In today’s increasingly issue-aware society, public opinion is more important than ever to advertising success. Shifts in public perception can negatively impact brands, advocacy groups, nonprofits, and even entire industries - or it can be the key differentiator that gets your message heard over the other noise in a crowded advertising environment.
Audience data will make the difference.
To navigate the shifting tides of public opinion and come out on top with your purpose-driven advertising campaigns, understanding what your core consumers care about and how you can engage with them is key.
That’s where issue-based audience data and an audience-based media buying strategy come in.
But how do these practices fit into your purpose-driven advertising plan to produce better results and higher ROI? Are they worthwhile in an increasingly issue-concerned consumer climate?
Tunnl has pioneered audience data for over twenty years, focused specifically on issue-based microtargeting that helps organizations like yours reach the right people who care about your message. We understand how targeting segmented groups based on more than demographics can drastically impact any outreach campaign, and our industry-leading audience data empowers you target your campaigns more strategically.
Here, we’ll explore the value modern consumers place on purpose-driven marketing and who should consider exploring an audience-based media buying approach to achieve better results.
What is Purpose-Driven Advertising?
Purpose-driven marketing is an external communication strategy that aligns an organization’s values with those of its target audience to build trusting, long-term relationships with customers. When consumers see themselves in your brand, they believe in you and buy from you.
But defining your brand’s values publicly can exalt and isolate customers. How do you know if the risks of purpose-driven marketing are worth the potential rewards?
Is Purpose-Driven Advertising Right for You?
Consumer expectations have changed; Price and convenience are not the only factors influencing their purchasing decisions. Instead, consumers are looking to companies’ values as an indicator of where to spend their hard-earned money. 
82% of shoppers want a brand’s values to align with theirs. Consumers are voting with their wallets and they want to know where your organization stands on critical issues before they buy.
In light of this new consumer behavior, we believe every brand has something to gain from value-based campaigns as people become increasingly savvy, issue-aware shoppers. The problem that prevents many advertisers from pulling the trigger on a purpose-driven campaign is fear - and it’s a well-founded concern.
Without understanding everyone in your target audience, you risk alienating consumers with campaigns that do not resonate with them. For some, this will be unavoidable, as being authentic is a top “do” on the list of purpose-driven marketing dos and don’ts.
Tunnl Tip: Marketing is beginning to look a lot like public affairs, thanks to cause marketing and purpose-driven marketing that align your organization with issues consumers care about.
Connect with your company’s public affairs department before you launch any purpose-driven marketing campaigns. They’ll be plugged into the work your organization is doing in the issue advocacy space, giving you another perspective on how to mount authentic campaigns your company can wholeheartedly stand behind.
Purpose-driven advertising campaigns should always draw on your company’s genuine values if you hope to build lasting bonds with consumers. The customers you lose due to differences in opinion will be replaced by customers compatible with your stances, in theory.
But the only way to reach a population of people who stand with you on key issues is to use issue-based audiences in your purpose-driven marketing campaigns.
What are Issue-Based Audiences?
Nothing is more frustrating than when you put all of your time and energy into something that doesn’t work out how you wanted it to - especially when your brand’s reputation and bottom line are at stake.
Audience data can make all the difference in achieving the results you need from a purpose-driven marketing campaign.
Sometimes all you want to know about your target consumer base is their demographics, such as age and gender. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter can provide these types of straightforward, ready-made audiences by grouping people together based on the basic information they collect on their users.
But for purpose-driven advertisers, demographics are not enough to connect you to the right people. You need to understand where consumers stand on the issues and values your organization represents.
This is precisely where issue-based audiences come in. Issue-based audiences go beyond demographics to group people together based on their opinions or values for more precise audience targeting in purpose-driven marketing, cause marketing, and issue advocacy campaigns.
Did You Know?
Consumer sentiments can change quickly, a concern that keeps purpose-driven marketers on their toes when it comes to audience targeting. Trust that your Tunnl audiences are always up to date with current consumer sentiments around your key issues, thanks to our frequent audience refreshes.
Why are issue-based audiences so necessary to purpose-driven marketing campaigns and how can you gain access to them? Let’s dig a bit deeper into the benefits.
How Do Issue-Based Audiences Improve ROI on Purpose-Driven Advertising Campaigns?
By segmenting groups based on people’s feelings about certain issues and how persuadable they are regarding those issues, advertisers tap into a powerful tool for forging deep connections with their target audiences.
“Consumers care a lot about what brands stand for and their take on big issues,” says Brian Rose, VP of Business Development at Tunnl. “Our audiences help you connect with the people who care about what you’re saying as a brand.”
Issue-based audiences ensure your message is being heard by people who are receptive to it, meaning you waste less money reaching people who do not care about your issues - especially when your issue-based audiences come with strategic audience insights.
“We identify who is pro, anti, and persuadable on any topic,” says Chester Bedell, Director of Partnerships at Tunnl. “And beyond the solid, reliable data on how people feel about any issue, we also offer insights into their viewership and media consumption patterns.”
“These insights help you tailor your message on a much more targeted level to create a surround sound effect that produces stronger connections and compels action better than demographic insights alone.”
Media mixes show you which forms of media your target audience enjoys most frequently, even down to audience-specific local linear TV ratings, providing a blueprint for your strategic media planning.
So, with issue-based audiences like Tunnl’s powering the audience targeting in your purpose-driven marketing campaigns, you will:
- Know who is in favor of, opposed to, and is persuadable on the issues within your messaging at all times.
- Understand where and how to place your media buys for maximum reach efficiency with your target audiences.
- Eliminate waste from your campaigns and triumph over media fragmentation to create a surround sound effect with your message that targets only the most receptive people.
At this point, the picture should be clear: If you’re running purpose-driven advertising campaigns, issue-based audiences are a must for reaching the right people with your message, even as consumer sentiments change.
Now, how can you tap into the power of issue-based audiences for your purpose-driven advertising campaigns?
Uncover Audience Insights for Your Purpose-Driven Advertising Campaigns Now
While it’s true that there are plenty of “off-the-shelf” demographic audiences you can access online, the question stands: Are you trying to influence how people feel about a certain issue, cause, campaign, or brand?
If your answer is yes, then you need more than what most in-platform targeting tools and demographic-based audiences can offer. You will benefit from Tunnl’s issue-based audiences that delve further into individual opinions, voting history, media consumption patterns, and more.
Investing in this data not only makes sense for building a personalized outreach strategy your audience will engage with, but will also provide you with unique, long-term insights your marketing team can leverage this year and beyond.
Ready to leverage targeted audience data to improve your organization’s overall impact and marketing efficiency? Tunnl’s extensive prebuilt audience library likely already has an audience built around your issue, ready for you to analyze in our audience intelligence platform and buy against in your DSPs.
Find your issue, find your audience, and find success with purpose-driven advertising.
Don’t see your issues or interests represented in our hundreds of prebuilt audiences? Consider a custom audience created unique to your niche.