Must Market

Unique Customer Aspirations
I do something very similar as this post suggests, but I reverse the process preferring to do keyword research first. Keywords are vox populi, the voice of the mob, and so represent raw, unfiltered demand. If you listen carefully enough you can hear semantics too (how customers FEEL about something). 

Keywords also represent how customers think about your product, service or company. Whenever possible use THEIR language not yours, so I start with Keywords and work to personas. 

This post goes into intricate detail on persona creation and, in their model, I can see why they fit keys to personas. My personas are created from keys and patterns in our site's Google analytics. 

If you do either end of this exercise well the rest is somewhat moot. A great keyword set can drive a great persona and it works just as well in the other direction.

I agree with the core idea very much. As marketers we have what the Heath brothers called a "curse of knowledge" (Made To Stick). We LIVE our marketing. Customers DON'T live for our marketing. They live to raise great kids, experience special moments with people they love and experience life at its fullest.

This is why I like to connect with UCA (Unique Customer Aspirations) another way of saying "develop an audience-centric" content strategy.

UCA Post
http://www.atlanticbt.com/blog/how-unique-greatness-meets-customer-aspirations/