Who is your target audience?

A definition.

A target audience defined by the marketing and advertising industry is the primary group of people that something is aimed at appealing to – a target audience can be people of a certain age, gender, marital status, lifestyle, etc. In the entertainment industry the target audience is a critical piece for a producer and director of a film to understand when meeting with potential distributors, marketers and press because when a studio/distributor decides to commit to your project they will already be considering ways in which to market the picture and ultimately sell tickets.

“Your film is not for everyone but it is for someone.”

I have been listening to this statement ever since film school later on producing my first short film with Oscar-nominated actor Robert Forster and much later as Co-Producer for Sundance Film Festival favorite SCRATCH. As a consultant to several independent filmmakers this repeated statement can be revolutionary or a deal breaker. Revolutionary because it helps them navigate the business part of getting their picture sold and out to market – deal breaker because without understanding target audience a film gets lost very quickly, marketers don’t know where to put it and consequently audiences don’t know where to find it.

As an entertainment professional the exercise of determining target audience is as critical to the sale of the project as to its ultimate success – prints, advertising and reach. Your film is definitely for someone but not for everyone.

Who is that someone?

When you close your eyes and think about the audience that is sitting in their theater seats ready to watch your film – who is sitting in those chairs? Moms, male teenagers, women under the age of 40 or families? Who will engage and further push your idea forward – forward to social networks, word-of-mouth, comment on blogs and simply shout at the top of their lungs describing how great your film is.

Applying a film process to your business.

Going through the process of determining target audience starts with identification. In the film business research, comparing similar films, following marketing teams, etc are apart of this process which can be applied to your business.

First, start with identifying your target by answering the following questions:

What are the characteristics of your target?
What is the attraction?
Is there an adequate size and growth potential?
Can the market be reached by advertising?
What is your marketing budget?

Secondly, identify the demographics:

What is the age, gender, income, location, ethnicity, education or occupation?
Is there a niche? Is the product or service unique? such as convenience, distribution, demographic, technology or superior performance
What about your competitors? How did they enter into the market, where are they effective, what is their reach?
What are market and industry trends?

I apply my film experience to all of our clients because knowing your audience translates to all of your communications whether that is web content, a blog, an online video, commercial or a feature length documentary – when you know your target audience you can target your message and reach the right audience.

Going through the process will help you in the short and long run of your project. As a producer and consultant the answer to target audience provides the one-line tool in all of your work.

How do you determine your target audience? Share your thoughts.

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