How Minami Lane Makes a Case for Hyper-Specific Marketing

If you don’t appreciate cosy games, then you might not know what Minami Lane is!

I discovered it in 2024 from an Instagram ad, and honestly, it was a perfect example of Meta’s targeting working at its best. I love cute visuals in video games. I love cats. I love management games. So they really got me down to a T 🥰 This is a little taste for you from the cosyteagames Instagram:

Minami Lane is a cosy life-sim where you manage your own little Japanese street, full of tiny businesses. Success in the game is about creating a beautiful, thriving environment that both people and cats want to visit.

One big element of the game is adding businesses to your street—and making sure they’re selling things that the different types of people on your street actually want. That means you can have two ramen shops right next to each other, and they can both thrive—because they’re serving very different audiences.

You literally have to do target audience research: monitor the reactions of people leaving your shop, figure out what they liked (or didn’t), and adjust your offer. That might mean tweaking the ingredient levels in your ramen recipes, or changing up the entire product selection based on feedback.

As a marketer, this obviously sparked a whole wodge of familiarity in my soul—it’s such a big part of my work: understanding your customers, and how they want to be served.

The Power of Knowing Your Neighbours

So, yes—it’s true in Minami Lane: you can have two ramen shops, side by side, that both succeed because they’re tuned into different needs. One might serve traditional comfort food with extra egg and garlic, while the other leans into bold flavours, spicy broths, or vegan options. (Yep, you really can play with recipes and ingredient ratios!)

They’re not trying to be everything to everyone. They’re specific. They know who they’re for, and that’s the magic!

It’s the same in real life. Whether you’re selling handmade earrings or running a yoga studio, once you stop trying to “serve everyone” and instead get laser-focused on who you’re for, things get clearer, easier, and more successful.

Here are a few small business examples I love that do this well 👇

Bluecorn Beeswax

They're not just a candle company—they’re for people who care deeply about non-toxic living, clean indoor air, and natural light. Their whole brand is structured around purity and purpose, not trends.

Wool & the Gang

They don’t just sell wool—they sell a lifestyle of making your own wardrobe pieces with an edge. Bold, fashion-led, and extremely specific in tone (think cool knitwear not grandma vibes).

Little Larch

The niche isn’t just “kids’ toys”—it’s for eco-conscious, wellness-focused parents who want play to feel intentional, calming, and sensory-rich.

When you know your audience—you can make bold choices. And multiple businesses can thrive side by side, even if they sell similar things.

Hyper-Specific Marketing Isn’t Limiting—It’s Liberating

So many business owners I work with are scared to niche down because they think it’ll limit them. That it’ll mean less business, when actually, it could do the opposite.

When your message is clearer, and you’re showing up in the right places with stronger energy, your target customer is far more likely to emotionally connect with your story—because they’ll see themselves in it.

You’re not just a ramen shop. You’re the late-night noodle stop for students pulling all-nighters. Or the go-to spot for spicy miso lovers. Or the vegan-friendly hideaway with tatami mats and chill vibes.

You’re not just a blanket company. You’re a blanket company for new mums who need softness, comfort, and something that’s easily washable.

Once you know your audience, everything else—your signage, your packaging, your Instagram captions, your playlists—gets sharper. The energy becomes magnetic.

Feedback Loops Keep You Sharp

In Minami Lane, your street changes depending on what people say, what’s popular, and what needs aren’t being met. You’re constantly tweaking, optimising, learning. Real-life small businesses can learn so much from that. It’s not about guessing - it’s about listening.

Ask your customers what they want, look at your slow-selling products, run a poll, pay attention to reviews, watch what gets engagement and what doesn’t. This method of collecting data and making changes isn’t just about having a better product—it also builds trust. When people see that you listen to them, they feel more connected to you.

It’s no longer a transactional relationship. You’re not just selling to them—you’re growing with them. You’re becoming part of their routines, their stories, their lives. And in some cases, even their family life.

Even in Small Markets, Differentiation Matters

You might think your business is too small to benefit from this kind of approach. But that’s just not true.

Audience research is the secret weapon behind every small business you’ve ever admired—the ones with that super-clear message that makes you go, “Wow, I feel like they’re talking just to me.” Once you understand that your job isn’t to out-compete everyone else—it’s to carve out your own space—you unlock a whole world of opportunity.

Suddenly, someone else offering something similar doesn’t feel like a threat. It feels like a potential collaborator. Someone you could partner with on a pop-up or cross-promote with. Even in the tiniest towns (or digital spaces), there are multiple kinds of people with different wants and needs. Your job is to notice them. And to choose which ones you want to show up for.

Bring the Minami Lane Mindset to Your Business

So I’ll leave you with this: If your business were one of those ramen shops… who would you be cooking for? And do you know how much egg they like in their meal?

If you can’t answer those questions yet, grab some paper and start mind mapping ✍️If you can answer the first but not the second, try a mini research sprint:

• interview a few customers

• run a poll

• watch sales patterns

• reread past reviews

And if you’re completely lost, that’s okay too. We can work through it together. Just take a look at my services page →

Marketing doesn’t have to be guesswork. You just need to know who you’re serving, and how much chilli they want 🌶