One of the biggest challenges in marketing is accurately identifying what your customers truly want – not just what they say they want, but what motivates their choices and actions. The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework offers a powerful lens for doing just that. Rather than focusing narrowly on demographics, JTBD looks at the progress people are trying to make in their lives. That includes the circumstances they’re in, the goals they’re chasing, and the obstacles they’re trying to overcome.

Why traditional approaches can miss the mark

Many marketing strategies rely on market segmentation or persona development based on broad categories: “working moms,” “millennial professionals,” or “tech-savvy users.” While helpful at times, these labels don’t always capture the deeper motivations behind a purchase decision. That’s where JTBD can elevate your customer research by focusing on function, emotion, and intent.

The JTBD perspective: It’s about progress

JTBD asks a simple but powerful question: What job is the customer hiring this product or service to do? For example, a commuter doesn’t just buy a new bike for transportation – they may be seeking a faster, healthier, or more environmentally friendly way to get to work. The “job” helps reveal the action behind the purchase.

By uncovering these jobs, marketers can align their offerings with real needs, adapt messages that speak directly to specific situations, and ultimately develop more successful campaigns.

JTBD helps you:

• Understand the underlying reasons behind buying behavior
• Develop messaging that clearly reflects real customer motivations
• Uncover unexpected use cases or market opportunities
• Design products and services around customer outcomes, not just features

When marketers understand what customers are trying to accomplish, it becomes much easier to position offerings in a way that resonates. JTBD isn't about guessing what might work – it's about grounding your strategy in consumer insights that reflect the real-world context of their decisions.

Knowing when to use JTBD in marketing can significantly improve your strategy from the ground up. Although the Jobs To Be Done framework can be applied at almost any point in the marketing lifecycle, there are key moments where it offers the most value. Think of it as a compass that helps ensure your efforts remain aligned with what truly moves your audience.

1. During early-stage campaign planning

The planning phase presents a crucial opportunity to leverage JTBD insights. Before setting a campaign goal or selecting a target audience, try to answer: What are our customers trying to achieve – functionally and emotionally – by engaging with our product or service?

JTBD insights at this stage can inform your campaign positioning, identify unmet needs in the market, and choose themes that speak directly to what customers care about. Knowing the job helps ensure your campaign has clear direction and purpose.

2. When crafting your messaging strategy

If your messaging doesn't connect, it won't convert. JTBD is particularly helpful in honing messaging that speaks clearly to what customers are trying to get done. By tapping into this, your brand voice becomes more relatable, relevant, and results-driven. Whether you’re writing ad copy, building a landing page, or launching an email series, your words should match the customer's desired outcome – not just list features.

3. When defining your target audience

Instead of focusing only on age, income, or interests, use JTBD to segment audiences by need or job. What ties customers together isn’t always demographic – it’s the shared purpose behind their actions. Different people might buy the same product to solve very different problems. Understanding those different "jobs" can expose new audience segments you haven’t considered.

4. When reviewing or adjusting your buyer journey

The buyer journey is more than just funnel stages – it’s a series of moments when customers assess whether your offering helps them make the progress they desire. JTBD helps you identify those high-impact touchpoints that influence decision-making and loyalty. Mapping jobs across the journey gives clarity on where and how to offer support, education, or reassurance.

JTBD brings value during:

• Campaign planning – for guiding creative direction and goals
• Customer targeting – through richer segmentation beyond demographics
• Messaging strategy – ensuring your message aligns with customer purpose
• Channel selection – choosing platforms that match the customer journey

Applying JTBD throughout your planning phase leads to tightly focused, customer-centered campaigns that create stronger engagement and better outcomes. It ensures that every strategy starts and ends with the actual needs and goals of the audience in mind.

Understanding customer motivations leads to more powerful messaging

One of the biggest strengths of the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is how it reframes marketing from being product-first to outcome-first. Instead of promoting features or benefits in isolation, JTBD enables you to craft brand messaging around what customers are truly trying to achieve in their lives. This makes your message feel more relevant, timely, and personal.

When you identify the “job” your product or service is being hired for, you're able to communicate in the language of your target audience’s goals – not just your own business objectives. That shift transforms your messaging strategy and elevates your brand positioning.

How JTBD clarifies your messaging strategy

• Removes guesswork: JTBD eliminates vague assumptions by anchoring all messaging in real customer needs uncovered through research.
• Focuses on outcomes: Rather than leading with features, you can highlight how your brand helps people complete critical jobs in their daily lives or work.
• Encourages human language: JTBD insights reflect how people actually talk about their problems and solutions, which makes messaging feel more natural and authentic.

For example, instead of saying, “Our app provides customizable analytics dashboards,” a JTBD-oriented message might emphasize “Helping busy managers make faster decisions with data they trust.” It speaks directly to the job the user needs to complete, aligning better with their experience.

Strengthening brand positioning through JTBD

Positioning your brand is about knowing where it fits in the market and in the minds of customers. JTBD can help you pinpoint the unique role your offering plays in solving specific challenges. When different brands compete in the same category, JTBD sheds light on how people choose one over another – which 'job' they’re hiring each for.

This makes it easier to differentiate your solution and highlight what truly matters to your audience. You're not just another product – you're the answer to a critical job in their journey.

Applying the Jobs To Be Done framework for marketers who are developing a messaging strategy can lead to:

• More authentic brand narratives
• Deeper emotional resonance with audiences
• Clearer alignment between marketing and product teams

Bottom line? Effective use of Jobs To Be Done in marketing isn’t just about better messaging – it’s about creating stories that genuinely connect through relevance and empathy.

Reach the right people in the right places by understanding their jobs

One of the most practical uses of the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is improving customer targeting and refining your channel strategy. JTBD looks beyond demographics to understand what people are actually trying to get done – which often reveals more actionable segmentation opportunities than traditional market research alone.

When you know the job someone is trying to complete, you’re far more equipped to identify where and how to effectively reach them. As you refine your marketing strategy, JTBD insights can help guide media selection, campaign messaging per channel, and even the timing of communication based on moments when the job is top-of-mind.

How JTBD enhances audience segmentation

Rather than relying on age groups or generic buyer personas, JTBD uncovers segments based on shared motivations and intended outcomes. This leads to stronger market segmentation that reflects how people think and feel – not just what boxes they check on a form.

For example, two people shopping for the same product, like noise-canceling headphones, could be “hiring” them for different jobs: one during remote work calls, the other for unwinding on a crowded commute. If you target both the same way, your campaign will miss the nuance that JTBD makes visible.

Refining your channel mix with purpose

• Match messaging to context: JTBD lets you tailor marketing messages to different touchpoints depending on the specific job and situation.
• Select more effective platforms: Jobs often happen in predictable contexts (e.g., commuting, deadlines, family meals), giving clues about where your brand might show up naturally.
• Improve timing and intent targeting: Understanding when customers feel the pain of a job or seek progress helps you deliver messages when they’re most receptive.

Using JTBD in customer targeting means campaigns can be more specific and relevant. You’re no longer just trying to reach broad audience groups – you’re speaking directly to people in the moments that matter, offering real solutions.

Whether you’re planning digital ad buys, social content, or email nurture sequences, JTBD supports smarter decisions rooted in behavioral context and intent. It’s a natural fit for marketers focused on campaign planning with real impact.

Knowing when to apply JTBD in marketing can bring clarity and focus

While Jobs To Be Done is a powerful tool, it’s most valuable when used at the right times and for the right purposes. Many marketers wonder: Is JTBD right for my brand right now? If you're navigating new territory or trying to deepen customer connections, the answer is likely yes.

The JTBD framework is especially useful during key transition points – when your business is evolving or when customer needs are changing quickly. It helps ground your strategy in reality by reflecting what people actually want to accomplish.

Common scenarios where JTBD adds real value

• Your messaging feels disconnected – Customers aren’t responding how you expected, and your value proposition doesn’t seem to resonate. JTBD can highlight the real outcomes they care about.
• Your market feels crowded – When differentiation is tough and everyone’s saying the same thing, JTBD surfaces the unique job your brand is being hired to solve.
• You’re entering a new market or launching a new product – Understanding the job helps you position and market your offer accurately from the start.
• You have gaps in customer research – JTBD provides focused, qualitative consumer insights that clarify the “why” behind behaviors, not just the “what.”

Even if you're already conducting customer research, JTBD complements your existing strategy by translating data into actionable direction. It builds a bridge between consumer insights and marketing execution – especially helpful if your goal is stronger campaign development and greater customer alignment.

Early signals that JTBD can help

Here are a few signs that applying the Jobs To Be Done framework could benefit your team:

1. Your team is struggling to define a clear value proposition – JTBD sharpens messaging by tying it back to meaningful end goals.

2. Your buyer journey maps feel generic or incomplete – JTBD fills in the emotional moments of progress that standard buyer personas miss.

3. You're testing multiple campaign messages without a clear winner – JTBD centers your message around a job, reducing variability and guesswork.

In short, if your marketing feels like it’s missing a deeper connection to what customers care about, Jobs To Be Done can bring that missing perspective. For beginner marketers or seasoned strategists alike, it’s one of the most effective tools for improving focus and increasing relevance.