Make Strategy Decisions

Example

During the planning process for an intervention, a planning team from Georgia held a large meeting to update their stakeholders on their strategy decision. One stakeholder suggested they use a specific intervention, but it did not fit the audience segment selected by the planning team.
Because the planners knew their audience so well and had a summarized description of their segment, they were able to demonstrate that the suggested intervention would not work. It did not reach the audience in appropriate places, it didn't seem to appeal to the lifestyle characteristics of the tweens, and it did not address barriers identified in formative research.

Choose an Audience Segment

Identify and document the characteristics of this particular segment that make the members different from the other possible segments you were considering. You may want to come up with a name that provides a short description of the segment's important characteristics.

Another way to describe your audience segment is to write a short profile describing an individual who personifies your segment. Doing this will provide a context for the rest of your decisions. An image of this individual can be helpful as well. You may want to have a graphic artist draw an image, or find a photograph online.

Once developed, either of these two descriptions can be used in multiple ways. They can be given to your partners and stakeholders, or sent to your funding agency. Most importantly, they can help your planning team keep the target audience in mind when making decisions.