Choosing an audience is choosing a point of view

A brand that tries to speak to everyone ends up with nothing specific to say. The work that travels furthest usually starts from a narrow, honest description of the people it is for, and an equally honest list of the people it is not for.

That decision is uncomfortable because it looks like leaving money on the table. In practice it does the opposite. Clear positioning makes every later choice easier, from the tone of a headline to the shape of a product roadmap.

What it looks like in practice

Start with a single sentence that names the customer, the problem and the reason you are the right answer. If the sentence could be signed by three of your competitors, it is not finished yet.

Then test it against real decisions. A positioning statement earns its place when it settles an argument about a feature, a campaign or a hire without a meeting.

The cost of the safe option

Broad messaging feels low risk because nobody objects to it. Nobody remembers it either. The budget spent on being inoffensive is usually larger than the revenue a sharper message would have put off.

Three questions worth asking

Who would be disappointed if we disappeared tomorrow? What do they believe that most of the market does not? What would we refuse to make, even if it sold?

Answer those plainly and the brand has a point of view. Everything visual is built on top of that.