Fueled by the mission to simplify how you dress, SET Active has emerged as one of the most popular activewear brands of our generation. In a 2022 Authority Magazine interview, founder Lindsey Carter shared her frustration with the “lack of comfortable, quality clothes that could support her on-the-go lifestyle,” inspiring her to create an “elevated activewear brand that could take anyone from the office to a meeting to a workout – with confidence and in style” (Georgiadis).

A big part of their success is SET’s strong online presence on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. In this post, I’ll break down how SET uses audience segmentation to drive social media campaigns, explore their likely targeting strategy, and discuss how Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences further help them reach the right customers.

Let’s dive in!

Target audience

SET’s Instagram feed – with its neutral color palette and sleek, minimal styling – clearly targets a trendy, style-conscious crowd. This includes people who value both aesthetics and functionality in their activewear. The overall vibe is modern yet casual, with a strong emphasis on clean lines and muted tones – a style that often appeals to millennials and Gen Z consumers.

The images showcase the pieces in everyday settings – whether lounging at home, doing Pilates, or grabbing coffee – highlighting versatility and comfort. By featuring real people in aspirational yet relatable scenarios, SET uses social proof to position itself as the go-to brand for anyone looking to support a busy, versatile lifestyle.

Clipping from SET’s Instagram feed.

Here are some other likely characteristics of their audience:

• Demographics: Middle to upper-class females ages 20–45.
• Behaviors & Interests: Those with active lifestyles who value trends, versatility, and wellness.
• Location: Areas with a high concentration of young professionals and fitness trends.

Audience segmentation and its impact

As Sharon Lee Thony explains in The Marketing Campaign Playbook, “In digital marketing, the most successful campaigns are those that resonate deeply with the intended audience. Understanding who your customers are, what they need, and how they behave is crucial for crafting marketing strategies that truly connect” (p. 15). By leveraging demographic, geographic, behavioral, and psychographic segmentation, SET can craft tailored marketing campaigns that speak directly to the specific needs and preferences of each group.

• Demographic Segmentation: By focusing on middle to upper-class females aged 20–45 (Gen Z and millennials), SET can tap into a group with the income and lifestyle preferences that align with its products.
• Geographic Segmentation: Targeting urban regions – like NYC and Los Angeles, where their brick-and-mortar stores are located – ensures they reach markets where trendy, functional activewear is in high demand.
• Behavioral Segmentation: SET can engage repeat customers and recent website or social media visitors with personalized messages designed to re-engage and convert.
• Psychographic Segmentation: By connecting with individuals who value trends, social media engagement, health, wellness, and balance, SET can craft campaigns that speak directly to its audience’s interests.

This blend of strategies not only builds strong customer relationships, but also drives engagement and loyalty, ensuring every marketing effort hits home with the right audience.

How SET can leverage Custom Audiences

Custom Audiences allow SET to retarget users who have already interacted with the brand. For example, they can create a set of targeted ads using a list of Instagram page visitors from the past 365 days (tracked through tools such as Meta Pixel), and another set from the past 180 days. This would be intended to reinstate some level of awareness in those who may not have engaged with the brand on socials in a while.

Another important set of ads to employ would serve to target those who’ve made a recent website visit and could use a little reminder of why they were there in the first place. In this instance, SET can create a set (that felt weird, yet very on-brand, to say) consisting of those who’ve abandoned their online shopping carts or initiated a purchase in the past 7 days. This would be especially effective during new or limited collection drops to create a sense of urgency – a business tactic already employed by the brand which could be made even stronger. By doing so, they can give those potential customers a gentle, personalized nudge towards conversions.

Additional data from past purchases, product page visits, lead generations, and email lists can also be used to make Custom Audiences, helping SET boost conversions while lower advertising costs.

Expanding SET’s reach with Lookalike Audiences

To grow its customer base, SET can also tap into Lookalike Audiences. This strategy involves uploading a well-defined Custom Audience – such as recent website visitors or loyal customers – and allowing the ad platform to analyze common traits among these users. The platform then identifies new users with similar demographic, geographic, behavioral, and psychographic characteristics.

Moreover, SET could expand its reach by incorporating competitor data. For instance, analyzing followers of brands like 437 or Adanola – both high-quality athleisure brands with strong followings among health-conscious women – can help SET build a Lookalike Audience that mirrors its ideal customer profile. This approach ensures that SET’s marketing campaigns reach people who are more likely to resonate with the brand’s offerings, thereby expanding their reach while maintaining relevance.

Clippings from 437’s (left) and Adanola’s (right) Instagram feeds. Absolutely perfect for Lookalike Audiences.

Bullseye

SET’s targeted approach shows that smart segmentation isn’t just a marketing buzzword – it’s the foundation to their online success. By combining insights from Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences with traditional segmentation methods, SET creates campaigns that resonate deeply with both existing fans and potential customers.

Every ad is a strategic nudge designed to convert interest into loyalty, ensuring that whether you’re already a fan or just discovering SET, the brand is always ready, set, and hitting the mark with the right audience.

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Works cited

Georgiadis, C. (2022, July 25). Modern fashion: Lindsey carter of set active on the 5 things you need to lead a successful fashion brand today. Authority Magazine. Medium. https://medium.com/authority-magazine/modern-fashion-lindsey-carter-of-set-active-on-the-5-things-you-need-to-lead-a-successful-fashion-b760b18f9ccc

Thony, S. L. (2024). The marketing campaign playbook. Independently Published.