Relevance at Scale Cohort Content System
Turn precise consumer cohorts into platform-native content every day
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
The Relevance at Scale Cohort Content System starts by replacing the idea of one universal audience with 20 to 40 narrowly defined consumer groups. Marketers describe each cohort using meaningful combinations of age, location, interests, circumstances, income, occupation, and media behavior. Those cohorts then become the daily planning interface for social content: the team creates 10 to 20 pieces aimed at different groups rather than forcing one polished asset to serve everyone. Execution remains platform-native, especially in the first second of video, because TikTok and Instagram Reels reward different openings. Teams publish multiple defensible variations, observe which audiences respond, and use that evidence to improve future creative. The output is consistency through distributed relevance rather than repetition of one generic brand message.
Origin
Extracted from Marketing Against The Grain, where Gary Vee contrasted traditional reach-and-frequency marketing with the demands of fragmented attention in 2024.
Core principles
- 01Consistency now requires relevance across fragmented audiences
- 02Each consumer cohort deserves distinct creative
- 03Platform conventions shape how content must open
- 04Creative volume can coexist with quality
- 05Audience response matters more than internal taste
How to run it
- 1
Map precise consumer cohorts
Define 20 to 40 narrow audience groups using attributes that affect needs, identity, context, or media behavior. Make each cohort specific enough to inspire a distinct message.
Pro tip Combine demographic details with interests, life stage, profession, or platform behavior.
Watch out Do not stop at broad labels such as millennials, founders, or working parents.
- 2
Turn cohorts into a daily brief
Use the cohort list to decide which 10 to 20 content pieces to produce each day. Assign every piece a clear intended audience rather than publishing generic brand content.
Pro tip Rotate cohorts so the content portfolio reaches different constituencies over time.
Watch out Volume without a stated audience produces noise rather than relevance.
- 3
Design for the destination platform
Adapt the creative execution to how attention works on each platform. Treat the first second of every video as a platform-specific design decision.
Pro tip Create separate openings for TikTok and Instagram Reels even when the core idea is shared.
Watch out Do not assume that identical creative will perform identically across platforms.
- 4
Ship multiple relevant variations
Publish different treatments when several options could resonate with different consumers. Avoid allowing one person's subjective taste to determine what the entire audience sees.
Pro tip When debating alternatives such as colors or hooks, test both when production cost permits.
Watch out Do not use “not on brand” as an unsupported veto.
- 5
Learn from audience response
Compare performance across cohorts, messages, and platform-native executions. Feed those observations back into the cohort definitions and the next daily content plan.
Pro tip Evaluate whether the intended cohort responded, not merely whether a post earned aggregate reach.
Watch out Do not treat an initial cohort description as permanently correct.
In the wild
A coffee company replaces one national lifestyle post with daily pieces for commuting professionals, home-brewing enthusiasts, university students, new parents, and fitness-focused consumers. Each piece connects the same product to a different context, while TikTok and Instagram versions use distinct opening seconds.
→ The team discovers which messages and formats earn attention from each customer group and reallocates production accordingly.
A SaaS company defines cohorts such as Florida-based executives approaching retirement, first-time startup operators, and operations managers at mid-market firms. Its daily content addresses the specific risks, language, and goals of several cohorts instead of repeating one generic product claim.
→ The content becomes more relevant while preserving a consistent publishing cadence.
Common mistakes
Treating the audience as one person
A universal message ignores the fragmentation of modern attention and the different motivations within a market.
Reusing the same opening everywhere
The first second operates differently across platforms, so an unchanged video can fail even when its central idea is sound.
Letting internal taste veto testing
Subjective declarations about what is on brand prevent teams from learning which variations resonate with real consumers.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for marketing teams that can publish frequently and learn from audience behavior across multiple social platforms.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for teams unwilling to segment audiences, produce creative variations, or tolerate rapid experimentation.
From the transcript
“the problem is the world is fragmented people's attention is 9,000 places now and so you need to win on relevance at scale that's how…”
“if you do not understand how the first second of a video works per platform you cannot be successful at social media”
“if you do not think in cohorts and then those cohorts are how you wake up in the morning and think about the 10 to…”
From the episode
Decoding The Fall Of Traditional Marketing In 10 Minutes ft. Gary Vee
Gary Vee