Notebook / 1 min read
People don't fit on a slide.
A thought about audience descriptions, and all the bits they tend to leave out.
An audience description can make a person sound very consistent. One age, one attitude, one reason to buy. I understand why we do it. It makes a brief easier to work with.
But the same person can be careful on Monday and impulsive on Friday. They can like the product and dislike the advert. They can care about making a better choice and still buy the cheaper one.
Keep the awkward bits.
I'd rather have an audience description that leaves room for that. Something specific enough to be useful, without pretending the person has only one thing going on.
Sometimes the contradiction tells you more than the label. That's the part I want to keep in the brief, even if it makes the slide a little less tidy.