Rather than trying to win over everyone with a generic package, improve sales by courting those who are passionate about your brand, and letting them spread the word.

A review of the package design for Madecasse chocolate in Africa offers a fascinating look at just who your brand’s target audience should be, and how you should speak to them.

Seth Godin’s review, presented by roostermoon.com, talks about an imported chocolate made with local beans. The package is functional but the design hardly delivers on indulgence.

The target audience for this product is those consumers who crave moments of pampered enjoyment, yet the packaging appears rather generic. As Godin notes, the design seems to be an attempt to please a variety of consumers, each who wants a different kind of experience. So is the brand talking to everyone, or to no one?

If there’s one suggestion for effective design, the designers who work on some of the most successful brands say it’s to find out who your most passionate consumers are, and let the package communicate brand relevancy to them. Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, let your core consumers, who “get” your brand, serve as your evangelists.