'Fun For The Whole Family' Does Not Exist in Marketing Focus and pick one or two attributes where your brand can really excel. Don't try to be "all of the above."

By Jim Joseph

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Whoever coined the phrase "fun for the whole family" obviously never had fun -- and never had family.

Anyone and everyone in a family knows that it's impossible to come up with one thing that everyone thinks is fun. There's no way to please everyone, all at once. When one person is happy, the other person isn't. And then it flips. Trust me, I know: I just raised two very independent kids.

Related: You'll Never Get New Customers If You Don't Target New Markets

"Fun for the whole family," just simply doesn't exist. I exaggerate, for sure, but I'm sure you get the point.

And while the phrase certainly isn't realistic in family life, it's also not at all feasible in marketing either.

You simply can't be all things to all people. There's no "fun for the whole family" in marketing.

You have to be choice-ful and purposeful in all your marketing efforts.

It starts out by knowing who you are as a brand. Ask yourself, "What are your key features, and what do you uniquely offer to your customer?" Focus and pick one or two attributes where your brand can really excel. Don't try to be "all of the above." By concentrating on your best benefits, you can become expert at them and be known for them. And your customers will return again and again as a result.

Related: 10 Ways to Learn About Your Target Audience

Your brand will then have clear meaning.

And speaking of customers, focus is again key. You can't be "fun for the whole family" here either. Not only can you not be "all things" but you can't be "all things to all people either." Just like you pick your best attributes, you also have to pick your best customers, too.

This is called targeting for a reason.

Targeting is an important part of marketing, because it forces you to choose those customers who you are most likely to satisfy: those most likely to turn to you again and again as an expert in your field. You can't please all men and all women and all young and all old. You have to choose which subset of the population to satisfy the most.

You have to target your best shot at being successful.

And then, once you know your target market really well, you can continue to hone your craft and finesse your brand to please them even more.

Related: Don't Be Afraid to Be the Biggest Fish Splashing Around in the Smallest Pond

That's where the magic of marketing comes in -- when your brand is perfectly aligned with your target audience.

Now that's fun.

Jim Joseph

Marketing Master - Author - Blogger - Dad

Jim Joseph is a commentator on the marketing industry. He is Global President of the marketing communications agency BCW, author of The Experience Effect series and an adjunct instructor at New York University.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Business News

The man who married a hologram in Japan can no longer communicate with his virtual wife

The software that allowed the interaction is no longer supported and the man can no longer interact with the hologram with which he had a relationship for years.

Business Solutions

Learn How to Use ChatGPT to Automate Your Business

Streamline operations, boost productivity, and future-proof your skills with 25+ hours of hands-on training for just $19.97.

Making a Change

More Than 1,000 Business and Tech Courses Can Be Yours Forever for Just $20

Add coding, marketing, and finance skills to your title with this constantly updated course bundle.

Buying / Investing in Business

Meet the Person Who Invented Plastic that Dissolves in Water

"Big Plastic" might hate it, but it's an opportunity for investors in the $1.3T plastics industry.

Growing a Business

How the Next Generation of BIZ Experiencess Is Outpacing Us — and Why

Today's founders are flipping the script and redefining how startups are built.