If you ever hire a PR firm (well, a good one), getting a story in the press feels a lot like an interrogation. Who should this story appeal to? Why should they care? Do you have evidence to back this up? It can feel a bit invasive if all you want to do is get a story out there. The best PR firms are going to interrogate you the hardest because they want to figure out how to pitch a story and to whom so as to maximize impact.
Often we focus on coming up with the best product or the most creative story. When it comes to the audience, the answer often becomes “as many people as possible”.
Let’s think of the logic of that. You are a person who obviously hears stories from time to time. How frequently do you hear a story that you like, your neighbor likes, your mom and dad like, and your kids like? How frequently do you watch conservative or liberal TV and go “Man, those people are crazy?” How frequently do you discover lame movies or music on iTunes or real life that someone else is totally gaga for?
People are much more different than businesses often consider. This is why the “as many as possible” campaign fails.
Theoretically, you should consider the end user from day one when you actually build a product. By the time you get to actually marketing it or getting PR, the “Who and Why” question becomes easy. Accept the constraints of having an audience to woo and you’ll find the numbers will soon follow.