Picture this: Two 35-year-old women working in BGC for a multinational company. They have identical salaries, they have identical degrees from the same university, they are both single and currently unattached. They are browsing for vacation spots that they would like to visit on their own in the next three to six months. One dreams of scaling Mount Kilimanjaro and trying her hand at whitewater rafting, while the other fantasizes about a week at a semi-luxury boutique hotel with a good spa that will make her forget her work.

Or this: Two 50-year-old men entrepreneurs in Cebu City. They have businesses that are on the verge of significant, explosive growth. They have a budding workforce that can now meet the demands for their A.I. business. Both left the university before earning their computer engineering degrees. They are looking to buy a new car in the next 12 months. One is looking for a car that will reflect the trials and tribulations that he has had in his life. The other is looking for a car that will transport him safely and cost-effectively from his home in the suburbs to the office every single day.

Traditional demographic definitions in marketing and advertising would treat them as the same person — but we know better. The differences that are not captured by their demographics can only be seen if we go beyond the demographic indicators that define them. And if we do not go beyond the demographics, we will lose the opportunity to meaningfully connect with them through our marketing and sales programs.

Essentially, knowing audiences’ lifestyles, interests, and aspirations is necessary and critical in marketing and advertising. Relying solely on demographics will result to losing significant opportunities to reach them, to meaningfully connect with them, and to persuade them to see our brand as the brand for them.

This is the revolution in audience targeting, where we are finally moving beyond the outdated practice of sorting people into simple demographic boxes. While age, income, occupation, edication, and gender have served us well in the past when data was scarce and media choices were limited to TV, radio, outdoor, and print, they are just the tip of the iceberg in understanding today’s sophisticated consumer that is now faced with a myriad of options on what media to see and engage with every single day.

Think of psychographics — understanding audiences’ values, aspirations, dreams, interests, and habits — as a secret weapon that can be deployed to reach consumers more effectively and more meaningfully. By diving deeper into people’s lifestyles, we can uncover the real motivations driving their decisions. Imagine knowing not just what your customers buy, but why they choose one product over another.

The real magic happens when you combine demographics, psychographics, and behavioral data. This three-dimensional view allows us to craft messages that don’t just reach audiences — they resonate more meaningfully with audiences’ core values and aspirations.

And here’s the exciting part: Technology has made this level of sophisticated targeting accessible to everyone.

Platforms like Meta and Google now offer laser-precise targeting based on interests and behaviors, while AI and machine learning help predict consumer preferences with uncanny accuracy.

Take HAVAS Ortega’s Converged platform, for example. Using data from third-party sources, planners and strategists at HAVAS Ortega can now analyze audiences based on their demographics, psychographics and attitudes, and their predicted behaviors towards brands. Using proprietary AI algorithms, these analyzed audiences are then translated into target audience currencies in platforms such as Meta, Google, and even programmatic ads. Results from internal testing have shown that this targeting strategy has resulted to more efficient CPMs and more effective lead- and revenue-generation for brands in the banking, insurance, and online ticketing industries. Even mass-based PCG campaigns are seeing better CPMs and CPCs with this new targeting strategies.

The message is clear: The era of one-size-fits-all marketing is dead.

To thrive in today’s market, you need to understand the complete story of your consumer — not just their demographic profile, but their passions, preferences, and behaviors.

And with the availability of data and the empowering technologies such as AI and machine learning, this is now possible.

The challenge now? Embrace this new paradigm of holistic targeting. Because in a world where consumers expect personalization, understanding the ‘why’ behind their choices isn’t just an advantage – it’s essential for survival.