See Audiences through their EYES… not yours
See Your Audience Through Their EYES, Not Yours
Eight years ago, I traded the skyline view from my New York City office for the vibrant, grounded energy of Austin, Texas. Little did I know, that move would reshape my entire approach to understanding audiences.
In New York, Los Angeles, DC or even Chicago, it’s easy to think you’ve grasped what will resonate across the country. Yet stepping out of that bubble opened my eyes: audiences are not built in skyscrapers, they’re shaped in everyday lives, diverse cultures, and nuanced experiences that can’t be captured by generalizations.
The Cost of Misalignment: Recent Brand Missteps
Consider two recent brands that paid dearly for marketing decisions misaligned with their core audiences:
Bud Light (2023)
A campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney triggered a swift and powerful backlash from conservative consumers. Sales plummeted—by as much as 28% in the U.S., Bud Light lost its top-selling status, and its parent company’s market value tumbled by billions.
Cracker Barrel (August 2025)
In an attempt to modernize, Cracker Barrel unveiled a minimalist logo, removing its iconic “Uncle Herschel” figure. What followed was a seismic backlash: a near $100 million loss in market value, widespread criticism, and a rapid reversal back to the classic design.
Both cases demonstrate a simple and critical principle: audiences deeply care about brand authenticity and relevance, especially when it ties into their identity. Missteps in cultural resonance aren’t just embarrassing; they’re financial risks.
Why Your Lens Matters and Why You Must See Through Theirs
When marketing and PR strategies emerge solely from corporate offices albeit Manhattan or Beverly Hills, they run the risk of echoing internal assumptions, not realities. I’ve seen it firsthand: what sounds clever in a brainstorming session can feel hollow or even alienating outside.
This is why at SpecOps Communications, we’ve adopted a ground-up approach:
We step outside our offices to truly listen to real audinces, not filtered analytics.
We learn how they talk, what they value, and what context frames their decisions.
We craft messaging that doesn’t just reach them… it must resonate with them.
Because when you communicate from within your own echo chamber, you’ll miss the nuances that make your message matter.
A Simple Truth I Live By
Eight years after moving to Austin, this lesson remains clear: effective communication isn’t about what we want to say—it’s about what they need to hear.
By viewing audiences through their eyes, not our office-bound assumptions, we can create not just campaigns, but true and lasting connections.