Lucy is creating a new Display campaign with the goal of building awareness. Which two targeting options might be suitable for her to use? (Choose two.)

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Bhupati Barman

Flat-style digital illustration of Lucy planning a Google Display campaign for awareness, with Demographic targeting and Affinity audiences marked as correct targeting options.

I’m sitting at my little desk at home, coffee in hand ☕, diving into Google Display campaigns again. Today, I’m working through a smart question I saw while studying: Which targeting options are best for building awareness?

In this post, I’ll break it down in simple words, show you the correct answers, explain why, and even include a helpful chart. Let’s begin.

Question:

Lucy is creating a new Display campaign with the goal of building awareness. Which two targeting options might be suitable for her to use? (Choose two.)

  • Demographic targeting
  • Custom Intent audiences
  • Standard remarketing
  • In-Market audiences
  • Affinity audiences

Here are two correct answers:

✅ Demographic targeting
✅ Affinity audiences

If you’re interested, you can take the exam here: Google Ads Display Certification via Skillshop.

Why These Two Options Are Correct:

1. Demographic Targeting

Demographic targeting allows Lucy to focus on broad audience segments based on age, gender, parental status, or household income.
This helps in reaching the right people who are most likely to care about her brand — especially during the awareness stage.

Example:
Lucy owns a women’s wellness brand and wants to build awareness among women aged 25–44. Demographic targeting lets her deliver ads to this group, helping spread the word to the right people.

2. Affinity Audiences

These audiences are based on people’s long-term interests and habits — not short-term intent.

They’re perfect for brand awareness campaigns, because:

  • They help reach users who regularly engage with related content
  • Google identifies users who have shown a consistent interest in broad topics like fitness, fashion, or tech.

Example:
If Lucy’s brand focuses on eco-friendly clothing, she could use the “Green Living” affinity audience to reach users who are already passionate about sustainability.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

❌ Custom Intent Audiences

  • These are better for consideration or conversion goals, not awareness.
  • They target users actively researching specific products — not those casually browsing.

❌ Standard Remarketing

  • Remarketing targets people who already visited your site.
  • It’s not suitable for building new awareness — it’s more about nudging past visitors toward action.

❌ In-Market Audiences

  • These target users actively looking to buy — ideal for sales or conversion campaigns, not awareness.

Awareness Targeting Options Comparison Chart

Targeting OptionBest For Awareness?Why / Why Not
Demographic Targeting✅ YesReaches a specific, broad audience by age, gender, etc.
Affinity Audiences✅ YesBased on long-term interests; great for awareness
Custom Intent Audiences❌ NoTargets people actively researching — better for sales
In-Market Audiences❌ NoFocuses on users ready to buy — not for broad awareness
Standard Remarketing❌ NoFocuses on previous visitors, not new audience building

Bar chart comparing different targeting options—Demographic targeting, Affinity audiences, In-Market audiences, Standard remarketing, and Custom Intent—for awareness in Google Display campaigns, with correct answers highlighted.
Demographic targeting and Affinity audiences are the most suitable targeting options for building awareness in Google Display campaigns.

Real-Life Story

Lucy runs a start-up skincare brand. At first, she tried In-Market targeting, thinking it would bring attention to her new brand. But her ads mostly showed to people ready to buy from big-name competitors — and she got very few clicks.

Then she switched to Affinity + Demographics: she targeted women aged 25–40 in the “Beauty & Wellness Enthusiasts” category.

✅ Within 2 weeks, her ad impressions grew by 60%, and she saw a spike in branded Google searches like “Lucy Naturals skincare.”

FAQ

Q: Can I combine both demographic and affinity targeting?

A: Yes! In fact, combining them helps you reach interested people within your ideal audience group.

Q: Is standard remarketing ever useful in awareness campaigns?

A: Not really. Remarketing is more for driving action, not introducing your brand to new people.

Q: Are Affinity audiences preset by Google?

A: Yes — but you can also create Custom Affinity Audiences based on interests, URLs, apps, or places.

Q: What’s the difference between Affinity and In-Market?

A: Affinity is based on long-term interest (awareness); In-Market is based on ready-to-buy intent (conversion).

Q: Can I change targeting after launching the campaign?

A: Absolutely — and Google Ads even gives performance tips to help you adjust smartly.

Summary

Lucy’s goal is brand awareness — so she needs broad, interest-based targeting.
That’s why Demographic Targeting and Affinity Audiences are her best tools.

They help introduce her brand to the right people, build recognition, and start creating trust — long before a purchase is made.

Now, if you are ready, you can take the Google Skillshop test for the Google Ads Display Exam. Want more real exam questions with easy answers like this? Follow along — I’ll be breaking down more Google Ads Display Measurement Certification Free examples in the next posts.