In marketing, targeting is often hailed as the holy grail. With today’s digital tools, we can zero in on precise audience segments—down to job title, purchase intent, or even what someone had for lunch. It’s no wonder that many marketers, especially those focused on performance, have come to view reach as inefficient or even wasteful.
But if you’re looking to build a lasting brand and a passionate following, it’s time to challenge that belief.
The Misconception: Treating TV Like Digital
When marketers hit the limits of digital performance, they often turn to broader channels like TV or streaming. But instead of using these platforms for what they do best—mass reach—they try to make them act like digital. They segment. They over-target. They avoid “waste.”
And in doing so, they often miss the real opportunity.
The Reality: Reach Drives Better Returns
It might sound counterintuitive, but reach actually delivers stronger long-term ROI than hyper-targeting. Here’s why:
1. You Build Mental Availability
Consumers don’t make decisions in neat, linear paths. Most buying decisions are subconscious, emotional, and influenced long before the moment of purchase. Broad reach builds mental availability—the likelihood that your brand comes to mind when someone is ready to buy. If you’re not in their head, you’re not in the game.
2. You Avoid Missing Ready Buyers
Over-targeting can blind you to customers who don’t perfectly fit your Ideal Customer Profile, but are ready to convert. Maybe they’re a step removed from your “perfect” demo. Perhaps they’re a future buyer. Either way, reach ensures you don’t leave them behind.
3. You Expand the Funnel
Growth doesn’t come from targeting the same niche over and over. It comes from scaling awareness and nurturing future demand. Every brand needs to continuously introduce itself to new people. REACH is how that happens.
4. You Reduce Cost and Improve ROI
Broad targeting doesn’t just increase exposure—it often lowers your cost per conversion. You tap into underpriced attention and reduce the saturation and fatigue that comes with small, overfished audiences.
Sophisticated Reach, Not Spray-and-Pray
To be clear, this isn’t about advertising to “everyone with a pulse.” It’s about smart, strategic expansion. Sophisticated reach means casting a wider net with purpose—understanding where your future customers live, work, and play, even if they’re not your “perfect” buyer today.
In many cases, you’re better off expanding your target than contracting it.
If you’re serious about building a brand that lasts—one that people talk about, return to, and advocate for—reach must be part of your strategy.
Brands aren’t built in dashboards. They’re built in people’s minds. And you can’t occupy minds you never reach.