Bradmarke | Branding, Advertising, and Marketing Solutions

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Headquarter

Bradmarke Interactive, G.R.A, No. 60 Isaac John St, Ikeja GRA, Ikeja 101233, Lagos, Nigeria.

Bradmarke Interactive, No. 39 Ikot Ekpene Rd, Opposite Chicken Republic, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

Your Audience Isn’t

Who You Think It Is

How brands misread their demographics and miss massive opportunities.

Let me take you back to one random Saturday in Lagos. I was at Balogun Market, hustling for the perfect fabric for my sister’s wedding. If you’ve ever been there, you know it’s chaos—vendors shouting, buyers haggling, and someone always trying to sell you something you didn’t ask for.

Out of nowhere, this guy starts hyping a product: a detty December survival kit (a power bank, mini fan, and portable charger). His confidence was fire. But guess what? Nobody was buying. Why? His target audience wasn’t the middle-aged women shopping for lace or the students bargaining for sneakers. He thought he was talking to everybody, but his real buyers? Likely young professionals stuck in Lagos traffic.

This is the mistake most brands make. You think you know your audience, but do you?

Let’s talk about how to avoid this and truly understand who your people are.

1. Stop Guessing, Start Listening

There’s a Nigerian proverb that says: “Na only person wey wear shoe sabi where e dey pain am” (Only the person wearing the shoe knows where it pinches). You can’t understand your audience if you’re not listening to them.

Fix It:

Conduct real market research. Surveys, focus groups, and data analysis should be your best friends.
Read the room: Check comments, reviews, and social media. Your audience is already talking—are you paying attention?

2. Assumptions Will Kill Your Strategy

Remember when Coca-Cola launched New Coke in the 1980s? They assumed customers wanted something sweeter and shinier. Spoiler alert: They didn’t. That flop cost them millions.

Fix It:

Test your ideas before you launch. Don’t be like that one uncle who always assumes his food is better than everyone’s at Christmas.
Be ready to pivot. If the audience isn’t responding, adjust. Flexibility wins.

3. Your Core Audience Might Not Be Who You Imagined

There’s this running Ghana-Naija banter: “Naija music dey make Ghana dance pass dem own.” The point? Sometimes, what resonates with outsiders isn’t what you expected. Your core audience might surprise you.

Fix It:

Look at the data. Who’s actually buying? Who’s engaging with your content? These are your real people.
Embrace unexpected demographics. A new audience might mean new opportunities.

4. Don’t Talk Down to Your Audience

Picture this: You’re at an owambe (a big Nigerian party), and someone is explaining jollof rice to you like you’ve never eaten it before. Annoying, right? That’s how your audience feels when brands oversimplify or patronize them.

Fix It:

Respect their intelligence. Use language they understand, but don’t dumb it down.
Build trust by showing you get them. When they feel seen, they’ll stick around.

5. Expand Your Perspective

Sometimes, your audience isn’t ignoring you—you’re ignoring them. Remember the #BlackGirlMagic movement? It didn’t start because brands “created” an audience. It was about celebrating a group that had always been there but hadn’t been acknowledged.

Fix It:

Diversify your campaigns. Different people engage with your brand in different ways.
Think global. The internet has made borders irrelevant. Who says your product can’t be a hit in Kenya, India, or Brazil?

Now So What?

Your audience isn’t who you think it is—and that’s okay. The key is to stop assuming and start observing. Let them tell you who they are and what they want. Then, build for them, not your idea of them.

Because at the end of the day, the audience you didn’t expect might just be your biggest win.

Not sure who your audience really is? Let’s find them together—and craft strategies that make them feel seen. Let’s Talk!