Your brand is not for you.
That can be one of the hardest things for a business owner to accept.
We hear phrases like these all the time:
“I don’t like that image.”
“I wouldn’t use that color.”
“I don’t like that kind of message.”
“I don’t identify with that person.”
And there’s nothing wrong with having personal preferences. The problem begins when those preferences become the strategy.
Because there’s a much more important question than:
“Do I like it?”
The question should be:
“Would my customer care about it?”
Your business doesn’t become successful because it perfectly represents everything you personally like.
It becomes successful when it creates value for people — and when those people can see themselves, their needs, their aspirations and their world reflected in what your brand offers.
That’s a very different way of making marketing decisions.
Your personal taste is not a marketing strategy
Imagine a business owner who doesn’t personally enjoy nightlife.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
But imagine that same person sells a leisure product in a city where nightlife, entertainment and social experiences are an important part of the customer’s lifestyle.
Should the brand avoid that world simply because the owner doesn’t personally participate in it?
Probably not.
The same thing happens with photography, people, language, music, colors, humor and dozens of other creative decisions.
Sometimes business owners reject a person in a photograph because that person doesn’t look like them, dress like them or represent their personal worldview.
But perhaps that person looks exactly like their customer.
And that’s the point.
Your customer doesn’t have to look like you, think like you, believe what you believe or live like you live.
When personal preferences become filters for every marketing decision, brands can slowly disconnect themselves from the very people they’re trying to attract.
The customer should have a seat at the table
There is a simple exercise we use when thinking about Customer Experience:
Imagine your ideal customer is sitting in the room during the creative review.
You show the new website.
The owner is there.
The designer is there.
The marketing team is there.
And your customer is there.
Someone says:
“I don’t like this.”
Fine.
But now turn to the customer.
What do they think?
Would they understand the message?
Would the image get their attention?
Would they trust the company?
Would the offer solve something they actually care about?
Would they click?
Would they buy?
Would they remember the brand?
Suddenly, the conversation changes.
We’re no longer discussing taste.
We’re discussing people.
Build a Customer Portrait before you build your marketing
One of the simplest ways to remove personal bias from marketing decisions is to create a detailed portrait of the person you’re actually trying to reach.
Not:
Men and women, ages 25–54, Florida.
That’s targeting data.
It isn’t a human being.
Instead, choose one person who represents your ideal customer.
Give them a name.
Imagine their life.
And describe them as if they were someone you actually knew.
For example:
Meet Alex.
Alex is 36. He runs a growing service business in Central Florida. He’s good at what he does, but marketing isn’t his world. He’s frustrated by agencies talking about impressions and engagement when what he really wants is more qualified customers. He doesn’t want another vendor. He wants someone who understands his business.
Now we’re getting somewhere.
But don’t stop at demographics.
Go deeper.
Ask questions that demographics can't answer
When Great builds a customer portrait, we want to understand the person behind the transaction.
Ask:
What do they love?
Not just products. What experiences, brands, people, places and ideas attract them?
What do they dislike?
What immediately creates resistance?
What do they hate?
What frustrates them enough that they actively want something different?
What are they afraid of?
What risks are they trying to avoid?
What do they aspire to become?
What does success look like in their world?
If they could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
This can reveal values far more powerful than age or income.
What do they expect from your category?
If you’re an agency, what do they expect from marketing agencies? If you’re an optical store, what do they expect from optical stores? If you’re a restaurant, what do they expect from restaurants?
Then ask something even more interesting:
What tribe do they belong to?
People don’t just buy products. They belong to worlds.
A “tribe” doesn’t have to be something formal.
It can be runners.
Entrepreneurs.
Sneakerheads.
Gamers.
Moms.
Luxury travelers.
CrossFit enthusiasts.
Foodies.
Creators.
Remote workers.
Cyclists.
People who care about sustainability.
People obsessed with technology.
People trying to build financial independence.
Every tribe has its own codes.
Its language.
Its references.
Its heroes.
Its frustrations.
Its aesthetics.
Its behaviors.
Its inside jokes.
Its definition of what is cool — and what isn’t.
Understanding that world gives your marketing something demographic targeting never will:
context.
And context is where relevance begins.
Create a one-page Customer Portrait
I would recommend every business create a simple document like this before approving major marketing decisions:
| Customer Portrait | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Name | Who are we imagining? |
| Age / Life Stage | What’s happening in their life right now? |
| Occupation | How do they spend their days? |
| Lifestyle | What does their normal week look like? |
| Loves | What excites them? |
| Dislikes | What turns them off? |
| Hates | What deeply frustrates them? |
| Fears | What are they trying to avoid? |
| Aspirations | Who are they trying to become? |
| Values | What matters to them? |
| Tribe | What communities or cultures do they identify with? |
| Category Expectations | What do they expect businesses like yours to provide? |
| Category Frustrations | What disappoints them about the alternatives? |
| Buying Triggers | What makes them finally act? |
| Objections | What could stop them from buying? |
| Media & Platforms | Where do they spend attention? |
| Brands They Love | What brands already understand them? |
| World Change | What would they change if they could? |
But there’s one important rule:
Don’t invent this person entirely from your imagination.
Your first portrait is a hypothesis.
Then improve it using real customer conversations, reviews, sales calls, search behavior, analytics, ad performance, comments, customer service questions and actual purchasing behavior.
That’s how an assumption becomes insight.
What do you think?
It’s a modern look and suits up-and-coming brands that offer a unique product or service.