From time to time, you may be asked to get involved with a print advertisement. It might be a consumer ad. A retail ad about products on sale. A business-tobusiness ad targeting your vendors. A corporate ad for the community, etc.

However, the more generic your approach and the more general your audience, the more wasted circulation and the less likely it is that your message will reach its target efficiently.

You are going to want to make the connection with your audience, shaping it into manageable groups of people called the target audience. A target audience is defined as a segment of the general population that shares common demographics and psychographics. You’ve heard these two words before, but let’s agree on their definitions.

Demographics are the statistics of your target audience. Some of the most common include:

1. Age, which usually brackets a number of years: 1825, 18-34, 49-54, over 60, etc.
2. Gender, which may be male, female or both male/ female.
3. Income level, which will break down annual household income into ranges: $30,000 to $45,000; £15,000 to £22,000; Rs 250,000 to Rs 500,000.
4. Marital status: single, married, divorced, widowed.
5. Geography: inner city, urban, suburban, rural. 6. Education level: secondary schooling, some university, university graduate, postgraduate degree.

Psychographics, on the other hand, involve less measurable information—your target audience’s lifestyle and traditions, including:

• Interests—what does your target audience do recreationally? On a weekend? Where do these people go on vacation? How do they celebrate holidays? What are their hobbies?
• Beliefs—does your audience agree, “My country, right or wrong? Families belong together, especially during holidays? You’re only young once? Children should be seen and not heard?” What do they think? About everything.
• Values—Is the family the center of their lives? Do they think it is wrong to steal? Courage under fire? Honesty is the best policy? Do under others as you would have others do unto you? What are the traits that anchor your target audience’s lives?
• Feelings—do they agree that “When my children misbehave, it embarrasses me? When my husband forgets my birthday, it makes me sad? When I do something to help others, it makes me feel good? When somebody who does less work than I do gets promoted, I feel resentful?” What emotions govern your target audience’s behaviors?

Here’s a designated target audience for the orange.

Demographics:

1. Gender: women
2. Age: 18-34
3. Income level: $30,000 (£15,000, Rs 250,000)
4. Marital status: single
5. Geography: urban/suburban

Education level: Secondary school and above Psychographics:

Interested in career, health, fashion, body decoratio_n(i.e., piercing and tattoos) and social life. Into fun and independent lifestyles.

To establish a connection with the target audience, make a list of the objects you think they would typically surround themselves with:

1. Roller blades–for recreation, urban transportation.
2. Snow boards—for outdoor winter recreation.
3. Portable CD players—for listening to music anywhere, any time.
4. Tattoos and rings—for adorning the body.
5. Fast, sporty cars or scooters—for transportation that is noticed by their peers.
6. Diets and supplements—for staying healthy.

If you’re having trouble thinking of additions, select a _magazine with the demographics and psychographics that match those of your target audience, for example,
Cosmopolitan.

Browse through the magazine. What are the articles about? What products are being advertised? About 15 minutes spent with the magazine should produce a list of _additional objects (products and services), and the reasons for their purchase.

1. Take the list, and using creative advertising #3, look for similarities between the target audience’s lifestyle and your product, Navel Oranges.
2. Equipment might be one similarity. Objects on the list like roller blades, snow boards, sports cars and CD players can all be classified as equipment for a particular activity. An orange can also become equipment: it “equips” the user with energy, refreshment and vitamins.
3. Another similarity is peels. Young adults “peel out,” or accelerate on roller blades, in sports cars, on scooters. Oranges get peeled.
4. Young adults can get juiced with both: “juiced,” or energized by the physical activity involved in speed and danger; and refreshed with the juice of the orange.
5. Roller blades, snow boards, CD players and oranges are all portable.
6. Both involve nature. Rollerblading and snow boarding are outdoor activities. Oranges grow on trees.
7. They both grow on you. The more you roller blade and snow board, the better you get and the more you enjoy it. The more orange juice you drink, the better you like its sweet, fruity taste.
8. They both satisfy thirsts: the thirst for excitement; the thirst generated by exercise.

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