Is Persona Just Another Word for Market Segment?
No, but that’s a common objection you may hear from the marketing traditionalists within your organization. Market segmentation is a great tool for identifying the groups of people you are trying to reach, and why. But market segmentation can’t shape your marketing messages or choice of strategies. Assume you know that 33% of women aged 25-40 are interested in supporting breast cancer research, and that messages and graphic design are key elements affecting their giving decisions. Well, that’s a good start. But personas add a great deal of richness. A persona will enable your organization to craft the right campaign to reach Miriam, age 36, who wants to give to breast cancer today but is concerned that she doesn’t know enough about how her money will be used if she gives to your nonprofit. She wants to be assured by information showing how contributions are used. How Do We Create Personas that Work? Although personas are fictional, they must be defined with rigor and exactness. Ideally
