The ideal customer isn’t a 20-something person, who lives in a 20km radius, has a disposable income of $X and likes to shop at Lululemon.
These are all demographic features. They tell a story, but there’s not a lot of emotion there. It’s a bit shallow.
So what if we were to look beyond these demographics? What if we peeled back a layer to see who this person really is?
We might see that they shop at Lulu because they like how the clothing makes them feel. Or maybe there’s a status thing that owning this brands apparel comes with.
Maybe they earn $X because they work 70 hours a week and they love their job. They love how challenging it is and how it makes a positive contribution to their community.
We could reveal, by walking in their shoes and practicing empathy, that a problem they’re facing exactly meets the solution that we can offer.
Simon G. Cooper 