Functions of Marketing: Market Segmentation

and Targeting – Positioning functional strategies

– Identification of Market segments - marketing
strategies
A market is a place which allows the purchaser and the seller
to invent and gather information’s and lets them carry out
exchange of various products and services. In other words the
Meaning of Market refers to a place where the trading of
goods takes place
Markets are Heterogeneous; Segmentation divides them
into Homogeneous Sub-Units
The market for a product is nothing but the aggregate
of
the consumer of that product
Markets break up the heterogeneous market for product
into several sub units, or sub markets, each relatively more
homogeneous within itself, compared to market into a
number of sub markets/ distinct sub units of buyer , each
with relatively more homogeneous characteristics, is known
as market segmentation.
What is market segmentation?
It is the Consumer who are Segmented, Not Product, nor Price
It would be useful to provide one important clarification right
at the beginning.
Markets, sometime, speaks of product segments and price
segments and use these expressions as synonymous with
market segments.
This can leads to a wrong understanding of what market
segments, or for that matter, the process of market
segmentation as a whole, actually connote
We have to be clear that in market segmentation, it is the
consumers who are segmented, not the product, nor price.
Market is about people who consume the product, not about
the product that’s gets consumed
 Example of market segmentation?
Titan Watches For the youth /the outdoor
Arrives in three broad Segments lovers:
• The Rich
• The Middle
• The Lower
For the Gold lovers:
For Designer Segment
For Children Segment
Facilitates Right Choice of Target Market
Facilitates Effective Tapping of the Chosen Market
Makes the Marketing Effort More Efficient and
Economic
Helps Identify Less Satisfied Segments and
Concentrate on Them
• A market/ consumer population for a product can be
segmented using several relevant bases. The major ones
include:
• Geographic
• Demographics
• Socio-cultural
• Psychographic
• Buying Behavior
Bases for segmentation
 Bases for segmentation

Segmentation of consumer based on factors like climate zone,

continents/ country, region, state, district, and urban/rural area,
constitutes geographic segmentation

Marketer, who operate globally, often segment the market

segments the market by continents/country/region in the first
instance, and then go for segmentation on other bases.

National markets within a country like India, often segment

the market by region, state, district and urban/rural area, in the
first instance, and then go for segmentation on other bases.
Bases for segmentation
 Bases for segmentation
Segmentation of consumer based on variables such as
religion,
race, community, language, age, stage in family
gender, marital status, cycle, size, occupation,
family
position/income/purchasing capacity level,
economic
and social status ,of
the consumer demographic segmentation
Age: Based on age on can have the 1) Infants 2) Child Market
Teen Market 3) Youth Market 4) Middle Aged Market 5)Elders
Market
Genders: On the basis of gender, the consumer market may be
classified into male market female market.
Social Class: Companion design their products and services for
particular social classes. There are three social classes: 1 Upper
classes 2. Middle classes 3. Lower class
Bases for segmentation
Bases for segmentation
 Bases for segmentation
Culture and social class are the two main bases of segmentation
here.
Culture: Culture influence consumer behavior, deeply. A given
culture brings in its own unique pattern of social conduct. A
person usually acquires his cultural attributes right at his
childhood. Culture includes religious, caste, traditional,
language, pattern of social behavior .

Social Factor: Social group of varying types exert influenced on

the consumer. Social group include family, peer group, close
colleges. They adopt their common life style.
 Bases for segmentation
Example:
Zee Televisions deals with variety of channels regional channel,
sports channel, movie channel.
McDonald hasboth veg and non veg burger.
McDonald has veg burger for vegetarian and nonveg burger
for non vegetarian.
 Bases for segmentation
Example:
Zee Televisions deals with variety of channels regional channel,
sports channel, movie channel.
McDonald hasboth veg and non veg burger.
McDonald has veg burger for vegetarian and nonveg burger
for non vegetarian.
 Bases for segmentation
Psychographic Segmentation groups customers according
to their life-style and buying psychology.
Many businesses offer products based on the attitudes, beliefs
and emotions of their target market
The desire for status, enhanced appearance and more money
are examples of psychographic variables.
They are the factors that influence your customers' purchasing
decision.
In psychographic segmentation, elements like life
attitude,
style, self-concept and value system, form the base.
Aperson’s pattern of interests, opinions, and activities
combine to represent his or her lifestyle.
 Bases for segmentation
Knowledge of lifestyle can provide a very rich and meaningful
picture of a person.
It can indicate whether the person is interested in outdoor
sports, shopping, culture, or reading.
It can include information concerning attitudes and personality
traits.
Lifestyle also can be used to define a segment empirically; this
is often called psychographic (as opposed to demographic)
segmentation..
Bases for segmentation
 Bases for segmentation
The customer can also be divided into certain segments on the
basis of their knowledge, attitude, use, or response to a product.
Such behavioural variables are discussed below
Occasions : (Marraiges, festival occasasions)
Benefits sought : (Colgate- White teeth stops bad breath,
Cibaca Provides Therapeutic benefits, Vicco vajradanthi and
neem gives ayurvedic benefit)
User Status: (Ex-users, first users, regular users, Potential
users)
Usage rate: (Light, Medium, and heavyu user segments)
Loyality status: (Hard core loyals, Split Loyals(Two r Three
brans), Shifting Loyals (Shift from one brand to another),
Switchers (No loyalty to any brand))
Attitude: Customers are divided into five groups(Enthusiastic,
Positive, Indifferent, Negtive and Hostile)
Bases for segmentation
 Advantages of Segmentation
Various advantages of market segmentation are:-
Helps distinguish one customer group from another within a
given market
Facilitates proper choice of target market.
Facilitates effective tapping of the market.
Helps divide the markets and conquer them.
Helps crystallize the needs of the target buyers
Makes the marketing effort more efficient and
economic
Helps spot the less satisfied segments and succeed by
satisfying such segments.
Makes the marketing effort more efficient and economic
Helps spot the less satisfied segments and succeed by
satisfying such segments
Brings benefits not only to the marketer but also to the
customer
 Effective Market Segmentation
Measurability (Interms of size and purhcasing
power)
Accessibility (Reached and served through suitable
means of distribution of promotion)
Substantiality(Large and profitable)
Differentiability (Clearly distinguishable)
Actionalbility.(to be effective makers of segmentation
should be compatible with the manpower, financial and
managerial resources)