Creative Concepts Note:  we first published this blog entry in June 2010 and found that the lesson still rings true today so we are reposting it.  Let us know your thoughts and questions!

When our client Ouidad first launched their blog, they — and we — thought we knew exactly whom its readership would be: smart, savvy women who take great care of their curls and feel passionate about looking good.

It turns out we were half-right.

Yes, the blog attracted exactly the kind of readers we anticipated. But it also attracted a number of readers we didn’t expect, including teens, men and moms on the go. It also appealed to non-English-speaking readers in search of curly-haired tips, and African-American readers interested in more reliable hair care solutions.

So we adapted.

We helped Ouidad create new blog posts on the subjects their readers asked the most questions about. We broadened the blog’s focus to include tips for men, teens and kids (or, more specifically, their moms). And we regularly included posts written in (or translated into) Spanish, to better accommodate Ouidad’s multilingual audience.

Our lesson?

Good companies support the customers they already know they have; great companies find ways to accommodate the customers they never knew existed.

Do you know who your customers are?

(Are you sure?)

What’s your favorite way to “discover” new customers? Tell us on Twitter.