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BrandTherapy
BrandTherapy #14: Ludacris was the obvious choice

Andy Brenits

Principal, Brenits Creative

One A Day Vitamin's decision to cast Ludacris as their spokesperson wasn't random. It's a lesson in understanding your brand's audience. Knowing your audience isn't just their age, income, or job title, it's understanding what they value, who they trust, and how they see themselves. The brands that win go beyond demographics.

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(Yes, this is me. Not AI.) Audio Length | 2 min 58 sec

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Thanks for sticking with me.

You’ve been receiving BrandTherapy Notes for a while, and I’m grateful you let me share these thoughts and ideas with you. So I want to offer my help to get a jump on Q4.

I’ve opened a few extra spots in my September schedule for Focused Clarity Sessions just for BrandTherapy Notes readers.

If you have a brand, marketing, or growth challenge you want to tackle before Q4 starts in October, let’s spend an hour together to work through it and find the best way forward.

As a thank-you for being a reader, you can book one of these September sessions for $799 (normally $1,000).

If you’d like a spot, just reply to this message, and I’ll take care of the rest.

Only 3 extra sessions are available, and they’re reserved for BrandTherapy Notes readers. These spots typically fill quickly, so if you’d like one, I recommend replying soon to secure your spot.

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I saw a One A Day vitamin commercial this week. The spokesperson was Ludacris.

Bravo, One A Day. Bravo.

They could have easily chosen the typical guy: mid-fifties, some gray hair, swapped suits for golf shirts, and enjoys long walks on the beach with his wife.

They didn’t.

Instead, they chose Ludacris. That made me think about what it really means to know your audience.

Gen Xers buying vitamins today are the same people who once partied to punk, grunge, and hip-hop in high school and college. Now, they’re getting ready to send their own kids to college.

They’re getting older, but that doesn’t mean they see themselves as old.

That difference is more important than almost anything else in One A Day’s marketing.

Here’s the thing.

Knowing your audience isn’t just about their age, income, job title, or where they live.

It’s also about understanding who they are and how they see themselves.

The best brands go beyond demographics. They know what their audience grew up with, what they care about, what makes them laugh, who they trust, what they hope for, where they focus their attention, and most importantly, who they believe themselves to be.

If you want to get these kinds of insights, start by having real conversations with your audience. Send out a quick survey to your subscribers, or invite a handful of them to short one-on-one calls. Ask open-ended questions about what matters to them, what challenges they face, and what brands really get them.

That’s what should guide your marketing choices. Instead of asking, “Should we be on TikTok?” ask, “Is our audience on TikTok?” Instead of, “Should our brand sound more professional?” ask, “How does our audience expect us to talk to them?” Instead of, “What should we say?” ask, “What will actually matter to the people we want to reach?”

When you know your audience, I mean really know your audience, making marketing and growth decisions become easier: what to say, where to show up, and how to sound. You’re not just marketing to a group; you’re talking to people you understand. Knowing your audience, as much or better than they know themselves, helps you make on-brand business and marketing decisions.

That’s all we have time for today.

Until our next BrandTherapy session…

Thanks,
Andy

P.S. Get a jump on Q4. Don’t forget my offer at the top of this edition → If you want to grab a Focused Clarity Session spot, reply to this message, and I’ll set it up.

P.P.S. If this note made you think of someone, feel free to forward it. Sometimes an outside perspective is all it takes to create clarity.

I’m Andy Brenits, a brand and business growth strategy advisor. I work with business owners and leaders who want clearer thinking around brand, marketing, and growth—before time, money, or momentum are wasted.

My perspective is shaped by nearly 30 years of experience across brand strategy, creative leadership, teaching, and in-house roles inside complex organizations. I write about how strategy actually works in the real world, with a focus on clarity, judgment, and better decision-making over tactics or trends.

These insights are for people responsible for meaningful decisions and long-term outcomes, building thoughtful brands and sustainable businesses one clear move at a time.

If that sounds useful, you’re welcome to subscribe to On-Brand/Off-Brand.

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