4
Principles of Marketing
Segmenting
&
Targeting Market
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Define the three steps of target marketing: market
segmentation, target marketing, and market positioning
2. List and discuss the major bases for segmenting consumer
and business markets
3. Explain how companies identify attractive consumer and
business markets
4. Discuss how companies position their products for maximum
competitive advantage in the marketplace
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Chapter Concepts:
1. Criteria for Successful Segmentation
2. Bases for Segmenting Consumer Markets
3. Steps on Segmenting a Market
4. Strategies for selecting target market
5. Positioning
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Market Segmentation
Market segmentation
is the process that companies use to divide
large heterogeneous markets into small
markets that can be reached more efficiently
and effectively with products and services that
match their unique needs
7-5
Market Segmentation
• Segmenting consumer markets
• Segmenting business markets
• Segmenting international markets
• Requirements for effective segmentation
7-6
Market Segmentation
Segmenting Consumer Markets
• Geographic
• Demographic
• Psychographic
• Behavioral
7-7
Market Segmentation
Segmenting Consumer Markets
Geographic segmentation divides the market
into different geographical units such as
nations, regions, states, counties, or cities
7-8
Market Segmentation
Segmenting Consumer Markets
Demographic segmentation divides the market
into groups based on variables such as age,
gender, family size, family life cycle,
income, occupation, education, religion,
race, generation, and nationality
Demographic segmentation is the most popular
segmentation method because consumer needs,
wants, and usage often vary closely with
demographic variables and are easier to
measure than other types of variables
7-9
Market Segmentation
Segmenting Consumer Markets
Psychographic segmentation divides
buyers into different groups based on
social class, lifestyle, or personality
traits
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Market Segmentation
Segmenting Consumer Markets
Behavioral segmentation divides buyers into
groups based on their knowledge, attitudes,
uses, or responses to a product:-
• Occasion
• Benefits sought
• User status
• Usage rate
• Loyalty status
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Market Segmentation
Segmenting Consumer Markets
Occasion segmentation divides buyers into groups
according to occasions when they get the idea to buy,
actually make purchases, or respond to a product
Benefit segmentation requires finding the major
benefits people look for in the product class, the
kinds of people who look for each benefit, and the
major brands that deliver each benefit
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Market Segmentation
Segmenting Consumer Markets
User status divides buyers into ex-users, potential
users, first-time users, and regular users of a product
Usage rate divides buyers into light, medium, and
heavy product users
Loyalty status divides buyers into groups according to
their degree of loyalty
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Market Segmentation
Using Multiple Segmentation Bases
Multiple segmentation is used to identify
smaller, better-defined target groups
Geo-demographic segmentation is an
example of multivariable segmentation that
divides groups into consumer lifestyle patterns
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Market Segmentation
Using Multiple Segmentation Bases
PRIZM NE System classifies every American
household into 66 unique segments organized
into 14 different social groups.
These groups segment people and locations into
marketable groups of like-minded
consumers that exhibit unique
characteristics and buying behavior
based on a host of demographic factors.
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Market Segmentation
Using Multiple Segmentation Bases
Prizm classifications include
• Age • Ethnicity
• Educational level • Housing
• Income • Behavioral and lifestyle
• Occupation factors
• Family composition • Purchases
• Free-time activities
• Media preferences
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Market Segmentation
Segmenting Business Markets
In addition to the same segmentation variables as
consumers, business can also be segmented by:
• Customer-operating characteristics
• Purchasing approaches
• Situational factors
• Personal characteristics
* American Express targets consumers, merchants,
corporations and small businesses.
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Market Segmentation
Segmenting International Markets
Four factors:-
• Geographic location
• Economic factors
• Political and legal factors
• Cultural factors
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Market Segmentation
Segmenting International Markets
Inter Market segmentation
divides consumers into groups with
similar needs and buying
behaviors even though they are
located in different countries
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Market Segmentation
Requirements for Effective Segmentation
To be useful, a market segment must be:
• Measurable – size, purchasing power and
profiles
• Accessible – market can be effectively reached
and served
• Substantial – large or profitable enough to
serve
• Differentiable – segments are distinguished
and respond differently to marketing mix
• Actionable – programs can be designed for
attracting and serving the segment
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Target Marketing
• Evaluate the various segment and decide how
many and which segments the company can
serve best
• Target market : A set of buyers who share
common needs or characteristics that the
company decides to serve.
Market Targeting
Evaluating Market Segments
• Segment size and growth
• Smaller versus larger segments
• Growth potential
• Segment structural attractiveness
• Competition
• Substitute products
• Power of buyers
• Power of suppliers
• Company objectives and resources
• Competitive advantage
• Availability of resources
• Consistent with company objectives
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Market Targeting
Selecting Target Market Segments – Different Level of
Target Marketing
• Undifferentiated marketing (Very Broad)
• Differentiated marketing
• Concentrated marketing
• Micromarketing (Very Narrow)
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Market Targeting
Target Marketing Strategies
Undifferentiated marketing targets the whole
market with one offer
• Mass marketing
• Focuses on common needs rather than
what’s different
• Example: Colgate, KFC
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Market Targeting
Selecting Target Market Segments
Differentiated marketing targets several
different market segments and designs separate
offers for each
• Goal is to achieve higher sales and stronger
position
• More expensive than undifferentiated
marketing
• Padini Men & Women, Vincci, Seed Men &
Women, Kids
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Market Targeting
Selecting Target Market Segments
Concentrated marketing targets a small share
of a large market
• Limited company resources
• Knowledge of the market
• More effective and efficient
• Example: La Mer, I-Pod, Annick Goutal
Parfum, Ken Apothecary Shop
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Market Targeting
Selecting Target Market Segments
Micromarketing is the practice of tailoring
products and marketing programs to suit the
tastes of specific individuals and
locations
• Local marketing
• Individual marketing
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Market Targeting
Selecting Target Market Segments
Local marketing involves tailoring brands and
promotion to the needs and wants of local
customer groups
• Cities
• Neighborhoods
• Stores
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Market Targeting
Selecting Target Market Segments
Local Marketing
• Benefits:
• Increased marketing effectiveness in competitive markets
• More customer-specific offerings
• Challenges:
• Increased manufacturing and marketing costs
• Less economy of scale
• Logistics
• Dilution of company image
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Marketing Targeting
Selecting Target Market Segments
Individual marketing involves tailoring
products and marketing programs to the
needs and preferences of individual
customers
• Also known as:
• One-to-one marketing
• Mass customization
• Markets-of-one marketing
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Market Targeting
Selecting Target Market Segments
Mass customization is the process through which firms
interact one-to-one with masses of customers
to design products and services tailor-made to
meet individual needs. Has made relationships
with customers important in the new economy.
• Provides a way to distinguish the company against
competitors
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Market Targeting
Choosing a Targeting Strategy
Depends on:
• Company resources
• Product variability –
• Same taste, buy the same amount, react the same
way to same advertisement, use undifferentiated
• Market variability
• Competitor’s marketing strategies
• Product life-cycle stage
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Market Targeting
Socially Responsible Target Marketing
Benefits customers with specific needs
Concern for vulnerable segments
• Children
• Alcohol
• Cigarettes
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Differentiation and Positioning
Product position is the way the product is
defined by consumers on important
attributes—the place the product occupies in
consumers’ minds relative to competing
products
• Perceptions
• Impressions
• Feelings
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Differentiation and Positioning
Positioning maps show consumer perceptions of
their brands versus competing products on
important buying dimensions
• Price (Y-axis) and orientation (X-axis)
• Refer to page 192, Figure 7.3
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Example of Positioning Map – Car Brands
in USA
Differentiation and Positioning
Choosing a Differentiation and Positioning Strategy
• Identifying a set of possible competitive
advantages to build a position
• Choosing the right competitive advantages
• Selecting an overall positioning strategy
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Differentiation and Positioning
Choosing a Differentiation and Positioning Strategy
Identifying a set of possible competitive advantages to build
a position by providing superior value from:
• Product differentiation
• Service differentiation
• Channels
• People
• Image
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Differentiation and Positioning
Identifying Possible Value Differences and
Competitive Advantage
Competitive Advantage is the advantage over
competitors gained by offering greater value either
through lower prices or by providing more benefits that
justify higher prices
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Differentiation and Positioning
Choosing the Right Competitive Advantages
A difference is worth establishing to the extent that
it satisfies the following criteria:
• Important
• Distinctive – different from other competitors
• Superior
• Communicable – communicable and visible to buyers
• Preemptive – cannot easily copied by competitors
• Affordable – introduce the difference profitably
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Differentiation and Positioning
Selecting an Overall Strategy
Value proposition is the full mix of benefits upon
which a brand is positioned
Five Possible Value Propositions
• More for more – upscale, expensive products
• More for the same – Lexus vs Mercedes
• Same for less – good deal
• Less for much less – Tune Hotel
• More for less - Ikea
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Positioning for Competitive Advantage
Developing a Positioning Statement
Positioning statement states the product’s
membership in a category and then shows its point-
of-difference from other members of the category.
“Now, everyone can fly”
- AirAsia
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