They say the world is like a fruit salad: So many different kinds of people tossed together, each one being different but bringing their own strengths to the collective. Anyone who has ever worked in creative services, especially in a city like Toronto, has dealt with many different demographics and types of people. Your product or service will never be used by every single person. Marketers advise that you narrow your scope and look at the people who will want it the most. This can be multiple groups of people at once. For instance, if you are in charge of marketing a cleaning service, your clientele could extend to both single mothers and college students – but probably not DINK (Double Income, No Kids) couples. Coming up with marketing materials that captures your core demographics and secondary markets can be tough. That’s where marketing companies come in. These professionals use visual cues, colours, taglines, and other tricks to reach out directly to your demographic. Sometimes their approach is bold, other times they can take a more subtle approach. Either way, it’s guaranteed that your core market will sit up and pay attention. Here’s how a smart marketing company helps you land a bullseye when targeting your main demographic.

Starting from Scratch: Why a Campaign’s Foundation Matters

Some companies have made the mistake of simply attempting to ‘re-skin’ a campaign for different demographics. You may have a template for posters or television that has the same structure, but different fonts, characters, or selling points. This is a major mistake, because different demographics require different approaches. These differences can be as fundamental as the medium you’re using. For instance, if you want to reach younger people, one of the best moves that you can make is to launch an online campaign. If you’re aiming for a more elderly market, then print campaigns have proven to be more effective. Creative services build your campaign from the ground up to best find your target market in Toronto.

Fonts, Images, Colours: The Visual Tools at Your Disposal

Once you’ve chosen the very basics of your campaign, it’s time to get more specifics. Fonts, images, colours, and so on are all extremely useful tools that can grab a demographic’s attention or alienate them. For instance, font has a surprising effect on a person’s brain. The font ‘Baskerville’ is seen as trustworthy and responsible. A study showed that viewers were noticeably more likely to trust the source after reading a line in that font. Meanwhile, ‘Comic Sans MS’ is seen as puerile and childish. In between these two extremes is an endless variety of fonts. Images and colours also allow you to diversify a campaign and better appeal to your customers. Think beyond your template and start considering how you can shake up your original canvas. By using layout, you can influence viewers to think one way or another. Simply filling in the blanks on an existing template is a good way to excite no one and bore everyone.

How Visual Images Have a Psychological Impact on the Viewer

The issue is more than just variety. The images you choose for your campaign can have a psychological impact on the viewer that influences their buying decisions. This can be a complex process, and we still haven’t figured out the science behind this reaction. Creative services know how they can appeal to Toronto passersby and get them to think a certain way. These preferences can be societal and environmental, which makes them an ideal way to target your demographic. Let’s look at the colour purple, for instance. This colour has been historically associated with wealth, royalty, and wisdom. If you’re selling a financial plan or a high end designer good, then purple may be a great choice. However, the reason that this colour has long been associated with wealth and money is because it does not occur in nature. Therefore, if you were using it for a natural health care product, the exotic and artificial nature of the colour might clash with your message. Meanwhile, orange has the opposite association: It is seen as inexpensive. This is good for financial institutions, as they want you to think they offer low fees. However, a high quality product such as a car would likely want to avoid the association of cheapness and low quality. The psychology behind images is extremely important when focusing on your target demographic.

It’s All About the Attitude: Appealing to Your Customers

Beyond colour and font choices, you have to consider the overall attitude of your product. Attitude is often associated with surly teenagers, but it’s an encompassing word to describe your customer’s prelidictions and overall stances. If you’re offering a product with an extremely serious tone, then you’ll likely appeal to people who approach life in a similar manner. Something lighthearted and fun will turn those same people off. Consider your customer base and how they approach life. Students tend to be more carefree, while parents have more responsibility. These ‘big picture’ attitudes can be helpful when creating your campaign.

When you’re appealing to your core demographic, you need to make a solid effort to reach out to them. Having a good product or service isn’t enough. You also need to wrap it up in such a way that your target market will care. Many companies have made the mistake of trying to cast their net too wide, or only caring about a very small slice of the pie. In order to succeed, you should aim for both your main demographic and secondary markets. Creative services can help you strike a bullseye on a specific slice of Toronto. If you’re interested in selling your product or building up a brand image, you can’t do it alone. Hire a marketing company to take care of the visuals once you have a direction in mind.