Positive Advertising Experience in a Targeted Market Segment: Similar to my Lady GaGa “Something about my cool Pittsburgh guy….” example, describe a time when an advertising campaign did a compelling job appealing to you as a member of a targeted market segment.
We all know that Taco Bell is open into the late hours of the night. Their commercials target a young audience strapped for money. I specifically remember late one night and I kept seeing Taco Bell ads on the TV telling me to ‘make a run for the border’. Slowly, I got hungrier and hungrier and realized I had been missing one thing: Taco Bell. I got out of my bed and hopped in my car and drove to the local Taco Bell. It was in the drive through line that I realized I had fallen for the advertisers’ tricks.
Negative Advertising Experience in a Targeted Market Segment: Similar to the creeped-out reaction I am having to the LenCrafters’ office sending me a fake optometry appointment notice for August 6, 2019 (which is actually an attempt to target me as a returning customer segment of the LensCrafters in Ross Park Mall), describe a time when an advertising campaign really missed the mark while trying to appeal to you as a member of a targeted market segment.
A few years ago, Mountain Dew ran an ad during the Super Bowl that featured a horrifying mix of a puppy, a monkey, and a baby. This terrifying creature walked around a house repeating one phrase: “puppy monkey baby”. Mountain Dew’s focus was unclear. They tried to make an attempt at randomness and it completely flopped. The ad was not funny, but rather traumatizing.
Other Examples Like This?: Based on our review of market segmentation and your examples of positive and negative experiences in target market campaigns, how will you approach market segmentation in your future professional roles?
In marketing, possibly the most important aspect of advertising is knowing who you are advertising to. If you do not focus on the right market segment, the ad campaign will more than likely flop. Knowing your demographic is key and if you can master that, you will be able to successfully target market segments.