Targeted marketing or a broad reach approach? Why not both

Mass Marketing - casting the widest net

Coca-Cola. Their ads are everywhere. Seriously, everywhere - from billboards to TV to social media, you can't escape them - and that’s the point. According to “A Short History of Coca-Cola”, the brand’s name is the second most widely understood term in the world, after “okay”. Not everyone has a “Coca-Cola” sized marketing budget, but they are the perfect example of mass marketing in action; casting the widest net and reaching the widest audience to build long-term brand recognition.

Targeted marketing - the personalised approach

Ever seen those personalised Spotify or YouTube ads? You know, the ones that know exactly what you’ve been listening to or watching and serve ads that fit your interests during your favourite podcast or video? That’s targeted marketing.

Unlike Coca-Cola's everywhere all-the-time approach, the Spotify and YouTube platforms use data from viewing and listening habits to segment audiences and serve ads that feel tailored to grab your attention, which increases the likelihood of engagement because the message is relevant to you. This approach provides more control over advertising budgets and creates a more personalised experience for the audience to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time.

Ritson's Bothism vs. Sharp's Purism

Any marketing professional worth their weight in brand growth knows these theories, and probably knows where we’re going with them next. Cue Mark Ritson’s “Bothism”. 

Ritson argues that the clever blending of mass and targeted marketing is essential; a one-two punch: blasting your brand out there and fine-tuning the message to hit home and actually resonate. He’s also stated that ditching targeted marketing is like going back to the dark ages. 

Byron Sharp, on the other hand, isn’t convinced. A strong believer in the data, in his book “How Brands Grow” he claims mass marketing’s broad reach outperforms targeted approaches for brand awareness and market penetration. His data-driven stance compelled him to reply to Ritson’s “dark ages” take, stating that focusing on targeted marketing is kind of like shooting yourself in the foot.

Practical insights

The truth is, in our experience, somewhere in the middle. Given the nature and complexities of the B2B landscape, the right approach depends on a few factors. But a blend of both can provide real advantages and better outcomes.

We've put “Bothism” into action in our work with J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and Aurobay.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management Case Study - Website, Content Marketing & Integrated Campaign: Addressing the knowledge gap among Financial Advisers by 'acting like income leaders' with help not hype, we leveraged J.P. Morgan's vast educational and insight capabilities and created the "Income Intelligence" concept: a central online platform to connect audiences to key information. We designed and developed the platform, pairing it with an in-depth content marketing strategy blended with interactive tools and an integrated campaign. The platform became the 2nd largest driver of traffic to the J.P. Morgan website, significantly increased brand awareness and successfully positioned J.P. Morgan credibly with target audiences as a vital online resource. The campaign was also a finalist in the Investment Marketing and Innovation Awards.

Aurobay – Conversational advertising: Aurobay required insights from diverse audiences in their sector that would inform large scale brand awareness campaigns alongside future targeted initiatives. Using conversational advertising technology, AdChat, we gathered audience intelligence at specific automotive events across the U.S. before redeploying nation-wide for brand awareness and broader audience engagement. Both initiatives provided key insights that were effectively harnessed in a final AdChat campaign with impressive engagement from precisely targeted audiences.

Why not Both(ism)? 

Ultimately, it shouldn’t be about picking sides. It should about knowing how to create an effective strategy where both approaches can be used to their strengths with the right tools. Whether building brand awareness or driving immediate action and response, a balance of targeted and mass marketing often delivers the best outcomes. 

If you’d like to find out more about building brand awareness, conversational advertising or understanding your audiences with real insights, get in touch.