Sometimes it's easy to forget that behind the statistics and the numbers,
there is a living breathing audience. When knowledge of the target market
is reduced to data, the individual is ignored and we revert to stereotypes.
Stereotypes as misleading and sterile as the market figures landing
daily on your desk. It is within this vacuum that strategic decisions
are made, and invariably they are the wrong ones. Consider the fact
that while the Eastern cape may suffer its fair share of evils, from
unemployment, labour disputes and moderate sporting success, some extremely
influential people live there. Would your attitude be different if you
knew you were addressing the CEO's of four of the largest automotive
manufacturers in the world? Perhaps the perception of the Eastern Cape
as the shabby cousin of the other provinces would be tempered if instead
of thinking solely of East London and Port Elizabeth, you thought of
Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, St. Francis Bay, Graaff-Reinet, Cradock or
Grahamstown. For herein lies the diversity of its population. Like Siegmund,
for instance, who at 31, runs a luxury guest house on Millionaire's
Rd in Plettenberg Bay and saves the fynbos in his spare time. Or Charles,
who is director of a computer software company, is married with a child,
drives a luxury German car and is an avid collector of rare fine art.
He lives in Port Elizabeth. Then there's James, a twenty five year old
student who plays provincial rugby and is the only son of the CEO of
Audi. And let's not forget Jaqueline, PRO for the Intercontinental Hotel,
and nightclub dancer. Without these all too human personalities to give
substance to your facts, you might be missing out on a golden opportunity
you would otherwise be blinded to. Radio Algoa, possessing the widest
penetration into the white and coloured market, is the ideal vehicle
for reaching your target market. For more information on how to reach
them, and other interesting facts, contact Elise Fish on (014) 33 -
9497. (White female 25. Lives in Port Elizabeth.)
