While at Detroit Metropolitan Airport recently to catch a flight to Kansas City, I learned a little something about audience. I’m actually surprised I’m not still being detained by Transportation Security Administration agents. Let me explain.
For a couple of years now, my husband and I have had a love affair with that fine drink, the Old Fashioned. For us, the cherries in these drinks absolutely must be Luxardo brand maraschino cherries. A 400g jar costs US$18 and they’re worth every penny. I haven’t been able to find these in any store in Kansas City, so I picked some up in Detroit and popped them in with my bag of snacks ahead of my flight.
Fast-forward to the airport security line where said bag of snacks was pulled aside for further inspection. I stepped out of line and over to another scanner as a TSA agent pulled the jar of cherries out of my bag. He informed me there was too much liquid in the jar, but if I poured out the liquid I should be able to take the jar on the plane. He asked what I would use the cherries for and when I informed him, he said they sounded delicious. I responded, ‘They’re the bomb; they really make the drink!’ He looked at me as if I had two heads. What in the Hell was I thinking! TSA had pulled me aside because of the possibility that the jar contained a bomb or flammable liquid and I had just uttered the word. Didn’t I know my audience?
He took another look at me and said, ‘Not in an airport! But it’s OK; I like your enthusiasm!’
We, too, as businesses must be aware of our audiences and tailor our marketing to the language they’re using or the words they want to hear. Don’t offend their sensibilities and definitely do not use words they will find offensive. Sometimes one word can make or break a deal. Make sure you’re delivering the right message.
The Content Marketing Institute states that without an understanding of your audience’s demographics, core interests, pain points, ways they consume content and their reasons for buying from you, it’s extremely difficult to create content that reaches them.
And a recent article by Cox Blue says the most common reason content marketing falls flat is the disconnect between the marketer and the audience. They suggest emotionally engaging your readers (although I wouldn’t suggest the type of emotional engagement I produced at the airport!)
If you want help identifying your audience, give Lush a call. Our content marketing experts will enthusiastically help you know and grow your audience. We might even make you an Old Fashioned.
