There are three aspects to targeting, the first is focus, the second is audience, the third is power.


If you want to knock over a brick wall and you don't have a bull dozer, you have to pick away at it brick by brick. But which brick do you start with? The answer is, find one that if you dislodge it, many more will come away in your hand, and, try to find one that the people on the other side of the wall won't be looking out for. Where you focus your campaign can make all the difference between success and failure.

focus assessment

The influence you can gain by creating an impact and the cost of your effort offer two strong criteria by which you can judge alternative focal points for your campaign.

Diagrams: focus assessment

Source: adapted from BCG original matrix

Easy win: low cost, low impact; an easy win which you should take but then you need to move on. Poor focus: little reward for the cost. Short stay: high energy short burst intensive costly effort will win great rewards, but don't get drawn into protracted campaigning here. Priority: major priority for sustained effort to ensure influential victory.