Best practices for brands with a divided audience

two sides

Best practices for brands with a divided audience

Unfortunately, division has become a prevalent issue in the United States, especially with the recent election. What can brands do to understand and communicate with audiences who may be divided in their attitudes and behaviors? Our CEO Rebecca Brooks writes about some basic best practices and considerations in her most recent article for Forbes, “Understanding And Communicating With A Divided Audience.” 

 

Brands can no longer count on basic demographics to help define target audiences, as consumers who may fall into the same age group, gender and income level – for example – could be entirely different from one another in their habits and beliefs. We must seek a more granular understanding of the nuances of today’s consumer in order to find a path forward. 

 

In her piece, Rebecca cites the example of media consumption habits to illustrate the division of the population. “The way individuals consume news affects their emotions and behavior, and brands need to use this information to communicate effectively with audiences.” In fact, our research found that there were two distinct groups of news consumers, and that each group had vastly different outlooks. Our findings indicated that there is a correlation between the content and tenor of news consumed and a person’s confidence in their understanding of specific issues and in general. And this is just one small example of divided populations.

 

In order to bridge the gap, Rebecca maintains that brands need to first seek a deep understanding of their customers through comprehensive market research before taking action. She outlines a few core best practices including examining the mindset of internal audiences and communities alongside direct customer feedback, and creating messages, solutions and actions that show “comfort, confidence, courage and commitment.”

She concludes her piece with: “Standard demographic divides won’t work anymore, and divisions among groups promise to continue to increase in complexity and intensity. Brands need to be ready to communicate and reach an audience that is anything but homogeneous.”

 

For the complete article, visit: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/11/06/understanding-and-communicating-with-a-divided-audience

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