In last month’s ParkNois blog post, we talked about creative briefs and how they help agencies maintain a coherent marketing message by keeping everyone on the same page . . . literally and figuratively. Click here if you missed it. One of the things we emphasized was that building an effective creative brief is all about asking the right questions. This month, we wanted to drill down a little into one of those questions, namely “Who is your target market (or audience)?”
Define and Prioritize
Like we said in the original post, when defining a target audience, be specific. Focusing on a distinct group or persona will help you craft a more memorable message than you would if you tried to be all things to all people. This is easy if you have only one audience you need to think about. More often than not, though, parks-and-rec agencies must address several different audiences in order to achieve a single objective.
When Campfire Concepts works with an agency, we help it identify the various groups it must get buy-in from in order to reach its goals. In just about every case, regardless of the size of the agency or its marketing objectives, these groups include stakeholders (or partners), staff, board members, and residents of the community.
Once we’ve identified the audiences an agency needs to target, we help it determine which ones are most critical to the success of its objectives. Just like an agency can’t be all things to all people, it can’t spend the same amount of time and money on everyone it wants to reach. It must prioritize where it will focus its efforts.
Dial It In
Now that you know who you’re talking to, and where the priorities lie, it’s time to start dialing in the message each audience needs to hear. In some cases this might mean less is more. For instance, the message you send to prospective participants or caregivers about a specific program should be simple and easy to digest. Sponsors and agency partners, on the other hand, might want more details before they’re ready to commit.
Need Help?
Fine-tuning a message for different audiences can be tricky. Even if you have messaging that’s been working for you, it never hurts to have a knowledgeable, experienced partner give it a fresh look. At Campfire Concepts, our sole mission is helping Illinois parks-and-rec agencies strengthen their engagement with the communities they serve. If you want to know more about how we can help your agency hone it’s messaging, click here to get that conversation started. We look forward to hearing from you!
