Question

Segmentation

Segmentation is crucial in order to match the product to the needs and wants of the appropriate group of potential customers.

The Scenario: a new product service company's marketing assistant tells his boss that the market segment for a new ergonomic chair is sedentary adults.

1. What is wrong with the marketing assistant segmentation of the market? Please Explain

Answer 1

The marketing assistant’s segmentation of the market for this product did not completely focus on “tailoring to marketing mixes to meet the needs of other specific segments” . The assistant didn’t understand the product itself to determine the best marketing strategy. The assistant should have capitalized on the benefit of an ergonomic chair. This type of chair would support the lower back and good posture. It would reduce the stress on the spinal part of the body that occurs when sitting in this position. An ergonomic chair would allow the user to sit balanced and comfortable. To promote their well-designed chair, they should have considered the many uses for the chair. From office needs to personal homes, everyone and any could benefit from this chair. Ergonomics refers to the design of anything that involves people, work spaces, sports, leisure, health, and safety. The assistant should’ve accounted for all of this when deciding the best customer to target.

The marketing assistant was limited in her approach because although adults who aren’t active or sit down a lot who benefit from this chair it would also help adults who constantly move around and would desire to relieve themselves. Not to mention, businesses who mainly work at a desk, teachers, the list could go on and on. The assistant should’ve started with a huge group before diminishing her true target audience. Instead of thinking small, the assistant should’ve listed everyone and then worked their way down to narrowing it to specifics. The assistant should’ve studied adults ranging from 25 years old to 99 years old. The assistant should focus on working (part-time or full-time) adults who either work in an office setting or have at the office at home. The assistant could consider implementing an undifferentiated targeting strategy for their product. This strategy would “adopt a mass-market philosophy, viewing the market as one big market with no individual segments” before sectoring potential customers off.