Traditionally, marketers have targeted ads to our audience based on demographics, psychographics and geographic markers in the belief that the defined audience is receptive to these messages.
But what if the audience is receptive to the message because they were targeted?
This study, from the Harvard Business Review, shows the impact of ad targeting on individuals. In essence, if a product is seen to have attributes deemed to be positive by the audience, the fact of being targeted is seen as a positive by the audience: “I was targeted because they see me with this positive attribute.”
Targeted Ads Don’t Just Make You More Likely to Buy — They Can Change How You Think About Yourself
Aspirational targeting, therefore, can be used by brands with strong positive brand attributes to target audiences slightly below the traditional buyer to create new market opportunities.
When thinking about companies who have used this technique successfully, Mercedes stands out. Obviously, Mercedes is seen to be a high value brand, especially in North America.
But when one looks at their product line, you quickly find lower cost vehicles that capitalize on the brand promise of Mercedes while being aspirational for the consumer audience.
The product, being one key component of the marketing mix, is accompanied by pricing models and advertising that builds on the aspiration of the audience, while creating significant sales for the company.
Decide Campaigns uses aspirational marketing when developing target audiences for our clients. Increasing sales is about increasing the size of your market.