I recently posted a thought on Facebook that seemed to resonate more than I expected. It was about watching Bad Bunny perform at halftime. As I watched, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks: “I don’t get it, and you know what? I’m not supposed to get it.”
At 45, as a Midwestern dad who prefers NPR to music subscriptions and has long since retired from drinking soda, I am no longer the “Bullseye” on the marketing mood board. And honestly? It’s the most freeing realization I’ve had in years.
The Science of the “Target Audience”
In the world of advertising and product management, brands live and die by Personas; meticulously crafted profiles of their ideal customers. They know exactly who they want to reach, and more importantly, who they don’t need to worry about:
- The Bullseye (18–35 year olds): This is the demographic everyone is chasing. They are trend-conscious, high social media consumption, and they are still forming the brand loyalties that will last them the next thirty years.
- The “Out of Scope” (Me): I’m a “hard convert.” I’ve already got my favorite beer in the fridge. I haven’t been to a movie theater since before COVID—partly because I’ve realized I need closed captioning and I much prefer my own (cheaper) snacks. I haven’t heard of anyone at the Grammys in years, let alone watched the show. I am settled, and that makes me expensive and difficult for big brands to market to.
When a massive brand stages a halftime show, they aren’t trying to please everyone. They are doubling down on that 18–35 range. If the performance feels like a foreign language, it doesn’t mean the marketing failed; it means the filters worked. You weren’t the intended recipient of the signal.
The Beauty of Staying in Your Lane
Most people find it bruising to realize they aren’t the “main character” of popular culture anymore. It feels like a loss of relevance. We tend to react by getting defensive—claiming “real music” died decades ago—or by trying too hard to stay “hip” to things that don’t actually interest us.
But there is a third path: Graceful Observation. There’s something oddly freeing about realizing not everything in culture is made for you. You don’t have to love it, fight it, or complain about it. You can just let it pass by and enjoy your own lane.
No Harm, No Foul
Marketing is about connection, but it’s also about exclusion. By narrowing their focus to a specific persona, brands create a more intense experience for the people who actually buy the product.
I’m not the one buying the music subscriptions or the soda anymore, so I don’t need to be in the center of the frame. I enjoy the fact you enjoy the halftime show; I’ll be getting a beer and check on the chili (the secret is stew meat and cumin). No harm, no foul.
I’m not everyone, and thank God for that, because otherwise, life would be incredibly boring. It reminds me of something my grandfather used to say: “As long as you aren’t hurting anyone, to each his own.”