Business Paths to Billions through Buyer Personas

Fitness and physical activity is practiced by several types of people. Even though fitness is essential for health and a basic need for people, there is a wide variety of buyers in the fitness market. There are consumers that have a minimal gym plan for $20 a month, and then consumers that pay hundreds of dollars monthly for personal trainers and exclusive facilities.

Marketers can develop buyer personas by identifying consumers in different fitness spaces. In the recent years of the fitness industry, there have been trends towards more elevated and exclusive memberships or exercise activities. This can be showcased with the influx of consumers moving towards ClassPass, specialized memberships like Club Pilates and F45, and exclusive boutique gyms that are smaller and have increased membership benefits. These consumers that search for fitness options outside of the traditional gyms with weight and cardio machines, tend to have certain traits and qualities as a consumer.

Let’s create the persona of Emily who’s age 35, a stay at home wife and mother of 2, who attends classes at Club Pilates. She likely strives to create a balanced life between managing her home life and prioritizing her needs. She likely picks up groceries with Target pick up and shops on Amazon frequently for convenience, and has a few visits to Starbucks throughout the week. Based on some of these characteristics she may be the ideal consumer target for a brand such as Alo or Lululemon, who sells elevated activewear. These two brands target their ideal consumers based on demographics such as age, income level, and lifestyle habits.

Businesses benefit from buyer personas because it presents them the opportunity to market to a specific type of consumer. These details of consumer types and needs also allows companies to refine their product so it is more attractive to their desired consumer. Companies can identify methods to appeal and market to their intended targets. Businesses personas positively impact the growth and productivity of brands.

We can use the technology leader, Apple, as an example. Apple over decades has consistently created innovative products and softwares for their various buyer personas. Marketers can create a buyer persona of man in his mid-30’s who makes $200,000 yearly as a Software Manager for a tech company. Marketers can assess his lifestyle and work needs, goals and pain points. Apple has created an entire ecosystem of devices and softwares for his benefit. He has the option of using an iMac and MacBook Pro at his desk, and then transitioning to an iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods while traveling on a work trip. The convenience Apple has created with products that work seamlessly together, is a testament to them considering their targeted buyer personas lifestyle habits and needs.

Buyer personas provide businesses with the necessary understanding of their consumers that allows them to improve their marketing strategies, business development and decisions, and overall alignment with consumers. Having insight into detailed consumer behaviors, demographics, values, and needs creates a more promising path for businesses and marketers to succeed with their target audience.