Marketers Warn: Targeting Too Narrowly Is Killing Your Reach – Here’s How To Win Gen Z’s Attention

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Marketers are finding it progressively challenging to capture consumer focus, as competition becomes more intense. Unfortunately, they often complicate matters by trying to hit a target that is overly specific.

During the April 24 session titled “Understanding the New American Consumer,” which was part of EbMaster’s Entertainment Marketing Summit presented by Deloitte, one of the key findings was reached. Later on, some leading executives from franchise and brand management shared their thoughts on why creating immersive worlds is crucial for prolonging a content franchise’s lifespan.

The key finding from the April 24 session titled “Understanding the New American Consumer,” part of EbMaster’s Entertainment Marketing Summit presented by Deloitte, was one conclusion. Later in the day, top executives from franchise and brand management expressed their views on how developing immersive worlds can help extend a content franchise’s duration.)

China Widener, Deloitte’s vice chair and head of the U.S. technology, media, and telecommunications sector, along with Gayle Troberman, a marketing advisor for iHeartMedia, discussed the difficulties in sorting through vast amounts of data to create impactful marketing strategies.

Troberman emphasized that when it comes to consumers, what we’re seeking is their attention, their assets, and their involvement. To achieve this, it’s crucial to grasp their current situations. Troberman cautioned the Hollywood crowd about focusing too much on sophisticated advertising methods, which might distract from the bigger picture and drive sales.

One issue we’re facing is that we’re focusing our efforts towards extinction, or becoming insignificant. We’ve been concentrating on selling products to specific groups of people who share certain interests such as loving Taylor Swift, owning this type of shoe, keeping cats, and being fans of pop music. However, Troberman suggests that if Taylor Swift limited her audience to only ‘Swifties’, she wouldn’t be the global phenomenon she is today, nor would her Eras Tour have generated a billion dollars in revenue.”

We shouldn’t just sell to fans of specific artists or items. If we do, we limit our potential success. This is like Taylor Swift only performing for her die-hard fans. She needs to reach out to a wider audience to achieve great success, as demonstrated by the massive income generated from her Eras Tour.

According to findings from iHeartMedia, Troberman highlighted the sentiment shared by numerous consumers who feel overlooked by advertisers. Similarly, Widener referenced a study conducted by Deloitte that aligns with Troberman’s argument.

Widener stated, ‘Could our attempt to appeal to a large audience with a generic approach potentially dilute the significance of what truly matters to them?’ With people spending around six hours daily consuming media across various platforms – be it mobile devices, streaming services, movies, or audio – the competition for their time and focus is intense.

The discussion about franchises and creating whole worlds was led by Rohith Nandagiri, who is the Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting.

As a film enthusiast, I can’t help but find the creation of a cinematic universe truly captivating. It’s not just about churning out movies; it’s about crafting a world that resonates, building merchandise to connect with fans, and strategically releasing content in various formats to keep the story alive.

Josh Silverman, as Mattel’s Chief Franchise Officer, highlighted the significance of franchise management within the toy industry, noting a shared characteristic with the realm of entertainment.

Silverman emphasized that we make use of insights and research extensively. Instead of just viewing consumers as such, we prefer to consider them as fans, which broadens our perspective. Our goal is to establish a connected network on a global scale that caters to our fanbase, offering various engagement opportunities. This could range from merchandise like T-shirts or toys, live events, digital experiences, films, or content on platforms such as YouTube.

David O’Connor, who serves as the president of franchise management and brand strategy for NBCUniversal Studio Group, shared similar thoughts expressed during the previous discussion between Widener and Troberman.

While it’s important to create overarching plans, remember to always consider local needs and implement strategies accordingly. Some elements of creativity and consumer interaction may need to be tailored for each region as well,” he suggested.

O’Connor provided an illustration showing that the passion of fans indicated there was more potential in the “Jurassic Park” movie franchise than they initially realized. He explained, “We were eager to gauge the true strength of this intellectual property. We conducted a comprehensive worldwide survey and discovered it had just as much power as any other popular properties.

According to Marian Koltai-Levine, who serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for AGBO (a content company spearheaded by Joe and Anthony Russo), these brothers have been keen on exploring beyond the United States in search of fresh creative talent and expanding their audience base and fan following.

Koltai-Levine mentioned that we’re quite global in our approach. If you examine our projects, you’ll notice a lot of productions from various regions. For instance, we’ve made a film in Arabic, another in Italian, and ‘Extraction’ in 2020 was primarily in Hindi with minimal English. We strive to be sensitive and mindful of regional fanbases, providing a perspective that might not have been seen before.

Sara Pollack, the worldwide leader of consumer marketing at Pintrest, shared that a significant portion of the platform’s craft and project-related action centers around fan devotion.

Growing up, it was common for us to have posters everywhere reflecting our interests. Nowadays, this is similar to how Pinterest functions, according to Pollack. Since fandom often shapes one’s identity, Pinterest serves as a platform where individuals can discover and express their identities.

(Pictured top: Deloitte Consulting’s China Widener and iHeart Media’s Gayle Troberman)

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2025-04-30 18:21