Marketing 101: Approaching a Different Demographic

Posted on August 21st, 2008

It could be that you feel like a small fish in a big pond, getting bullied around by all the bigger fish occupying the same water. It could be that your major competitor just had a major breakthrough and is really starting to “steal” your business away from you, so to speak. Whatever the case, you just may find that your company is having a hard time competing in the current market with your current product line.

One of the strategies that you can consider to overcome this obstacle is to market your products and services in such a way that they would appeal to a relatively untapped segment of the market. Your major competitors may be going after a particular demographic, so rather than trying to tackle them head-on, you can approach another segment that is being largely ignored. Perhaps an example would illustrate this point.

When Microsoft announced the Xbox 360 and Sony announced the PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Revolution (as the Wii was known at the time) was nowhere close to being able to compete in raw power. It could not process the same level of high-definition graphics and other high-end features. Instead of bumping the Wii into that market with HD graphics and high-priced components, Nintendo took a wholly different approach.

While there are certainly some games on the Wii that appeal to the conventional player, Nintendo has clearly not focused on the core “hardcore gamer” demographic. Instead, the Wii is being marketed as a home video game system that will appeal to everyone, regardless of gender, age, or level of skill. Nintendo went after the senior citizens, soccer moms, working dads, young children, and everything in between. The Xbox 360 and PS3, by contrast, do not make a distinct effort to go after these demographics.

Regardless of what your company sells, you can always reconsider the target demographic. If all your competitors are going after 25-year-old males, why not try marketing your product to 45-year-old women?

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