This post was created in partnership with Inmar Media
Key takeaways
- Using multiple data sets allows brands to target customers authentically and without breaching boundaries.
- Targeting consumers the good old-fashioned way—aka surveys and directly contacting them—is still integral.
- When your users reach out to you directly with feedback, listen and take action where you can.
Marketing teams can use data to make educated guesses about a target audience’s purchase intent these days, but the standout brands are the ones that go beyond digital insights to form deeper connections.
During an ADWEEK House Possible group chat co-hosted with Inmar Media, panelists discussed how to combine multiple data sources, real-life interactions, and human listening skills to truly understand the motivations and aspirations of audiences while making long-lasting connections.
Building a data-informed audience strategy
Adam Goldsmith, head of agency partnerships and data solutions at Inmar Media, opened the discussion by acknowledging that there are sometimes gaps in what brands know about their audiences.
“Where we’ve seen success for a lot of our clients—and just overall—has been not looking at one single source of data,” Goldsmith said. “When you layer on multiple pieces of data, you’re able to really build a stronger foundation of your audience.”
Mark Bietz, CMO of HalloweenCostumes.com, discussed his company’s use of data and insights to shape creative, which is especially important since his brand is seasonal.
“One thing that shifted in the past couple of years is how good Meta and TikTok have gotten in terms of letting the creative do the targeting for you,” Bietz said.
For example, one of the company’s best customer profiles is Instagram moms who want the best photos and Reels of their family. “They’ll start shopping with us a little bit earlier. And what we do is we start to identify who’s engaging with our ads early on, and then we’ll make ads targeting them directly,” Bietz shared.
