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Market segmentation different from market targeting
Questions on market segmentation
Literature review on marketing segmentation
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The primary goals for Business-to-Business marketing are to create value for consumers and build an effective business relationship with their customers. The best way to achieve those goals are through the processes of segmentation, targeting, differentiation, and positioning for competitive advantage. The author of the textbook affirms, “In the marketplace, customers seek solutions, not technologies or products.” (Vitale 174). So how do we determine what the customers consider valuable or in this case, a solution? This is where the strategic market segmentation and targeting come into place. Since not every customer has the same perception of value, business marketers must determine, first, who are those potential customers and break them …show more content…
After dividing their market into segments, they know exactly that their target customers are people who look for convenience and low prices. That is why they implemented a differentiation strategy through pricing. “Their famous “roll-back” pricing strategy is designed to constantly monitor competitor pricing and offer a lower price.” (Stand Out from the Crowd | Examples of Differentiation). Most people shop at Walmart because they have the perception that they have everything needed and at better prices than other stores. This differentiation strategy has positioned Walmart for competitive advantage and has demonstrated to contribute to the success of this organization. Business marketers also look to communicate the value of their products and position their brand or products by using different techniques, such as advertising, articles in newspapers, magazines, and journals, presentations, product trials, and so on. It is noticeable how all these processes together help business marketers to determine what the customers consider valuable, create solutions, and build effective business relationships with customers. If organizations succeed in offering better value than competitors, communicating the product differentiation, providing everything as promised, and surpassing customers’ expectations, they will easily obtain positioning for
A characteristic of the marketing concept is customer orientation. Business activities are mostly engaged to produce a satisfied customer. They are there to Stress on the desires and wishes of a customer this keeps businesses on track with their target market. The best marketing decisions are completed on the foundation of making a massive impact in the market and towards customers. The consumers/people
Once the target market has been identified it is important to develop a marketing strategy. In today's fast paced, information overloaded society; conveying a message about a product seems to be more difficult than ever. The consumer is bombarded with advertising everywhere they look. Today advertising not only exists on television, radio, magazines, and newspapers, it can be found on billboards, park benches, in our mailboxes, on buses, taxis, at sporting events, and on clothing.
Figure out the typical customers is the first marketing strategy. Business should find the right customers who would by your product and tailor and focus its marketing effort toward them. Thus, this target market represents the group of customer offering greatest opportunity.
Wal-Mart’s competitive environment is quite unique. Although Wal-Mart’s primary competition comes from general merchandise retailers, warehouse clubs and supermarket retailers also present competitive pressure. The discount retail industry is substantial in size and is constantly experiencing growth and change. The top competitors compete both nationally and internationally. There is extensive competition on pricing, location, store size, layout and environment, merchandise mix, technology and innovation, and overall image. The market is definitely characterized by economies of scale. Top retailers vertically integrate many functions, such as purchasing, manufacturing, advertising, and shipping. Large scale functions such as these give the top competitors a significant cost advantage over small-scale competition.
Caroline and Jennifer said that ‘Market segmentation is a crucial marketing strategy. Its aim is to identify and delineate market segments or set of buyers which would then become targets for the company’s marketing plans.’ (Tynan and Drayton, 1987) There are many ways to segment the market, such as age, region, environment, psychology and wages (Hall, Jones and Raffo, 2010).
When a business aims to be as successful as possible in selling its products and services, it must examine in detail whether or not the products will be attractive and necessary; if the price is optimal; if the product is being distributed in the best locations; and finally, how interest and awareness can be created for the products. In order for a business to target all of these elements at the right people at the right time, it must employ the right type of marketing mix: Product, Price, Place and Promotion.
Wal-Mart is one of the world's greatest assets to most people. It provides consumer's a place they can go to virtually get anything they need from, car repairs, to groceries, prescription's, even the latest toys and electronics. With all that said, this paper relates to the different forces in business that affects business: competitive, economic, political + legal + regulatory, technological, cultural + social, demographic, and natural forces. Although there are technically seven we are going to focus on competitive, political, technological, and natural forces.
Success for any small business owner depends on the lucrative employment of sound marketing strategies. It is essential that a business, especially a small business or fledgling company, define themselves as a company, because it only then, that the business can develop a business marketing strategy that is reliable. Moreover, a sound marketing strategy remains a crucial element for the development, as well as, the growth of the company allowing it to achieve, in addition to communicating both the goals and the objective of the business to all concerns (Hemley, 2013). Thus, a marketing consultant, assist the business owner in targeting a specific audience, as well as, correlating the distinguishing factors that separates the business from its competitors. Subsequently, these three components, the discovery of the true business identify, the
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in the discount, variety stores industry. It was founded in 1945, Bentonville in Arkansas which is also the headquarters of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart operates locally as well as worldwide. It operated 1209 discount stores, 1980 super centers, and 567 Sam’s Club by January 31, 2006. It has also extended its operations to many international countries. It runs its retail stores in two forms: Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart Stores. The Sam’s Club sells assorted product lines such as hardwares, electronics, jewelry, and to mention a few. The Wal-Mart stores also offer similar products in addition to the following: health and beauty products, apparel for women, men and children, household appliances etc (www.yahoo.finance.com). The Vision Statement, Mission Statement, Values and Code of Conduct, Corporate Governance: Directors, Executive Management, Committees and Stakeholder will be the key elements that will discussed in this report as it relates to Wal-Mart. In addition to that, the major trends in the general/macro environment and industry will be analyzed.
In business-to-business companies, the company is seeking out a smaller, focused target market. B2B companies usually offer something to other businesses that help another company to increase productivity or offer another benefit that the company will need. Therefore, the company must target a smaller group of companies that will have a demand for this product. The target market can increase after some level of success has been achieved. However, because of the focus on relationships throughout the marketing strategy, smaller target markets are easier to approach and to continue building and nurturing that business relationship.
Although the goal of B2B marketing is to convert prospects into customers, the process is longer and more involved. A B2B company needs to focus on relationship building and communication using marketing activities that generate leads that can be nurtured during the sales cycle. B2B companies use marketing to educate various players in the target audience because the decision to purchase is usually a multi-step process involving more than one person. For example, the goal of an email campaign for B2B is to drive prospects to the web to learn about your products and services.
A marketer doesn’t just have a plan. Marketers now open up to a wider strategic plan and it’s based on steps that balance out what the market is offering consumers. These marketers must analyze their production with these steps, then make a portfolio of the growth and even their down falls therefore this keeps these marketers to continuously innovate and create even a greater amount of value for their customers. Marketing management functions are discussed along with the marketing mix and strategy.
Marketing segmentation is a tool used by in business by marketers to hone in on their potential consumers in order to satisfy customer needs with the right goods or services (Kurtz, pg. 297). Steve Jobs was a great marketer. His philosophy in marketing was to create a product that people didn’t know that they needed and sell it to them to where they cannot seem to live without it.
Once a business has successfully completed segmentation based on the market into various groups the targets will be chosen. As we all know no one unique strategy will be able to appeal to all consumer segments therefore being able to come up with different strategies for specific targets are a vital aspect of marketing.
In all reality, all businesses will, in some way shape or form, complete all of the marketing activities, even if completing these activities is not their main goal. (Dlabay 2006.) These marketing activities are product, place, price, and promotion. A business tool called that marketing mix takes all of these activities and puts them together in a way that can be used to help improve a business’s marketing strategy. Product is what the company is selling; Place is where the consumer will obtain this product; Price is what the consumer will pay for the product; Promotion is any type of communication that is intended to remind, inform, or persuade. (Dlabay 2006.) The marketing mix and the four P’s describe very well what business marketing is all about.