Customers, users & segmentation · Core
Target audience
Also called: intended audience, audience
ELI5
The people a communication is meant for.
Used in conversation
“The target audience is narrower than the total customer base.”
Definition
The group a message or campaign is designed to reach and influence.
Here “Target audience” means: The group a message or campaign is designed to reach and influence.
Pitch context
You will see “Target audience” in strategy decks, market analyses, business plans and planning workshops when the discussion reaches customers, users & segmentation.
Why it matters: It helps a reader interpret customers, users & segmentation without confusing the measure, decision, role or evidence being discussed.
Sources & evidence · 11
Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.
- U.S. Small Business Administration — Write your business planDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- American Marketing Association — Definitions of Marketing and BrandDirect source · institutional · checked 2026-08-16
- Strategyzer — Business Model Canvas resourcesSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- Strategyzer — Value Proposition Canvas resourcesSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- LEANSTACK — Lean CanvasSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division — Herfindahl-Hirschman IndexSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Census Bureau — Business and economy dataSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Federal Trade Commission — Advertising and Marketing GuidanceSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- Google Analytics Help — Google Analytics dimensions and metricsSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- Google Ads Help — Google Ads metrics and reportingSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- Interactive Advertising Bureau — Measurement guidelines and standardsSupporting source family · institutional · checked 2026-08-16