Overview
Out of all the words available to describe what we are passionate about, "Audience Strategies" are the two that truly embody our values (more here). Although data, insights, research, analytics, and data science are all useful for understanding audiences in various ways, data's greatest impact is when it's used to be strategic in growing your audience.
Our focus is on building audience strategy capabilities, which include teams, projects, processes, and technologies that help brands grow by developing clarity on who their audiences are and how to engage them better. We've helped Presidents, Prime Ministers, pop stars, DJs, rappers, authors, video game designers, TV producers, luxury goods brands, retailers, consumer goods companies and technology companies, ranging from the world's biggest brands to tiny, pre-funding challenger brands. Along the way, we have developed and refined numerous repeatable tools and techniques that we would love to share. Audience strategies, when they work, are like magic in how they transform both the economics and culture of an organization. (More here)
Data is still in its early stages of being used to understand audiences, similar to the early days of the X-ray, which allowed doctors to understand the body from the inside out. It took 100 years for X-rays to be properly integrated into doctors' ways of working. Similarly, the data revolution is not yet clear to most organizations how it should be integrated into their daily life. We are passionate about helping organizations navigate this process.
We love working with brilliant leaders driven by a vision of how audiences can be more impactful to their organization. By designing the capabilities that they need and helping to implement them in the long term, we make it a reality. If you believe being more strategic about your audience could transform your business, we would love to speak with you.
Our strongest core value is truth. We will be honest about whether we can make a significant difference for you, and if we cannot, it will be our pleasure to connect you with someone in our network who can. We are fortunate to have an incredible network, and two-thirds of our conversations go this way. Connecting smart people brings us great joy, and we are still happy to offer advice and support, even if the bulk of the work is done by another agency.
Five questions we love answering
"What should my data and CRM strategy be?" Our process involves interviewing your leadership to gain a comprehensive understanding of how audience data can be used to assist your goals. We also speak with teams in other industries and your existing data teams to learn what's possible and how to achieve it. This information is then used to help develop a data and CRM strategy that is tailored to your company's specific needs.
"Who is my audience, and what should my strategy be?" To answer this question, we segment audiences using surveys, transaction data, social audiences and artificial intelligence. We then identify priority segments taking into account segment fit, existing reach, and potential reach compared to competitors. From there, we can help you develop strategies to better engage them.
"How should I develop my brand positioning to engage my audience?" We begin by examining your team's vision and values and the needs of your audience(s). From there, we work to find a brand positioning, strategy and write a brand book that is authentic and resonates with your audience(s).
"Which partners should I pick to better engage my audience?" To answer this, we use billions of signals from social and digital platforms, and sometimes supplement this with survey research. We produce monthly dashboards for clients that explore demand for thousands of partners in dozens of countries. This information can then help identify which talent, media channels, and brand partners will be most effective in engaging your target audience(s).
"How can I tell data-driven stories using audience data?" To do this, we interview your team about the stories they want to tell and then gather data and industry perspectives to help craft these narratives. We then produce and present visually stunning reports designed to change hearts and minds.
While we don't actively market our services, we are always happy to share our approach and expertise with those interested. By answering these five questions, we hope to provide a framework for helping clients better engage with their audiences and achieve growth.
Inspiration from all angles
We help individual brands that want to find growth as well as the next generation of analytics and insight service providers and the next generation of practitioners through leading conferences on insight and data science. Together we will move the world towards a better, more impactful use of audience data. If you work with us you get inspiration from our work in every area of the insight industry.
Strategy + Brands
With a blend of analytics-driven strategic thinking and experience working on audience strategies with some of the largest entertainment and luxury brands across the globe, we at our company bring a unique perspective to our clients. Our team has run insight teams in major global corporations, giving us a deep understanding of how brands feel and what they require to succeed.
Capabilities and tools
An Audience Strategy can require bringing together many tools and techniques. Here is an overview of those that we find most useful. No brand can do it all. We'll work with your brand to find the right suite for you.
We believe in 'Informed Creativity'
The difference between success and failure often lies in understanding the role of data versus creativity and expertise in decision-making. We call our approach 'informed creativity'. Here is how we see it:
We use AI to be better, quicker and clearer
We embraced the potential of ChatGPT early, viewing it as a powerful tool that complements our expertise rather than replacing it. We use ChatGPT extensively to enhance our work, including project planning, audience identification, survey question creation, and brand adaptation. The efficiency of ChatGPT enables us to deliver high-quality work faster and with no additional costs, providing you with quicker, clearer, and better audience insights and strategies.
We want you to be at the forefront of innovation. So we worked with leaders across a diverse range of industries to write a series of books to help you use AI to grow your business: PROMPT: Practical guides growth using ChatGPT. And we've developed training courses that have worked for leadership teams in global consumer goods companies, professional services firms, market research firms, social media networks, and market intelligence firms, among others. With hundreds of satisfied trainees from dozens of companies, we're confident in the transformative potential of our training programs.
Frequently asked questions
What is an 'audience strategy' and how can it help my brand?
Audience strategy is the process of using data and insights to understand your target audience and develop effective strategies for engaging with them. An audience strategy is a roadmap for your brand to reach and engage with its target audience in a meaningful way. This can help your brand by providing clarity on who your audience is and what actions you can take to better engage and retain them.
How do you approach audience strategy?
We combine analytics-driven strategic thinking with experience working on consumer strategies with some of the world's biggest entertainment and luxury brands. We also use a variety of tools and techniques to help our clients, and focus on the importance of both data and creativity in decision-making.
Can you provide examples of the types of clients you've worked with?
We've worked with a wide range of clients, including Presidents and Prime Ministers, pop stars, technology companies, luxury goods brands, and more. We've also worked with both large, established brands and smaller, pre-funding startups.
How do you ensure the honesty and integrity of your work?
Our strongest core value is truth, which means we are always honest about whether we can make a big difference for our clients. If we don't believe we can, we will gladly connect them with someone in our network who can.
What sets your company apart from other agencies in the field?
We focus on building long-term capabilities for our clients, rather than just providing one-off services. We also take a holistic approach to audience strategy, considering both the data and the creative aspects of decision-making.
Can you provide more details about the specific tools and techniques you use?
While the specific tools and techniques we use will vary depending on the needs of the client, some examples include market research, data analytics, and audience segmentation. We also have a variety of repeatable tools and techniques that we've developed and refined over time.
How do you determine the right suite of tools and techniques for each client?
We work closely with our clients to understand their specific needs and goals, and then tailor our approach to fit those needs. This may involve using a combination of different tools and techniques, or focusing on a specific area depending on the client's unique situation.
How do you measure the success of your work with clients?
We measure success by looking at how well our clients are able to grow their audience and engage with them. This may involve tracking metrics such as customer retention, engagement rates, and overall growth. We also regularly check in with our clients to assess their satisfaction with our work and make any necessary adjustments.
Are you available for long-term partnerships or do you only offer one-off services?
We are available for both long-term partnerships and one-off services, depending on the needs of the client. We believe in building long-term capabilities for our clients, but are also happy to provide support on a project-by-project basis.
How can I learn more about your company and your approach to audience strategy?
You can learn more about our company and our approach to audience strategy by checking out our LinkedIn page or reaching out to us directly. We are always happy to share more about our work and discuss how we can help your brand.
We post lots more content on the Audience Strategies LinkedIn page or on David's LinkedIn page, including videos of our talks and regular points of view on how insights can be as impactful as possible. We don't have a 'creds deck', but here is a short presentation that provides and overview of us and our work.
Think we can help? Please get in touch: david@audiencestrategies.com