1best of marketing

By Judy Sullivan

As a marketer, it is very unlikely that you will encounter a set of two consumers who have exactly the same tastes and preferences. That is expected. As human beings, many differences exist among others. From our genetic make-up, our cultural background, our levels of education, life experiences and so on. One will therefore not be surprised to when consumers demand different things from a product or service. Behavioral segmentation is the subdividing of a market based on these differences.

There are a number of differences between this form of marketing and the traditional marketing styles. Traditionally marketing was done by targeting a large heterogeneous group of customers. The marketer typically sent out promotional message to the group without considering any stratification. This type has the disadvantage of failing to address the concerns of different consumers adequately. It therefore results in returns that are much lower returns.

There are many types of behaviors that are used in subdividing the market. One of the behaviors that are used is product loyalty. There is a variation in the degree of loyalty that exists for different products and services among customers. The business can conduct research to establish the type of customers that are most loyal to a certain product and the reasons that contribute this kind of loyalty. Those with a low level of loyalty should also be identified and similarly, the reasons behind this should be identified.

The other way to achieve the subdivision is to use the benefits sought as the guideline. Even for the same product, consumers do not always look for the same things. It is important to be aware of the different reasons that will make consumers demand for your goods. If the different segments are large enough then it may be necessary to modify the product in a manner that helps each consumer maximize on the benefits.

A number of goods are only bought occasionally. Their demand is noted to be unusually high during specific periods of the year when marking particular occasions or festivities. Christians buy lots of religious goods during Christmas and Easter. For this reason, they form a very important segment that needs to be recognized. If one is not aware of the existence of this segment of customers then they will not adequately meet the demand.

The rate of usage is proportional to the demand. Clients who demand more of a product are more likely to be heavier users than those who demand less. One can use this attribute to divide their pool of clients into the heavy, moderate and light users depending on the frequency of use of a certain product. Apart from the frequency of use, the quantity used should also be factored in.

Buyer readiness is a term that is used to describe the likelihood of a potential consumer to spend on a good or service. There are about six categories of readiness that exist. The first stage is known as awareness and in this stage are people who only know about the product. In the sixth stage are clients willing to spend on the product.

Other than behavioral segmentation, there are a number of other criteria that may be used. Commonly demographic, geographic and psychographic characteristics are used. What you need to have as a top priority is the homogeneity of the clients in the group.