Zielperson

Zielperson is a term used in German-speaking contexts to denote the “target person” — the individual who is the focus of a plan, study, campaign, or operation. The compound of Ziel (target, goal) and Person (person) stresses an individualized focus rather than a generic group.

In marketing and user experience design, Zielperson is sometimes used to describe a personified profile that embodies the needs, goals, and constraints of a target segment, similar to the concept of a persona. In this usage, the Zielperson may be fictional or composite and is distinct from the broader Zielgruppe (target group).

In criminology, security, and investigative contexts, the term is used to refer to a person of interest, subject of the investigation, or a protected party within risk assessments; here it carries implications for data privacy and legal rights.

Examples of usage vary by industry; some practitioners favor “Zielpersona” or simply “Persona” in marketing, while others use “Zielperson” as a direct translation of “target person.” Because the term is not standardized across fields, care should be taken to define the scope and boundaries of the Zielperson in any project, and to avoid confusion with related terms that describe groups rather than individuals.

See also: Zielgruppe, Persona, Target audience, Profile.