Final answer:
Demographic targeting is most effective during the awareness stage of the buyer's journey, as it helps build brand recognition among a broad audience characterized by general demographic features.
Step-by-step explanation:
Demographic targeting is most effective at the awareness stage of the buyer's journey. During this initial phase, companies aim to reach a broad audience to build brand recognition and inform potential customers about their products or services. Demographics are useful for defining this broad audience since they include general characteristics such as age, gender, income, education level, and occupation.
As buyers move through the subsequent stages – consideration and decision – they require more specific and personalized information. Here, targeting strategies often shift to focus on behavioral and psychographic data. However, in the awareness stage, demographic targeting helps to ensure that the message reaches those who are more likely to have an interest in the offering, based on their general profile.