Who Our Patients Are
~7,000 patients treated nationwide. The full audience is approximately 30M US adults with AUD — most of whom would never describe themselves that way.
For messaging detail, segment language, and copy rules, see wiki/brand/.
The three segments
| Segment | Size | Awareness | Key insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unacknowledged Strain | ~12-15M | Low | Does not see it as "a problem." Needs curiosity hooks, benefit-first messaging, zero clinical framing. Our largest Google audience. |
| Balance Seekers | ~6-8M | Medium | Motivated by health outcomes. Open to "drink a little less" framing. Connects drinking to specific benefits: sleep, focus, energy. |
| Therapy-Resistant AUD | ~1-2M | High | Has tried before. Failed. Needs proof this is structurally different — not repackaged willpower. |
Most of our traffic is Unacknowledged Strain. All copy defaults to this segment unless there is a specific signal otherwise.
The three primary personas
Miles Masker
Working professional. High-functioning, emotionally compartmentalized, image-conscious. Privacy is paramount. Wants to make a quiet change without anyone knowing. Prefers self-directed, low-support paths.
Signal: Moderation goal + self-accountability + privacy emphasis.
Cara Caregiver
Overextended parent, often female. Emotionally strained and quietly overwhelmed. Drinks to decompress. Responds to warmth, validation, and relational framing. Open to support.
Signal: Relationships motivator + regular support preference + emotional framing.
Doug Doer
Blue-collar worker. Proud, skeptical, evidence-driven. Drinks because it is culturally normal in his world. Distrusts therapy and "programs." Responds to data, outcomes, and no-nonsense framing.
Signal: Performance/health motivator + clinical trust source + structured plan preference.
Sub-personas (less common, inform edge cases)
- Emery Emerging Adult — young adult, socially influenced, identity in flux
- Morgan Margin — culturally isolated, mismatched with mainstream recovery framing
- Renee/Ron Resetter — post-major-life-transition (divorce, widowhood, empty nest)
- Terri Trauma — veteran or trauma-exposed, hypervigilant, comorbid
Cross-persona truths
These hold regardless of which persona you are writing for:
- They are high-functioning. Never frame them as broken.
- They value autonomy and privacy above almost everything.
- They respond to benefit framing, not problem framing.
- They trust lived experience and relatable data more than clinical studies.
- They want to feel like they are choosing, not being enrolled.
See wiki/brand/gtm-playbook-architecture.md for the full persona profiles.