The activity of any firm in the market is a complex process that depends on many factors. One of them is the contact audience. This concept is very voluminous and contains many subcategories. So what is a contact audience? Firstly, the contact audience is a group of people who are united on the basis of a common interest in a particular company. Secondly, it directly affects the achievement of the goals set by the company, and hence the success and profitability of the business.
Importance of the concept
Contact audiences are one of the most key topics in marketing courses, as this category is one of the fundamental ones in business. Everything literally depends on her.
Without a clear understanding and definition of the company's contact audiences, it will be impossible to plan its further activities. This is a basic component of both marketing tactics and the development strategy of the company as a whole.
Audiences by nature of impact on the organization
As mentioned above, contact audiences are several different categories of people, so the impact they have on the company can be varied.
By nature they can be undesirable, desired and favorable. The first type of audience can cause irreparable harm to your company, so this group of people is best avoided. Although the firm is likely to still have to take into account the opinion of this category. An example of an undesirable audience can be competitors from the same price segment that the company occupies or plans to occupy.
The desired audience is the one whose attention is necessary and significant for the organization. An example of a contact audience in this category is the media. For example, federal channels, local newspapers or large information portals on the Internet. They can have both a favorable and a negative impact on the company's activities, but it will not be possible to do without their attention.
The last and most important category is favorable contact groups. One example of such an audience is sponsors. They are well disposed in advance towards the company's activities and are interested in its successful development and growth.
Types of contact groups
In total, this concept is divided into seven types, each of which in its own way affects the company's activities. Contact audiences are:
- Widepublic (this concept can cover both residents of one city and the whole country).
- Contact groups within a firm or enterprise (e.g. workers, maintenance staff, line managers, and even the board of directors).
- Local Contact Groups (usually includes residents of surrounding areas, local non-profit and commercial organizations).
- Community organizations of various types (the activities of the firm may attract close attention from the consumer protection organization or the "green movement", which, in turn, may affect the attitude of other contact groups).
- These are the contact audiences within government agencies (changes in legislation or non-compliance with certain regulations can negatively affect the growth prospects and profitability of the firm, so you should always monitor the activities and sentiments of these groups).
- Media (newspapers, magazines, TV channels, Internet resources, etc.).
- Financial circles (they directly affect the company's ability to receive financial support, subsidies and loans).
Target orientation
Despite such a large number of different groups, not all of them have the same importance for the company's activities. The main target contact audiences are consumers. The marketing efforts of the company are aimed at them. Although, of course, there may be several such groups, the future profit of the company directly depends on the buyers. Their behavior, moodand loy alty have an impact on all aspects of the organization.
In most cases, the company's activities follow a certain algorithm, which you can learn more about if you visit marketing courses. Consumers are the first link in such an algorithm. Their needs and expectations are key factors in shaping the pricing policy, the range of goods or the variety of services offered. The future of the company depends on their interest.
The concept of the target audience and its types
The distinguishing feature of such a group of people is that they do not belong to the company, but influence it from outside. In the process of any marketing communications, the main task is an attempt to influence the behavior of the target audience so that the result is most beneficial for the company itself. It can be both an increase in sales and an increase in brand recognition and loy alty.
The target contact groups themselves can be represented by different categories of people. And even though an organization may have more than one such audience, a certain group of people with similar characteristics is selected for each individual marketing communication. For example, these may be shareholders, on whose economic activity the annual profit of the company may depend. Also, the target group of a certain marketing communication can be sales personnel, the correct motivation of which can affect the growth of sales, the acceleration of attracting new customers and the efficiency of the company as a whole.
Marketing tools for working with the target audience
There can be many ways to influence the right group of people. Their choice depends on the most contact target audience and on what goals the company sets for itself. It can be as distribution of leaflets, as well as charity balls and all kinds of mass entertainment events that the local media will definitely want to talk about. In this way, you can simultaneously get the attention of the desired contact audience in the face of the media, potential buyers, certain organizations and the general public as a whole.
