, and Wall Paintings.
- Selects the Right Brand Ambassador: Neeraj Chopra or Virat Kohli for youth sports brands; Amitabh Bachchan for family trust brands (like Muthoot Finance or Dabur).
💡 DAVV Exam Tip
Question (10 Marks): “What do you mean by Target Audience? How is the target audience determined before launching an advertising campaign?”
- Distinguish clearly between Target Market (User) and Target Audience (Ad Receiver) using the baby diaper or kids’ cereal example.
- Explain the 5 Buyer Roles (Initiator, Influencer, Decider, Buyer, User).
- Draw the 4 Segmentation Bases table (Demographic, Geographic, Psychographic, Behavioral).