The Targeter Pro
Audience mapping through decision lenses.
"Targeting is about shaping choice, not describing demographics. The question is not 'who are they?' but 'how do they decide?'"
The Core Insight
The Targeter maps audience segments to help identify who to target and what tension to address. It uses four strategic lenses that examine how people make decisions, not just who they are.
Demographics describe audiences. The Targeter reveals how to persuade them.
Why Decision-Based Targeting
Traditional targeting relies on demographics: age, income, location. These variables are easy to measure but hard to act on. Knowing someone is a "35-44 ABC1 homeowner" tells you nothing about how to persuade them.
The Targeter focuses on how people decide: Do they think or feel? Deliberate or act on instinct? Are they engaged or habitual? Risk-seeking or risk-averse?
The Four Lenses
| Lens | Strategic Question | Informs |
|---|---|---|
| Decision Mode Rational ←→ Emotional Deliberate ←→ Instinctive | How should we persuade? | Message strategy |
| Category Engagement Low ←→ High Involvement Habitual ←→ Exploratory | How much attention can we expect? | Media and format |
| Value Orientation Price ←→ Value Driven Functional ←→ Expressive | What should we promise? | Proposition strategy |
| Risk Profile Risk-Averse ←→ Risk-Tolerant Security ←→ Novelty Seeking | What barriers must we overcome? | Offer strategy |
Theoretical Grounding
- Kahneman's System 1/System 2: Dual-process theory informs the Decision Mode lens
- FCB Grid: Category involvement theory shapes the Engagement lens
- Means-End Chain Theory: Functional vs expressive benefits inform Value Orientation
- Prospect Theory: Risk perception underpins the Risk Profile lens
How It Works
For each lens, The Targeter places audience segments on a 2×2 grid. You can let AI suggest positions, drag to adjust based on your knowledge, and toggle between lenses to see segments from different angles.
Output
Primary Segment: The audience we are targeting
Defining Tension: The friction that makes them receptive
Decision Mode: How they make choices in this category
Strategic Implication: What this means for message and media
The output forces commitment: "We're talking to [segment]. Their defining tension is [tension]. This matters because [implication]."
How It Fits The Cascade
The Targeter sits between The Definer and The Positioner:
- Receives: Reframed problem and category convention from The Definer
- Produces: Audience tension that informs positioning and creative strategy
- Feeds into: The Positioner (who we're targeting shapes where we position)
Best Practices
- Name segments by behaviour or mindset, not demographics
- Focus on the tension that makes them receptive to change
- Consider how the same person might move across lenses in different contexts
"The best targeting insight isn't who they are. It's why they'll care."