Difference between to aim at and to target

[Pavell]

Test No. incompl/advan-36 "Super Supermarkets", question 2

The first question you have to ask is who are the customers that they are each trying to ..........

(a) target
(b) hit
(c) aim
(d) deliver

Test No. incompl/advan-36 "Super Supermarkets", answer 2

The first question you have to ask is who are the customers that they are each trying to target.

Correct answer: (a) target

Your answer was: incorrect
The first question you have to ask is who are the customers that they are each trying to aim.
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Hi!
What is the difference between "to aim" and "to target"? Explain please.
Thanks.

[Alan]

They both mean roughly the same. Aim is used with the preposition at as in: This film is aimed at younger people. Often the verb is used in its literal sense of trying to hit something as in : aim a gun at something. Target has the sense of trying to reach a particular group of people in a marketing situation, which is how I have used it in this sentence.
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