Reaching Your Target

With the surge of new technological advances, the constant changing of media habits, and the time-crunching lifestyles of most consumers, marketers are finding it more difficult to reach their target audience. An article in OMMA, Market Target: Hispanic Women, states that marketers "must do their homework"! Its not enough anymore to cover the mass media with your media messages. These days marketers must find out where their target market is, what they are watching, and what messages associate with their values. The OMMA article discussed the huge market that exists in the US Hispanic population, specifically Hispanic women who tend to purchase the majority of items for the household. Many advertisers are beginning to realize this, spending approximately $3.6 billion dollars to reach them. By observing and studying them, marketers found that Hispanic women tend to be price conscious but brand loyal, and that the use of Internet in Hispanic households is increasing dramatically. As a result, many online servers are beginning to add Spanish language components and Hispanic lifestyle sections to their platforms. Young males are another target market that have become difficult to reach. An article from the online newssource Media describes them as "highly selective media consumers." Therefore, marketers must find ways to make them come to the brand, rather than waiting for the brand or ad to get noticed. A popular trend in reaching the young male market has been product placement in video games, as gaming has begun to overshadow TV ad their primary media use. Additionally, marketers know that men respond well to sex and humor, and so place ads in vehicles such as Comedy Central, Maxim magazine, and Desperate Housewives. Its knowing your audience that leads to effective placement and identifiable messages.