Rethinking Precision Targeting
For years, precision has been the holy grail of media planning.
Every new tool, dataset, and technology promised the same thing: tighter targeting, less waste, better ROI.
It sounds logical. Why waste money talking to people who aren’t ready to buy?
But here’s the problem: in many categories, hyper-targeting doesn’t just deliver diminishing returns — it actively limits growth.
The Movable Middles Growth Framework (MMGF) proof-of-concept shows us why.
The Problem With “Only the Ready-to-Buy”
Most marketing plans focus the bulk of spend on immediate buyers — the small portion of the market with the highest purchase intent right now.
That’s fine if you’re in a purely transactional category where influence plays little role.
But for most brands, purchase decisions are shaped by a broader influence network — people who may not buy today, but whose perceptions shape the choices of those who do.
When you cut them out of your targeting, you cut off future demand.
The MMGF Proof
In the first proof-of-concept study, MMA and Neustar applied agent-based simulation to target the Movable Middle — customers with a 20–80% probability of choosing the brand.
The results:
- +50% ROAS vs. a traditional reach plan
- Increased total consumer reach
- Increased penetration across light, medium, and heavy buyers
- More non-buyers brought into the brand’s orbit
And here’s the kicker: Movable Middles can be predicted with 99% accuracy for any brand, in any vertical.
Why It Matters for Leaders
For CMOs and CEOs, the takeaway is simple: the obsession with hyper-targeting “ready-to-buy” audiences can choke off your brand’s future pipeline.
When you only market to people at the very end of the funnel, you:
- Miss the chance to plant seeds for tomorrow’s buyers
- Reduce your share of voice in the broader category conversation
- Give competitors room to own the upper funnel and shape perception
How to Act
- Map Your Influence Network
Identify the audiences adjacent to your buyers who shape their decisions — these might be household members, industry peers, or social groups.
- Expand With Discipline
Test campaigns that slightly broaden your reach beyond the immediate purchase-intent pool while maintaining a high concentration of Movable Middles.
- Measure Beyond Sales
Track not only short-term ROAS but also brand favorability and penetration changes.
- Reallocate Intelligently
Even shifting 20% of budget from low-response groups to Movable Middles can deliver significant gains.
Closing POV & CTA
Precision is powerful — but too much precision can be dangerous.
The leaders who will win the next era of marketing will be those who master balance: targeting the most persuadable customers today while keeping the influence network engaged for tomorrow.
📈 We guarantee that reallocating just 20% of your media budget using MMGF principles can deliver measurable ROAS improvement backed by data across categories. Contact us to see your opportunity map: https://www.mmaglobal.com/apac/join-our-global-programs?utm_source=mma&utm_medium=marketingtnt&utm_campaign=apac
