Mind Map is a new media planning tool that enables advertisers to target audiences when they are most likely to engage. Created by omnichannel advertising platform Azerion, it is based on understanding how people feel and what they are doing when exposed to media on different channels, so that campaigns can be designed to reach them when they are most cognitively and emotionally receptive.
This reimagined approach to targeting introduces a practical application to the growing knowledge around consumer mindsets and their importance in effective advertising.
Mind Map is rooted in Meaningful Connections, an initiative launched by Mindshare – with Azerion and Differentology then joining as contributing partners – that explores when, where and why people are most receptive to advertising. The first study defined 16 consumer mindsets (see note 1) and quantified their importance in determining when people are most receptive to advertising; the most recent project expands the findings to produce a metric that enables precise mindset-based targeting and fine-tuned channel strategies.
Key findings include:
- Motivation and cognitive availability determine how audiences process brand messages, while receptivity fluctuates over the course of the day. Highly receptive mindsets include Finding Inspiration, Giving Back, and Challenging Oneself; less receptive mindsets are Escaping Reality, and Relaxing and De-stressing.
- Generational context shapes mindset and response. People between 35 and 54 are the most receptive age group, particularly when Finding Comfort or Challenging Themselves; those aged between 18 and 34 are most engaged when Finding Inspiration or Feeling Excited; and for older audiences (55 and over), Challenging Themselves and Finding Inspiration are the core mindsets for ad engagement.
- Each channel has a different role. For example: audio is about fostering emotional connection and focus; connected TV (CTV) is associated with relaxation and escapism; out-of-home (OOH) for when audiences are in upbeat or purposeful moods; web browsing is for curiosity and exploration.
The research is centred around Azerion’s Communications Receptivity (CORE) Framework; this scientific and scalable model quantifies when and where people are most cognitively and emotionally open to brand messages, allowing advertisers to move away from traditional demographic audience targeting in favour of engaging people through being highly relevant.
Mind Map, which links audience mindsets with media behaviour, enables brands to put these findings into action. Identifying the mindset that is most relevant to the brief provided by the advertiser and using receptivity data based on the Meaningful Connections research, it recommends the channels, times of day and messaging styles that will create the most relevant and high-impact connections with consumers. Campaigns are launched through the Azerion Orchestrator, an AI-based planning tool.
“Traditional demographic segmentation has served brands well for many years, ensuring they are seen by their audiences; however, it doesn’t guarantee that these people will be receptive to that ad, on that channel in that particular moment – reach does not equal engagement,” says Roxanne Harley, head of growth at Azerion. “Mind Map reflects the increased industry interest in and understanding of mindsets but takes the all-important step of making it actionable, giving advertisers the tools to find audiences when they are in the right headspace to engage with the message. Demographics still have a place, but the Mind Map will be a key planning tool for Azerion in 2026.”
Full details of the most recent research are in Azerion’s Meaningful Connections white paper, which is free to access and available to download here.
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Note 1
The latest Meaningful Connections study was carried out during 2025 across a sample of 3,948 respondents, who viewed 10,674 pieces of commercial media content. Using a large-scale diary study and behavioural indexing, participants recorded all commercial media encounters within a 24-hour period. Each interaction was then classified into one of 16 Mindshare-defined mindsets, as identified in the initial research project:
| Be informed & up-to-date | Improve mood | Indulge | Find inspiration |
| Take some me-time | Connect or socialise | Escape reality for a while | Challenge oneself |
| Relax & de-stress | Find comfort | Learn something new | Give back to the planet or others |
| Fill some time | Have fun | Find excitement | Explore a topic in-depth |
The convergence of tech and brands 