From Usage to User
Defining Target Groups

In the article “Limits of Demographics”, I discuss the pros and cons of demographic models in more detail and propose the following thesis:

In a world where products and their features are becoming more and more alike, it is not adequate to communicate with everyone at the same time. Instead, we should (only) communicate with those for whom a service or product is truly relevant as a brand.

This article is about offering a contemporary alternative – the persona of Alan Cooper.

Use-oriented becomes User-centered

The concept of the persona (Latin for mask) goes back to the US software developer Alan Cooper. He focused his attention on human-computer interaction – and thus on the question of how a certain user group uses an application – in order to derive several personas (actually: personae – but that sounds silly) from observations of real people. They served as a basis for playing through different usage scenarios.

The persona emerged in the 80s and was first described in detail in 1999 in his book “The Inmates are Running the Asylum”. In it, Cooper generally distinguishes between 3 types of personas:

The marketing persona (called a buyer persona in B2B) is used to market products or services and is usually the result of interviews with target individuals and market-wide studies. The design persona is concerned with user behavior and has a direct influence on the design of a product – for example, the font size of an ATM used by older users.

Finally, the proto persona – not much more than a quick sketch used to test ideas and thoughts, generally without extensive research. According to Cooper, this is the type of persona that is typical of agency or marketing manager work. It is designed relatively quickly – and, as he says, “is still better than not thinking about the audience at all.

What may sound a bit cynical is in fact only realistic: not all clients can or want to afford a comprehensive research process or the cooperation with market research institutes. And of course, it also makes sense for small companies to think about who they want to target. Their resources are particularly limited.

Alan Cooper’s method is relatively easy to apply. All we need to create a proto-persona is a reasonable structure, a genuine interest in the other person, a little empathy, and common sense. It generally makes more sense to work in teams than individually. And it is advised to involve a representative of the target group – for example, an employee who fits the target profile.

How to define a Persona

A persona is a fictional portrait of a person that is representative of a majority of people characterized in a similar way. However, the model differs fundamentally from the classic target group in that it avoids ranges (“from … to …”) or generalizations (“social media” instead of “Tik Tok, Instagram”). Instead, it tries to be as specific as possible.

To make this basic principle more tangible, here is a simple example:

In both cases, the individual needs are as different as their life circumstances. It seems only logical that these people also make different decisions. In such cases, it makes sense to derive two personas from a group in order to understand their varying situations.

The essential Characteristics of a Persona

• Name
• Specific age
• Current role: student, family man, job function, position, secondary roles, …
• Background: life circumstances, education, place of residence, …
• Frustrations: Often the trigger to buy the product in the first place. Creates relevance. Without a problem, the solution makes no sense for the persona.
• Needs: The persona wants to achieve something. This can be specifically related to the product, but can also be more general. The product then serves as a catalyst for the change that the persona wants.
• Pains: A product or service not only solves problems, it also creates new challenges. Naming these can already be useful in communication in order to create credibility and dispel initial doubts that might prevent a purchase.
• Gains: The benefits that the persona gets from the product. A clear distinction must be made here between “features” and “benefits”. This is because benefits can also be of an emotional nature and do not relate directly to the product and its features.
• Character: The personality of the persona is usually depicted on an axis between two opposing poles: conservative or progressive? Deliberate or spontaneous? Introverted or extroverted? The personality provides clues as to the right tone of communication. And the right weighting of informative or advertising content.
• Media use: Defines the channels that are useful for addressing the target group. Caution: “Social media” or “magazines” is too unspecific to continue working. It makes sense to work in detail here in order to be able to plan future advertising channels.
• Illustrative elements: The motto and portrait image are helpful to better empathize with the persona, but have little relevance to the actual content.

Optional Characteristics

In my projects, I look at other issues that complement the persona profile – depending on what seems essential for the concept. A few examples:

• Megatrends and developments: Climate change, digitalization, energy transition, … Companies that are aware of their responsibility must consider these aspects in their products. Companies that offer answers to these pressing questions are more relevant to people who find these issues important than those who do not.
• Influencers: Secondary target groups that have an influence on the persona’s decisions. In the case of a toy, for example, this could be the parents who make the actual purchase decision. Or a superior who decides on budgets and therefore purchases. Secondary target groups may need information material that is tailored to them.
• Affinity: The persona’s previous experience with similar products or services also shapes their expectations of working with new companies.

The Candidate Persona

In employer branding, the “product” is the vacancy or the offer as an employer. The target group corresponds to the candidate profile being sought. The persona template can be expanded to include questions relevant to the topic.

• Personal goals vs. professional goals: The distinction ensures that nothing essential is forgotten.
• Expectations of the employer: Benefits that the person may require. For example: secure job (Generation Z), personal growth opportunities (Generation Y), good pay (Generation X). But also: well-known company, sustainability, …
• Expectations of the team: Desired role the person will play in a future team. Also relates to communication within a team (e.g. flat hierarchy, agility, …)
• Professional experience, training, additional specialist training

Employer branding should specifically address generations, their ideas and values. After all, generations differ greatly in their basic attitudes, and this influences their very individual choices.

Ernst & Young’s graduate surveys provide answers to what qualities Generation Y and Generation Z graduates expect from employers. It also raises the question of the extent to which the company is able to meet these expectations.

The B2B Thing

We think of a business as something objective, making objective decisions. But this is only partly true. The decision maker is still a person with their own needs and idiosyncrasies. They are not necessarily more rational than an individual, they just need more information and reasoning to justify their decision. This means that B2B and B2C communications are less different than is sometimes suggested.

However, before a persona can be developed, a target market must first be defined. The ideal customer profile has proven to be an ideal supplement and can be useful in sales and marketing. It describes the target companies the communication should reach, mainly according to quantitative criteria and easy-to-research facts.

• Branche
• Geography
• Size (Number of employees)
• Revenue
• Challenges
• Company goals
• Decision makers (Personae)

and optionally

• Technologies
• Budgets
• Secondary Audiences (e.g. purchase department, …)
• Attributes (e.g. primary communication channels, sales strategies used, …)
• Existing processes with which the product or service must harmonize

The Persona’s Journey

Now that the basic characteristics of the persona have been defined, it’s time to send our new hero on a journey. In another article, I will explain how the persona can be linked to C. Vogler’s Writers Journey to gain depth, what we can learn from the individual chapters for communication, and how we can even derive entire customer stories.

Recommended Literature:
The Inmates are Running the Asylum, Alan Cooper

Further Links (German):
Studierendenstudie 2022, Ernst & Young (.pdf)
Absolventenstudie 2012–2013, Ernst & Young (.pdf)