A while back I saw a business that sells guns and donuts.
Yeah, you read that right.
My first thought? “That’s gotta be a joke.”
But then it hit me. What if this isn’t bad strategy at all? What if it’s actually genius brand targeting strategy that most of us are too scared to try?
Because here’s the thing – this isn’t about products. It’s about knowing your people so well that what looks insane to everyone else makes perfect sense to them.
Every marketing guru says the same thing: “Focus. Stay in your lane. Don’t confuse people.”
But that assumes people buy with logic. They don’t.
People buy from businesses that GET them. That see them. That feel like home.
The problem with most brand targeting strategy is it’s built around what makes sense on paper, not what makes sense to real humans living real lives.
In the right town, “guns and donuts” isn’t weird. It’s Tuesday morning before the range with your buddies. It’s community. It’s belonging.
That’s not confusion. That’s connection.
Here’s where most people mess up their brand targeting strategy completely.
They think it’s about WHAT they sell.
But what really matters is WHO you’re selling to and how they actually live their lives.
The guns-and-donuts crowd isn’t buying products. They’re buying into a worldview that says:
When you understand that, guns and donuts makes total sense.
Your brand targeting strategy isn’t about being neat and tidy. It’s about being true to your people.
Most businesses try to target based on demographics or product categories. That’s backwards.
The most effective brand targeting strategy is built around psychographics – how people think, what they value, how they see the world.
Ask yourself:
That’s your real brand targeting strategy right there.
Say you’re a coach who teaches ADHD-friendly workflows AND Christian entrepreneurship.
Traditional brand targeting strategy says that’s confusing. Pick one lane.
But for your actual person? Someone who’s a Christian entrepreneur struggling with ADHD? It feels like someone finally gets all the different parts of who they are.
Or maybe you teach ethical AI marketing AND creative healing for women in business.
Sounds scattered on paper. But for the woman who wants to grow her business without selling her soul? That’s exactly what she’s been looking for.
That’s intentional brand targeting strategy. It’s not about removing everything that doesn’t “fit.” It’s about choosing what to keep because it means something deep to your people.
Here’s what nobody tells you about effective brand targeting strategy:
It should make some people say “this isn’t for me.”
And that’s exactly what makes it work.
When you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one. When you speak directly to your people – even if it looks weird to outsiders – you create magnetic attraction.
Your brand targeting strategy should feel like a warm hug to your ideal customer and like a polite “this isn’t for you” to everyone else.
People don’t just buy products. They buy identity. They buy belonging. They buy the feeling of being seen and understood.
The most powerful brand targeting strategy taps into that deep human need to find “your people.”
When someone walks into that guns-and-donuts shop, they’re not just buying breakfast and ammo. They’re buying the feeling of being in a place where they belong. Where their values are shared. Where they don’t have to explain themselves.
That’s what your brand targeting strategy should create for your customers.
Want to know if your brand targeting strategy is working?
Stop asking “Will people understand this?”
Start asking “Will MY people feel at home here?”
If your ideal customer looks at your brand and thinks “finally, someone who gets it” – you’ve nailed your brand targeting strategy.
If they’re confused or indifferent, you’re probably trying to appeal to too broad an audience.
Mistake #1: Trying to be everything to everyone
Your brand targeting strategy should exclude as much as it includes.
Mistake #2: Focusing on features instead of feelings
People don’t care what you do. They care how you make them feel.
Mistake #3: Playing it safe
The safest brand targeting strategy is often the most boring and forgettable.
Mistake #4: Copying what works for others
Your brand targeting strategy should be as unique as your audience.
Ready to find your version of guns and donuts?
Start with your people, not your products.
Who are they really? What do they value? What makes them feel understood?
Then build your brand targeting strategy around that understanding.
Maybe it’s fitness coaching for busy moms who also love true crime podcasts.
Maybe it’s business strategy for introverted entrepreneurs who hate networking.
Maybe it’s financial planning for creative types who think money is boring.
Whatever it is, own it completely.
Your brand targeting strategy doesn’t have to make sense to everyone. It just has to make perfect sense to someone.
And when you nail that, you’ll build something that actually matters.
Stop trying to make sense to the masses. Start making perfect sense to your people.
That’s how you build a brand targeting strategy that converts.
