Target Audience Personas are a fictional profile of a person who represents one of your key target audience groups, based on characteristics of your customers. Like the Brand Persona, they put a face to your audiences, making it easier to make decisions about her.
Target Audience Profiles pull out the most notable characteristics of that persona in list form so they can be seen at a glance. This allows you to analyze theses audiences and, importantly, continue adding to the profile as you learn more about them.
High-School Student in Boulder County
Who is she?
Tere, short for Teresa, is a junior at Erie High School. She doesn’t think there is anything particularly unique about her high school experience, though not in any sort of negative way. It just seems similar to that of most of her peers. Both her parents work. Her dad is an electrician and her mom cleans houses as well as picks up some waitressing shifts at her sister’s restaurant. Tere picks up some of those shifts herself to help out with the family finances, specifically school expenses. Tere isn’t very active in school, though she did one of the school plays once.
What motivates her?
Like everyone in high-school, Tere wants to be liked and to have fun with her friends. And like a lot of people in high-school,, this usually means keeping her head down and not drawing attention to herself. She does fine in her classes, but isn’t an honor-roll student by any means. (though she is kinda hoping to go to UNC when she graduates, which means she can’t ignore her school work altogether). She also doesn’t want to let her parents down, who are definitely more traditional. Which means she is a good older sister to her 12 year old brother. And that while she’s interested in a couple of boys at school she hasn’t really dated yet. She does have a close group of friends. They don’t consider themselves the popular kids. They usually just hang out at one of their houses or, if they go out, head to movies or hang at the mall. They definitely go to all of the high school soccer games, though more to check out/gossip about the boys than because of any school pride.
What are her concerns?
Of course there is making sure her friends like her. And not drawing attention to herself at school. Also, part of her dynamic with her parents is how traditional they are. For instance, she only did the theater after her dad hinted that he wasn’t comfortable with his daughter playing soccer, which is what she was going to do. Because she hasn’t really dated, she hasn’t had to think about this when it comes to sex, but subconsciously, she knows it’s something she’ll have to deal with. Same with what she’s going to do after high school. It’s not a decision that’s in front of her right now, but she knows it’s on the horizon.
How to reach her?
Tere is obviously on social media, mostly TikTok and Snapchat. She trusts her friends and the advice they give. Some of her mom’s friends and sisters are go-to resources as well, though she hasn’t asked them about boys and dating and is worried they might tell her mom.
General Characteristics
Age: 13-20
Comes from a working class family.
Spanish may be spoken at home, but they speak English well.
Not a bad student, but not necessarily tops of her class
Not particularly active in extra-curriculars
Sex life is in its early stages. They may have just started having sex or may only be thinking about it at this point.
Not really comfortable discussing any of that with her family. In fact, doesn’t really want them to find out,
Doesn’t have their own car, so generally they get around by foot in the neighborhood or are relying on their parents or friends to go further afield in the community.
Likely has a job outside of school
Young Woman of Family-Starting Age
Who are they?
Rosa is 24 and married. She and her husband are both second generation Americans whose parents immigrated from Central America. They speak a mix of English and Spanish at home. Both graduated high school (they were sweethearts) but neither attended college. Rosa works two jobs: one as an Amazon driver and another cleaning the local bank. They get out and about in the community (shopping, watching their nephews’ soccer games) but aren’t actively engaged in clubs, rec sports, etc. Every now and then she and her husband go out dancing or to dinner and the movies - they both love the Marvel films, but never anywhere fancy.
What motivates them?
Rosa loves her husband and hustles to make sure they not only have their needs met but that there’s a little extra to go on dates or buy some nice things. She and her husband live in a trailer owned by his parents in Adams County, but eventually they’d like to rent an apartment or condo in the same area. They spend most of their free time with their different families.
What are their concerns?
Rosa feels like kids would be too much right now. However, she hasn’t quite found the words to talk about it with her husband; this means she’s always crossing her fingers (and scheduling those date nights for times she’s pretty sure it won’t happen…) when they go to bed. She’s also worried that one big cost - a big accident at work, the 10 year old car they share needing big repairs, could really wipe them out. Both Rosa and her husband would each like to work one one job to covers everything or move out of the trailer park, but their day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck life makes doing anything about it feel impossible. It’s been this way more or less since high school and feels like it might continue that way indefinitely.
How to reach them?
Rosa and her husband are more likely to use public (read, free) resources than the average Boulder County resident. They don’t often, but if they need to print something or look something up, they’ll head to the library. Rosa sometimes takes her nieces to the community pool or movie night at the rec center. The couples they are closest with are all either brothers/sisters, friends from work or old high school friends.
General Characteristics
Age: 20-35
Working class - often working more than one job
Doesn’t have reliable transportation
Just as likely to speak Spanish as English
More likely to use public services - libraries, rec centers, school services, etc. than other Boulder County Residents
Doesn’t “go out” a ton, but does have favorite spots around town.
Is having sex somewhat regularly. Perhaps dating, in a committed relationship or just hooking up.
Not ready for kids
Trans Young Adult Establishing Themselves in the Community
Who are they?
Tegan moved to Boulder - well, Longmont - 2 years ago from southern Wyoming. They had heard of the liberal oasis of Boulder and felt like it would be a place they’d finally be able to be themselves. As supportive as their parents have been - which is best described as “somewhat,” though that puts them miles ahead of the rest of Rawlins, the town they grew up in. Boulder/Longmont has been better, but it hasn’t been easy, per se. For instance Tegan ended up in Longmont living with a roommate because Boulder was too expensive. And instead of finding a marketing job like they’d hoped, they are working on the production line at a CBD manufacturer.
What motivates them?
Tegan wants the life they envisioned when leaving Wyoming. A job that uses their talents, a group of friends that hang out regularly. Maybe some are trans, maybe they aren’t, but mostly they make Tegan feel at home. They’d love the time to get to the mountains more often too. Tegan and her family used to go camping and fishing all the time but right now, they feel like they just don’t have the money or time to make that happen. And they’ll be damned if they can’t get a job that eventually allows them to move to Boulder proper.
What are their concerns??
In Wyoming, it felt like nothing was there for them. There were little things, like people openly laughing when you tried to explain pronouns. And there were big things, like not once going to a doctor that didn’t treat them like an alien. Tegan figured that would be the exact opposite in Boulder, but it hasn’t borne out. First, they are going to free clinics, where the staff treats them like they are lucky to be there. And next, their friends are mostly folks from work, who are nice enough, obviously walk on eggshells around when they’re around Tegan.
How to reach them?
Tegan is out and about in Longmont a fair amount and Boulder somewhat. They hit up happy hours with work folks and like going to the many coffee shops around town. They’ve tried a couple different groups around town - a Trans hiking group, a book club that a coworker is in - though it feels like nothing has really stuck yet. Tegan is also online a lot, mostly scrolling, keeping up with friends. They pay attention to the news, but don't engage in anything that could be considered political or part of a movement.
General Characteristics
Not particularly socially active - not in alot of clubs, doesn’t have a huge group of friends
Isn’t very plugged to the LGBTQ/Trans movement
Working class
Doesn’t have a health care provider they trust
Low to Medium Dollar Recurring Donor
Who are they?
Suzanna is a tech worker who lives and works in Boulder. She went to school in California and moved to Boulder to take a job three years ago. She had a couple of friends from high school who lived here when she moved. She hangs out with them some and has joined a kickball league with folks from work, but it still feels like she is in the process of establishing her community. Though she does vote for the president, Suzanna doesn’t consider herself political. But the recent threats to abortion and women’s health, including the overturning of Roe v Wade has caught her attention, and has her feeling like she needs to do more than just vote every few years. She just got her first promotion at work, and now that she’s a little more financially secure, she feels like she can start donating to help..
What motivates them?
Suzanna supported (she actually drove one friend and was there as emotional support for two others) a couple friends in college as they got abortions, though she’s never had one herself. She’s always had pretty good access to sexual and reproductive care, including decent sex ed in high school and a mother who did a pretty good job of having the needed conversations as she made her way through puberty and beyond. It is also her mother - PTA board member, volunteer at everything from pet shelters to river cleanups, always lending a helping hand around the community - who is now inspiring her to get involved. She also sees it as a way to become more community minded and social, and meet new people outside of work, so she can continue to make Boulder her true “home.”
What are their concerns?
Suzanna is stretching her “adult” legs: with her mother as the model, she wants to feel integrated into the community the way she seems to be. Again, while Suzanna doesn’t consider herself “political,” she is aware of and affected by the rage that came from the Trump presidency and the policies that followed. Though she did march in a couple of women’s marches, she isn’t expressing her outrage the way she sees others doing. Still, she still believes what’s happened in the country, and especially to a woman’s right to choose, is profoundly wrong. And she doesn’t want the place she lives to exclude people the way other cities and states currently do.
How do we reach them?
Suzanna is always looking for fun events around town - happy hours, movie nights, etc. Like anyone in her early-mid 30s, she’s pretty active online, though she prefers to do her socializing and shopping in person. She is a runner and hiker who loves taking advantage of Boulder’s natural environment. Her media consumption is kind of what you’d expect - up-to-date on Ted Lasso and White Lotus, skims the NYTimes and Daily Camera, though most of the headlines she sees come from Instagram or Twitter. Her one guilty pleasure is celebrity gossip mags, which she reads when she travels.
General Characteristics
Age: 23-40
College educated
In an upwardly mobile profession - think yuppie
Is active in the city of Boulder - in many ways it’s who Boulder is built for right now.
Pays attention to news and politics but isn’t active
May often go elsewhere for her own care.
High Dollar Donor
Who are they?
Not that she’d label it this way, but Deborah is part of the Boulder elite. And the Boulder part of that is important, because it’s a much more granola elite than most parts of the country. It means she’s got a Prius. She walks around Boulder as much as possible (She lives west of Broadway near Linden. So walking downtown is a bit far, but the shops around Wonderland are an easy stroll and one she takes regularly. She’s just as likely to go to a free concert at the bandshell as she is the symphony in Denver. Her kids have both grown and moved to different parts of the country, though they visit regularly. One of them had a kid during the pandemic - Deborah’s first grandchild.
What motivates them?
She wants to make the place she lives better, especially for those who don’t have the means she does. As someone who was involved feminist fights of the past, she is especially worried about the barriers facing young women these days. And on top of that, she is an avid MSNBC watcher, so she’s constantly reminded of the attacks on women's health (her words, not ours). Not surprisingly, she’s hyper partisan, so some of her giving is focused on local Democrats. But the rest goes to causes like this one (climate is another biggie) - pressing matters that have a real-life impact on the people around her. She’s also a relative socialite, meaning she’s a member of BMoCa, Boulder Dinner Theater and Chautauqua, partly because she likes going but also so those institutions don’t go anywhere.
What are her concerns?
She’s got a couple young grandkids, and she thinks a lot about their future. What will we be leaving them? She is also worried that if we let our guard down, even for a little, Republicans could start winning again in Colorado and bring the war on women to our front door.
How do we reach her?
She keeps up on the mainstream and left-of-center news sources - MSNBC, NYTimes, Boulder Camera and Boulder Weekly (those last two are mostly online). She is active on Facebook and starting to flex her Insta muscles.. She goes out fairly regularly in Boulder, bouncing between her favorite restaurants and coffee shops depending on what part of town she’s in, though not really a regular anywhere, save for the farmers market which she tries not to miss when she’s in town.
General Characteristics
Enough wealth to give to candidates, causes/nonprofits and cultural institutions alike
More overtly partisan han other target audiences. Always has a yardsign or two
That being said, is a step removed from most of the work itself. Sees their donating as their contribution to the work
Connected to other giving types in Boulder. Not as connected to folks in Denver or outside the state. Aka - not a national philanthropic player, but the Boulder givers
Local Business or Institution
Who are they?
The Mountain Sun is a Boulder institution. Their Pearl St. restaurant started 30 years ago and remains one of the most visited spots on the mall. They’ve since expanded to three other locations in the county and a fourth one in Denver. In many ways, their brand IS Boulder, or at least a version of Boulder. For many it harkens to Boulder’s days as a hippie haven and allows them to relive, if even for a meal, those days. It helps that their food and beer are both top-notch and the fluid roles of staff, tip sharing and open atmosphere all lead to a very communal environment. To eat at the Mountain Sun is to feel like you’re a part of Boulder.
What motivates them?
While it seems effortless, they spent a fair amount of time and energy on their brand. And community is a core part of that. It shows up in the way they care about the people in their orbit, investing a lot of time in finding and keeping the right employees, treating customers as guests and even supporting a network of artists. They also realize that spending more time on the people they love means NOT investing in some of the modern “amenities” of restaurants. They are cash only and still use paper and handwriting to take orders and give customers their bills. They keep the crop of concert posters on the walls updated and regularly change out the exquisite chalk drawings.
What are their concerns?
They’ve got the typical restaurant worries - keeping staff, slim margins, etc. Thankfully, their popularity allows them to focus on these less than others. They do place more emphasis than their peers on having “the right” people working for them and maintaining that workforce can be tough. They also don’t want to put out a bad product, which means they can’t be understaffed or compromise on their food vendors or beer quality.
How do we reach them?
In many ways, they are the restaurant equivalent of BVH. Offering a safe space for folks from across Boulder County (they have a longmont location as well) and from all walks of life. And while they have a great product, the thing that draws people in is the way that product gets delivered. Which means it’s worth investing some time with their staff to find outreach that taps into that energy for both organizations. Likely it’ll take a series of meetings to get to know them and find the right way to combine your energies. And first, it’s going to take some networking - catchy intro emails, finding ways to bump into them and maybe even stopping in for a beer and a chat.
General Characteristics
Institution or business that is large enough and well known enough that they connect with a sizable portion of Boulder county residents
They are actively engaged in community building - they care about their place in the community and the people around them