An audience profile describes potential or existing buyers through available interests, category behaviour and geography. Pharmatic can combine Mindset context, permitted telecom characteristics and available purchases. Comparing groups informs messages, segments and advertising channels. Findings apply to the group as a whole and do not establish its members’ medical condition.
How it works
- 01Define group and baseline
- 02Check sources and sample
- 03Identify differences
- 04Test through media
A portrait answers marketing questions
Questions it answers
A portrait compares a defined group with a clear reference audience. To select a message for competitor buyers, for example, examine how they differ from category buyers over the same period. A list of popular interests without a reference does not show what is distinctive about the group. Conclusions apply at segment level; they do not describe each participant’s health.
How to build it
Define the group and comparison base, select available sources, assess representativeness and overlap, then derive testable hypotheses.
How to use it
Apply insights to creative, geography and media frequency, then compare the hypotheses with campaign response and sales.
How a portrait changes a campaign
- 01DifferenceFind a meaningful distinction from the base
- 02HypothesisState a potential motive or barrier
- 03CreativeTest message and format
- 04MeasurementCompare response and the target KPI
A portrait built for a decision
We begin with the decision the brand needs to make: whom to attract at launch, how competitor buyers differ from existing buyers, or where to increase placement. That question determines the groups and characteristics to compare. The report connects observations to media planning decisions.
Differences worth examining
Useful dimensions include topics, decision stage, recency, geography and available purchase patterns. Compare against a defined baseline; sample size and overlap show how robust each observation is.
Turn insight into a campaign
Hypothetical example: a group studies product comparisons more often than the reference audience. Connect that observation with a message hypothesis, an approved choice argument and a response metric in the brief. Do not call it a proven purchase motive. Traveller or parent interests can also suggest communication situations, but an advertising segment still requires separate checks of selection rules, scale and activation.
Deliverable for the marketing team
The brand receives audience definitions, baseline comparison, sourced findings, a segment map and recommendations for creative, geography and media. Campaign response can then update the portrait for the next cycle.
Limitations
Findings depend on coverage, matching and sample size. Correlation is not the cause of purchase.
Questions
What will we receive?
A report defining the audience and baseline, key differences, segment map and recommendations for messages, channels and KPIs. Available attributes are agreed in advance.
When should a portrait be commissioned?
Before media planning or a strategy refresh, while it can still shape segments and creative. After a campaign it can test and refine hypotheses.
How does a portrait differ from a buyable segment?
A portrait explains a group's structure and characteristics. A segment specifies inclusion rules for media activation. The former helps design the latter.
Can own-brand and competitor buyers be compared?
Yes, where permitted data and sufficient scale exist for both groups. Category, brands, purchase window and baseline are agreed first.
Does a portrait identify medical conditions?
No. It is aggregate marketing research, not a diagnosis or an assessment of an individual's health.