Why do marketers want demographics?

Question

Why do marketers want demographics?

Answer 1

For the purposes of evaluating consumer Purchasing Power in any given category.  

Answer 2

So they can do "customer segmentation research".  If they know what type of person uses/buys product x, (age, s*x, socio-economic level, locale (zip code)), they can target that audience with the product using ads to sell it.  They will use actors of the same age, race, etc. in their ads so people relate to the ad.  (college psych prof)

Answer 3

Because if you just market you might not be marketing to the right people.  By finding out the demographics of who likes your product and when they are most interested in it, this saves a marketer tons of money and gets their advertising right to the people that are most interested.

Like why would you put a advertisement for baby diapers and toys after midnight on a men's television channel?  Do you think that guys are thinking about what their baby's diaper should be or toy for that baby late night during a action movie? No, especially if they are single.  It would be better to put that advertisement in the evening on a family channel, because that same guy (if he has kids) would be much more interested because he would be with his family and would be looking for something for his baby.

By researching marketers find out their audience and when to show this to their audience.

Answer 4

They want to be able to understand the market and segment it.

It is useless opening a children's wear shop in a suburb that is predominantly old age pensioners.  Who will they sell to?

A champagne and caviar shop is unlikely to work in a poverty stricken slum...

Answer 5

To understand the market and its potential for a certain good or service.