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TARGETING THE MARKET
How to get the right information to the right people.
Understanding your customer demographics ensures that the
right information gets to your target market.

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A target market is a specific group of individuals who are most likely to purchase a particular product or service. In order for a company to sell a product or service effectively, it needs to understand who is the potential customer, what their needs and wants are pertaining to the product or service, and what is the most successful avenue to the customer.
First, a company must decide who is going to purchase their product or service and why. For example, the probable candidate for buying a musical instrument is a musician. The most likely candidate for buying a bulldozer, on the other hand, would not be a housewife. Demographics, or population statistics, define who is more likely to acquire a certain product or service. Demographics can be attained through surveys performed by the company or bought from other companies that sell survey information, government statistical reports, or from market research.
Now that the company knows what slice of the population they are targeting, it can begin to understand the specific wants and needs of the group. For instance, if the company is selling wholesale items to other businesses, it would most likely pack the items in large quantities, since businesses generally buy in bulk to satisfy the needs of the whole

company rather than the individual. If the company were selling directly to the individual person, however, the product would have to be packed in smaller amounts since the individual does not have the same needs as a business. Understanding requirements such as size, shape, color, and quantity, can help narrow the profile of the target market.
Finally, the company must find the best way to market their product or service to the customer. Mail, fax, email, internet, phone, television, and radio are just a few examples of how a company can get the word out about their product or service. The company should review the statistics and market research to determine which method(s) will work the best. For example, if television sales were extremely low within the target market, mail or phone would be a better way to reach consumers. On the other hand, if the target market specific to the company was economically inclined to purchase televisions and computers, commercials or a website may be the best avenue to persue.
By using research to determine a target market, a company can streamline their advertising efforts and produce a more effective marketing campaign.

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