Personas used for evil as well as good 25 September, 2003
An article in the Independent on Tuesday reported on a new Govenment campaign to expose the myths of low tar cigarettes. Towards the end of the article this passage from a tobacco company advertising brief caught my eye:
The core low-tar smoker is female, upmarket, aged 25-plus, a smart, health-conscious professional who feels guilty about smoking but either doesn’t want to give up or can’t. Although racked with guilt, they feel reassured that in smoking low-tar they are making a smart choice and will jump at any chance to make themselves feel better about their habit.
Sounds a little like a scenario or a persona. The language is very cycnical and manipulative, but it does its job: removing responsibility from the manufacturer and allowing them to exploit a position they’ve created. I suppose I shouldn’t be suprised – Cooper’s personas were born out of marketing user profiles – but it’s a bit spooky to see their power in this negative light.