After the company has conducted a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the market, the desires and characteristics of consumers, it must select the most profitable market segment for it.

Market segment- this is the part of the market that the company can effectively serve.

Market segmentation is the process of dividing a single consumer market into a number of segments according to some factor (attribute).

Market segmentation- This is one of the main elements of the company’s market strategy.

Target– the most complete satisfaction of the needs and requirements of customers, and as a result, the successful functioning and prosperity of the company.

Well-known marketer S. Majaro noted that a marketing specialist who is able to offer a new way of market segmentation for his product can enable the company to avoid intense competition. Consequently, the company's success in competition will largely depend on how well the market segment is chosen.

The main segmentation of the market is the position of the company in a competitive environment when it is not able to satisfy all the needs for a certain product, and therefore must focus only on those segments that are most preferable from the point of view of the production and commercial capabilities of the company. Objects of sales market segmentation– these are groups of consumers, goods (services), as well as enterprises (competitors).

Exist (highlight) main stages of segmentation:

1) identification of the requirements and main characteristics presented by the consumer to the product (service) offered by the company: at this stage, using various marketing methods, the requirements and wishes of consumers are determined and systematized;

2) analysis of the similarities and differences of consumers: the collected information is analyzed; identifying similarities or differences should influence the marketing plan being developed;

3) development of profiles of consumer groups: consumers with similar characteristics and needs are separated into separate profiles that define market segments;

4) selection of consumer segment(s): follows from the previous stage;

5) determining the company’s place of operation in the market relative to competition: at this stage, the company needs to answer two questions - which market segments will not create great opportunities for the company and how many consumer segments it needs to target; Moreover, the company must realistically represent its goals, strengths, level of competition, market sizes, relationships with sales channels, profits and its image in the eyes of others;

6) creating a marketing plan: after the company has collected and analyzed information about consumers and identified its market segment (or segments), it must study in detail the properties and images of its competitors’ products, and subsequently determine the position of its product in the market; As a result, the company develops a marketing plan that includes: product, distribution, price, promotion.

Market segmentation requires a detailed study of the consumer's requirements for the product, as well as knowledge of the characteristics of the purchasing motivations of the consumers themselves.

Segmentation is divided into the following types depending on its nature and the type of consumer of the product (service).

1. Depending on the nature of segmentation:

1) macro-segmentation - dividing markets by region, country, degree of industrialization;

2) micro-segmentation - the formation of consumer groups of one country (region) according to more detailed characteristics (criteria);

3) segmentation in depth - the segmentation process begins with a wide group of consumers, and then it is gradually deepened (narrowed) depending on the classification of end consumers of any group of goods (services); for example, cars, cars, luxury cars;

4) segmentation in breadth - the segmentation process begins with a narrow group of consumers and gradually expands depending on the scope and use of the product (service); for example, skates for professional athletes, skates for amateurs, skates for youth;

5) preliminary segmentation – study of the maximum possible market segments;

6) final segmentation – the final stage of market research; here the most optimal market segments for the company are determined, in which it will further develop its market strategy.

2. Depending on the type of consumers:

1) the process of segmenting consumers of consumer goods (services);

2) segmentation of consumers of goods for industrial and technical purposes;

3) segmentation of consumers of two types of goods.

However, in practice, each type of market segmentation is not used separately. As a rule, market marketers use a combination of these types when analyzing.

Market segmentation is carried out according to criteria and characteristics.

Criterion is a way of assessing a firm's choice of a particular segment.

Market segmentation criteria:

1. Segment capacity, i.e. how many goods (services), at what cost, can be sold in a given segment, and therefore, how many potential consumers can be served; Based on this, the company determines the required production capacity.

2. Segment availability, i.e. e. obtaining distribution and sales channels for the company, as well as conditions for transporting products in this segment.

3. The importance of the segment, i.e. how resistant the market is to the utilization of the enterprise’s capacity.

4.Profitability.

5. Protection from competition , i.e., how compatible the market segment is with the market of its main competitors; the opportunity to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of “rivals”.

6. Experience of the company's personnel.

7. Media accessibility.

8. Impact of business structure.

9. Legal aspects.

10. Demographic characteristics.

11. Lifestyle.

12. Consumer attitude towards this brand.

13. Expected risk.

14. Importance of purchase.

15. Geographic, i.e. urbanization, relief, climate.

16. Demographic.

17. Economic (property).

18. Social.

19. Cultural.

20. Psychological, etc.

After market segmentation, the company needs to decide how many and what segments it will operate in. It is also important to choose a strategy.

There are three types of strategies:

1) undifferentiated;

2) differentiated;

3) concentrated.

Strategy undifferentiated marketing- This is a company strategy focused on the common interests and preferences of customers, and not on differences in needs and relationships. Target– development of such products and marketing programs that can satisfy the maximum possible number of customers. In other words, the company's goal is achieved by finding a compromise line. The company adheres to standardization and mass production of goods. This strategy is significantly economical. However, it is not recommended for use by enterprises in the same industry, since fierce competition may arise in large segments.

Strategy differentiated marketing is a company strategy aimed simultaneously at several market segments with the development of separate offers. This strategy more fully reflects the market situation, and therefore provides large sales volumes and a low level of risk. On the other hand, large investments, production and management costs are required, therefore the differentiated marketing strategy is feasible mainly for large companies.

Strategy concentrated marketing is a strategy for focusing a firm's efforts on one or more profitable market segments. It is especially attractive in cases where the enterprise’s resources are quite limited. This strategy is preferable for small and medium-sized companies. It consists in offering one or more products to the market, which are accompanied by targeted marketing programs. At the same time, it is necessary to pay great attention to the reputation of your company, the prestige of your product, carry out constant analysis of selected segments, monitor the dynamics of market share, and also take measures to prevent the emergence of new competitors.

The main arguments in favor of market segmentation are:

1) the ability to provide a better understanding of not only the needs and requirements of customers, but also knowledge of your potential or actual consumer “in person” (personal characteristics, motives for behavior in the market, etc.); result - the product better meets market requirements;

2) the possibility of better understanding the nature of competition;

3) the emergence of the possibility of concentrating limited resources and organizational capabilities in more profitable areas of their use;

4) studying the most promising buyers;

5) the ability to take into account the characteristics of various market segments.

Segment- this is a certain group of consumers that has one or more stable characteristics that determine their behavior in the market.

Consumer needs are constantly evolving and changing under the influence of changing market trends, new offers from companies, and outside opinions. Therefore, market segments are not constant.

The success of firms in the market depends not only on finding their segment, but also on finding an unoccupied place in the market - a market niche. For a company to find its market niche means to find “its home,” i.e. a niche is a part of the market where the company has secured a dominant position. It is believed that an enterprise operating in niches is so knowledgeable and able to satisfy the needs and requirements of buyers of its niche that the latter are willing to pay even a higher price for the goods (services) of this enterprise.

Occupying your niche is a chance to withstand competition by focusing your resources on serving narrower market niches that do not arouse interest or that larger competing companies do not pay attention to.

Multiple segmentation- This is one of the methods for determining the target market, characterized by the scale of activity.

Scale of activity consists of involving several market segments in the purchase and sale process, which indicates certain production and sales capabilities of the company.

This method takes into account the various specific needs of buyers (for example, automobile manufacturing plants, electronics industries, banks, etc.)

Benefits of Multiple Segmentation consist in an expanded assortment, which allows the company to significantly increase its turnover volumes by involving several market segments in the production and sale of goods, which allows for potentially higher profits, and also conducting parallel work with several segments can really reduce the threat of deterioration in the company’s performance , due to the emergence of a powerful competitor or a change in consumer preferences. The loss of one market segment will not be so painful for the entire company. At this time, you can successfully work in other market segments and carry out technical re-equipment or reconstruction of production, update the range or improve quality. This method is used mainly by large companies that have the necessary material, financial and labor resources.

The multiple segmentation method involves researching potential market segments where the company intends to operate. A thorough study of consumer needs in different segments is quite an expensive pleasure. However, in case of successful research and making the right decision, the company receives significant advantages over competitors, and, consequently, impressive results.

Conducting marketing segmentation allows a company to identify the different market segments in which it will participate.

1) decide how many market segments it should occupy;

2) it is necessary to determine the most profitable segments for it.

To do this, a company can use the following strategies:

1) undifferentiated marketing;

2) differentiated marketing;

3) concentrated marketing.

Managers of small firms usually choose the third option for a market coverage strategy, taking into account several factors:

1) the company was created recently and (or) its resources are very limited;

2) provision of various services.

When choosing a target segment, it is advisable to use the following segment analysis methods:

1. AID – automatic determination of relationships by sequential comparison according to specified parameters (criteria).

2. Cluster analysis – sequential grouping of consumers (over 200) into groups with subsequent study.

3. Factor analysis.

4. Joint analysis – analysis of the consumer’s choice of preferred goods (services).

The assessment of a market segment is based on the attractiveness of the segment: analysis of current sales volumes and expected profits for each segment; size and growth opportunities in the long term; knowledge of your competitors; availability of substitute goods;

It is also necessary to identify the company's strengths.

So, the end result of a firm's selection of target segments is that it identifies the segment or segments on which it will concentrate its efforts.

One of the main goals of marketing is to carry out a competent strategy for promoting a product on the market, where it is very important to identify the most significant, large target groups of consumers that differ from each other, but have common intra-group interests (needs, demands).

Five types of consumers are defined:

1. Individual – these are consumers who purchase goods only for their personal needs. For example, single people or citizens living independently.

Personal items include clothing, shoes, personal items (except for gift purchases). First of all, these consumers are interested in the consumer qualities of the product: usefulness, price, appearance, packaging, service, guarantees. However, at the moment the market of individual consumers in Russia is relatively narrow.

2. Families or households are a group of buyers of food and non-food products, excluding personal items. Decisions are made jointly by the spouses or the head of the family.

3. Intermediaries are a type of consumer who purchases goods for subsequent resale. Intermediaries are not interested in the consumer qualities of a product, they are concerned with exchange characteristics - price, demand, profitability, speed of circulation, shelf life, etc. Intermediaries are more professional buyers, unlike families and individual consumers. The demand they present can be both quite broad and quite narrow.

4. Suppliers or representatives of companies, i.e. buyers of industrial goods. They buy goods for their further use in production, so everything is taken into account: price, quantity, speed of delivery, transportation costs, completeness of the assortment, the company’s reputation in the market, level of service and much more.

5. Officials or government workers. The peculiarity is that when purchasing a particular product, an official does not manage his own money, but government money, and, therefore, this procedure is bureaucratic and formalized. Important criteria when choosing a supplier or manufacturer are reliability, loyalty, honesty, personal connections, etc.

The international market also distinguishes such types of consumers as foreign legal entities and individuals.

There is also traditional classification consumers according to the following criteria.

1. Gender: there are products with a clear gender identity - bras, dresses, electric shavers, smoking pipes, shaving foam, etc. There are male and female models: cigarettes, deodorants, trousers, shirts, etc.

2. Age.

4. Education.

5. Social and professional criterion.

6. Quick response to new information or the appearance of a new product on the market. It is customary to divide consumers into the following groups:

1) “innovators” – consumers who dared to try a new product;

2) “adepts” - followers who make the product fashionable and famous;

3) “progressives” - consumers who ensure mass sales at the stage of product growth;

4) “skeptics” – they connect to demand at the saturation stage;

5) “conservatives” - they show demand when the product becomes “traditional”.

7. Personality type: there are four main psychological types - sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, melancholic. The practical application of this classification in marketing is quite difficult, since it is difficult to determine a personality type using 10–12 test questions.

8. Lifestyle: analysis of values, relationships, rhythm of life, personal behavior.

One of the main tasks of a marketing specialist is to identify those who make purchasing decisions.

The decision to purchase a particular product is made by a person (or group of persons) who has a common goal and shares the risk associated with making this decision.

For certain types of goods (services), identifying such persons is relatively simple. For example, a man usually decides for himself which brand of cigarettes to buy, and a woman decides which company to give preference to when choosing lipstick. Decisions related to determining where a family will vacation or purchasing an apartment will most likely be made by a group of people consisting of a husband, wife, and adult children. Therefore, the marketing specialist must determine as precisely as possible the role of each family member in making a decision, which will help him in developing product characteristics.

There are several roles that a person plays in the process of making a decision to purchase a product:

1) initiator of the proposal;

2) the decision maker;

3) person exerting influence;

4) buyer;

5) user.

Thus, in the process of deciding to purchase a computer, an offer may come from a child (teenager). Each family member can have a certain influence on the decision or any of its components. The husband and wife make the final decision and, in fact, become the buyers. Users can be all family members.

To determine the roles of buyers, marketing specialists conduct research on the various participants in the decision-making process. Mostly a survey is used. It is important to determine the relative influence of different family members on the purchasing process. For example, J. Herbst identifies four types of families.

1. Each family member makes an equal number of independent decisions.

2. Families where the husband makes most of the decisions.

3. Dominance of wife's decisions.

4. Joint decision making (syncretistic).

All four types of families exist on the market, but their ratio changes over time. In modern society, due to rising incomes and education, there are more and more syncretic families and less and less with the dominance of the “masculine principle”. This circumstance must be taken into account when choosing and developing a marketing strategy.

Another important characteristic of the buyer is the period of the family’s life cycle. Seven periods are identified:

1) bachelor period, unmarried;

2) young families;

3) young families with a child under 6 years of age;

4) young families with children under 6 years of age;

5) married couples living with minor children;

6) elderly couples living separately from their children;

7) elderly singles.

Every family has certain needs at some point in its life cycle. For example, a young family with a minor child under 10 years of age is the main buyer of washing machines, televisions, kitchen appliances, and toys, while a family with adult children purchases expensive video and audio equipment. Depending on the life cycle of the family, the roles of individual family members may change, and accordingly, their influence on decisions made also changes.

There are four groups of factors that have a direct impact on purchasing behavior: personal, psychological, social and cultural.

Let's take a closer look at the first two.

Personal factors include: age, gender, income of the person, stage of the family life cycle, nationality, profession, lifestyle, personality type, etc.

Lifestyle refers to a person’s life stereotypes (his interests, beliefs, his own opinions). Sometimes it is quite difficult for marketers to study this factor. For this purpose, special marketing programs are specially developed, within the framework of which research is carried out.

Human is a personality, therefore, over a relatively long period of time, his reactions to the influence of the external environment are practically constant. Personality type is characterized by such traits as self-confidence, independence, sociality, active (or passive) behavior, adaptability, etc. For example, when conducting research, coffee producers discovered that active coffee consumers are quite highly social individuals.

Psychological factors include: motivation of human behavior, perception of the surrounding world.

Studying motivations (or drives) is necessary because this is what motivates a person to make a purchase.

Marketers are looking for answers to questions such as: “Why is this purchase being made?”, “What basic need does the buyer want to satisfy with this product?” and so on. Motive- This is the need that prompts a person to satisfy it. When studying the motives of human behavior, motivational analysis is used, based on the theory of S. Freud and A. Maslow.

Z. Freud studied the consumer purchasing decision-making process. He believed that important consumer motives are embedded in the subconscious and that the buyer cannot always justify one or another of his choices.

According to Z. Freud, a person from birth is under the pressure of many desires that he is not able to understand and control, that is, the individual is never fully aware of the motives of his behavior.

A. Maslow, in his theory of motivation, developed a hierarchical system of needs and explained why people have different needs at a certain point in time.

He built a system of needs based on the principle of importance:

1) physiological (need for food, clothing, housing);

2) self-preservation (protection, safety);

3) social (belonging to a certain social group, in love);

4) in respect;

5) in self-affirmation (the need for self-development, self-realization).

A person satisfies needs according to their importance. For example, a hungry person first of all tries to satisfy his need for food, rather than the need for his respect and love from others. And only having satisfied his important need, he moves on to satisfy the next less important need. This knowledge is used in assessing the possible behavior of different groups of consumers, as well as in motivating the work of employees.

Perception– this is how a person interprets information received from the outside. It is necessary to take into account the internal motivations of buyers, tips from other consumers in the process of stimulating demand.

Beliefs is a person’s idea of ​​something. It is based on knowledge, faith, experience, opinion. This is one of the important knowledge that marketers need to have.

Relationship– these are different assessments, feelings in relation to specific objects and ideas. They have a strong impact on human behavior, they are difficult to change, but they must be taken into account when forming the company’s marketing policy, trying to bring them as close as possible to certain relationships.

The purchasing behavior model includes the following categories:

1. Marketing incentives (product, its price, distribution methods and sales promotion).

2. Other stimuli (economic, political, cultural, social, scientific and technical).

3. Consciousness of the buyer (his characteristics and the process of making a purchase decision).

4. Buyer responses (choice of product, brand, supplier, time of purchase).

The process of purchasing a particular product includes the following steps:

1. A need arises:need arises under the influence of external and internal factors. For a person to undertake specific actions, his need must reach a certain level of intensity, that is, crowd out or suppress other desires. The marketing specialist must find out what needs the buyer satisfies by purchasing this product, as well as through what measures the intensity of the need can be increased.

2. Search for information: To satisfy a need, a person needs relevant information about a specific product. Depending on the intensity of the need, two states of a person are distinguished: a state of increased attention (increased attention to the information that is related to the satisfaction of his need) and a state of active search for information (when the intensity of the need increases, a person deliberately begins to look for information about the product that interests him).

Information sources:

a) personal (friends, family, acquaintances, neighbors);

c) public (media);

d) empirical (product use, experiment, test).

3. Evaluation of information: a person correlates the information received with his capabilities and forms an appropriate attitude towards this product.

4. Making a purchasing decision: assessment of the information received about the product, as well as taking into account the influence of various factors on the buyer’s purchasing behavior. A marketing specialist must provide the consumer with the necessary information and draw his attention to those factors that will help motivate him to purchase, that is, help him buy a specific product.

5. Impressions after the purchase. The impression from purchasing a product can be different: from complete satisfaction to complete negativity towards this purchase. The marketer must do everything to ensure that the buyer is not disappointed in his choice.

The main areas of consumer research are identified:

1) the consumer’s attitude towards a specific company;

2) attitude towards various aspects of its activities;

3) level of satisfaction of needs;

4) buyers' intentions;

5) making a purchase decision (see in the previous section);

6) buyer behavior during the purchase process and after;

7) motives of consumer behavior.

The consumer's assessment of the information received about the product is formed either on the basis of existing knowledge or on the basis of evoked emotions.

Using various marketing methods, marketers study attitudes towards their product. This is necessary in order to timely adjust the company’s actions in the market.

Two main approaches are used to determine the type of customer relationship with a product:

1) identification of preferences;

2) identifying propensities to purchase a particular product.

For example, there are two product models on the market: A and B. Using the question “Which model is more preferable to you?” buyer preferences can be identified. You can identify purchasing propensity by asking the question “Which model are you most likely to purchase?” A consumer may prefer Model A, but due to lack of the required amount of money (or other factors), buy Model B.

Also, an important area in the study of consumers is the value system they focus on when choosing a product.

It is necessary to conduct an in-depth analysis of the degree of customer satisfaction using a satisfaction map. To do this, calculate the average value of the level of satisfaction for the given indicators and the standard deviation for each of them. And they carry out the analysis by comparing the data obtained. Using this technique, you can get a fairly complete picture of the market’s perception of the quality of the product, its price, level of service, etc.

It is also important to regularly measure customer satisfaction (and dissatisfaction) and find out the reasons for dissatisfaction.

One product cannot please absolutely all people - this is an axiom. Children have no use for decorative cosmetics, women, as a rule, are indifferent to spinning rods, and men do not understand the types of heels on shoes. But even within these large groups there are smaller ones whose needs may vary greatly. This is precisely why there is such a thing as a market segment. What does it mean? And what are the main ones?

Market segments

Essential goods, luxury goods, more expensive or cheaper analogues - all this is available in almost any market. Certain groups of the population always find something suitable for themselves. But how does this happen? The thing is that manufacturers, with the help of marketers, conditionally divide the entire mass of consumers and products into different groups. The criteria can be very different: income, age, place of residence, marital status, interests and hobbies, etc. for buyers, as well as a huge number of parameters when it comes to goods.

The needs of people belonging to certain segments will be different. It is unlikely that residents of northern latitudes will need a car with only air conditioning, but UAE citizens do not need heated seats. As a rule, a market segment is a group of people with similar indicators according to some distinguished criterion. But why do you need to know this? Of course, to identify and satisfy their needs, while receiving maximum income. That is why it is traditional to talk about division in the context of commodity industries. But, of course, it’s worth saying a few words about other sectors of the economy, for example, segments of the financial market are of interest. But more on that later.

Real market

The easiest way to consider segmentation is using the example of the simplest and most familiar area of ​​buying and selling goods and services. Here it allows not only to find out the composition of participants on the buyer’s side, but also to evaluate future competitors. Identifying what products are on the market and what consumer qualities they have, including price category, type of packaging, packaging, etc., helps in finding your own niche. Of course, either one criterion or a whole complex of them can be applied. This allows you to see the main sectors and their relationship. As a rule, it is impossible to take in the whole picture, but focusing only on large and medium-sized players, whose market segment share is more or less significant, gives a very real picture.

Why do you need segmentation?

Dividing consumers into groups is necessary for more efficient functioning of the market and meeting consumer demand. In addition, identifying target segments allows the company to reduce production costs in the long term. In the process of studying the most suitable strategy, market participants go through 3 main stages. However, sometimes a manufacturer acts based on one principle all the time:

• Mass marketing. Here, as a rule, the manufacturer focuses on the general features and needs of its customers. Standardization of goods and the absence of the possibility of customization for a specific client allows you to reduce costs and keep prices at an acceptable level.
• Product-differentiated marketing. Here it is already possible to control the characteristics of the proposed product so that it attracts different categories of consumers. This ensures a low level of risk and a fairly high level of sales.
• Targeted marketing. Concentrating on one or a few segments can be either extremely profitable or completely disastrous. At the same time, the consumer expects that the product will fully meet his needs, which imposes a certain risk on the manufacturer.

Each of these approaches has its own advantages and disadvantages, but the third at the moment seems to be the most effective, although the most costly in terms of human and financial resources. However, an individual approach pays off - a variety of choices allows consumers to purchase products that suit them.

A correctly defined target market segment is half the success of a marketing campaign, so you should be very careful in choosing it or entrust this process to professionals. Indeed, the process may require a large-scale survey, study of opinions, etc., especially if we are talking about innovative goods or services. But more on that later. Essentially, the process of segmentation is the structuring of the market according to the degree of priority of capturing a particular suitable audience and with the aim of finding a possible niche. How does this happen?

Stages

Selection and analysis of market segments is a complex process that requires a systematic approach. That is why it is usually divided into several stages:

1. Identifying customer needs and requirements for the product offered. Suggestions and criticism are systematized and analyzed.
2. Identify consumer similarities and differences to develop a marketing plan.
3. Profiling buyer groups. Separating them into a separate market segment. Selection of target groups. Characteristics of the market segment.
4. Determining the most profitable option in terms of targeting customers, sales channels, etc.
5. Creating a business plan.

This may not seem like a big deal, but in reality, making the wrong decision for a small company can lead to bankruptcy, so it's worth taking the analysis process seriously.

Segmentation Criteria

The principles of market division can be completely different depending on the industry. These can be quantitative or qualitative parameters, as well as completely special factors.

And yet, certain general segmentation criteria exist, and they can be used in a variety of combinations:

• Geographical. The location of consumers is taken into account.
• Demographic. Age, gender, belonging to a certain generation, level of income and spending are considered.
• Behavioral. The frequency of purchases, ranking according to the importance of consumer qualities of a product, attitude towards brands, driving forces inducing purchases, etc. are studied.
• Psychological. We are talking about tastes, preferences, interests.
• Consumption style. Identification of patterns, willingness to buy related and complementary products.

But in what form is this implemented in practice? What are the service market segments or how to choose a suitable niche for an innovative product? All this is worth talking about in more detail.

Consumer classification

Any market segment is not numbers on paper, in real life it is just people making purchases. Therefore, in order to understand how to sell them your product, you need to know how they behave and why. The traditional classification identifies five types:

• individual, that is, single people making purchases exclusively for personal use;
• households, in this case the wishes and tastes of several people are already taken into account, the volume of consumption is higher;
• intermediaries, that is, entrepreneurs who buy goods for the purpose of subsequent resale;
• suppliers, company representatives;
• civil servants and officials.

It also makes sense to list consumer groups according to the model of their reaction to a new product on the market; it makes it very clear how different each segment of the market for goods or services is:

• innovators strive to be among the first to try a new product;
• adherents popularize the product;
• progressives provide mass sales;
• skeptics join in at the stage of market saturation;
• conservatives show demand only when the product moves into the “traditional” category.

Perhaps it comes down to natural curiosity and a desire to try new things, although sometimes certain consumers find themselves in one of the groups completely unexpectedly. It is always worthwhile to assess the realities very soberly. For example, some segments of the Russian market have not yet been completely formed, while others are in their infancy. Of course, when analyzing the business environment, such things need to be taken into account.

Choice

There are no uniform principles that allow you to accurately answer the question of which market segment to choose - you have to act by trial and error, changing variable values ​​and collecting information on the effectiveness of promoting goods and services. At the same time, various market factors that influence demand come into play: competitors' strategies, market conditions, the degree of homogeneity of the market and the product being produced, company resources, as well as stages of the product life cycle. So the smartest thing to do is to monitor consumers’ reactions to certain changes and vary the promotion method. For all this, such powerful marketing tools as factor, joint, and cluster types of analysis are used.

Multiple segmentation

If the size and financial position of the company allows, it is possible to implement a special method of work. It lies in the fact that the company selects the main market segments for itself, diversifying its activities, and thereby maximizing turnover. There is a certain risk of not being able to cope with the requests of counterparties from different industries, at the same time, the loss of one or two areas will not be critical. As a rule, only large companies can afford this style of work, since each segment of the enterprise’s market requires special attention, which, given the overall scale, is quite costly in terms of financial and labor resources.

Product positioning

Selecting target market segments and promoting goods involves not only careful study and segmentation, but also the creation of a certain image for the good or service offered to customers. Positioning is a subtle tool that must be used quite carefully, because without taking into account the needs of the target audience, you can only alienate them. Ways to promote your product can be different: you can rely on excellent characteristics or environmental friendliness, you can characterize what is being offered as an elite and exclusive item, accessible to a few, or vice versa - create an aura of democracy and friendliness towards the buyer around the brand - in a word, there are methods and directions a bunch of.

Labor market

In addition to factors common to all areas, there are also special ones at work here. For example, a distinction is made between the primary and secondary market segments. These are two separate parts, characterized in completely different ways.

Thus, the primary market covers relatively higher-paid professions that are in stable demand. At the same time, the secondary part is characterized by high staff turnover, less prestige, unstable employment and low qualifications of participants.

Analysis of labor market segments is the job of recruiting companies and organizations that are just starting out and are about to recruit staff. The assessment will allow you to calculate the most attractive conditions for job seekers and generally understand what helps people choose a particular company in their job search.

Services sector

If a product is something material, then the next market offers something that is quite difficult to evaluate in terms of qualitative parameters. We are, of course, talking about various services: medical, educational, consulting, etc. At the same time, it is divided into two large parts that are very different in operating principles. The first is the so-called B2B, which covers market segments of services provided to companies. The second one works directly with end consumers. If you do not focus on the intangibility of goods, this market is not fundamentally different from the commodity market.

Financial market

The monetary and banking sectors are the most popular service sectors, so it is not surprising that they are so well developed. The following segments of the financial market are distinguished: credit, foreign exchange, insurance, investment. Sometimes the securities sector is also distinguished separately. Many companies do not limit their work to one segment, while others, on the contrary, prefer to focus on a specific area. In general, what is now observed is rather the consolidation of companies and the diversification of their activities within the industry.

Innovation

There are also completely special situations. Innovative solutions launched on the market is a separate topic that requires much more detailed consideration. Firstly, the absence of competitors provides special conditions. Secondly, the marketing strategy should be built very wisely so that buyers do not treat the product with caution.

New market segments are always a difficult and unpredictable road. History knows examples when even the most successful companies released frankly unsuccessful products. However, any consumer can say that almost any equipment manufacturer has real legendary products in its arsenal; otherwise, there is simply no chance of success. Perhaps, as is the case if the choice of target market segments is made incorrectly.

The idea of ​​market segmentation was first proposed by W. Smith in 1956. Emphasizing the importance of segmentation for practical activities in the market, marketers argue that competent competition begins with qualified market segmentation.

Market segmentation– division of consumers with their numerous and complex needs into narrow, homogeneous groups of requirements.

Market segment– market sector, a group of consumers with certain similar characteristics, significantly different from all other market sectors and consumer groups.

The need for segmentation is determined by market pressure:

If there is economic growth, then the segmentation process becomes more complex, which is explained by an increase in needs and opportunities to meet them;

If the economic situation worsens, then the segmentation process is curtailed, which is explained by a decrease in the level of satisfaction of the needs of the majority of consumers.

Purpose of segmentation– identification of relatively homogeneous needs for goods in each group of buyers and organization of the commodity, pricing, and sales activities of the enterprise in accordance with this.

Purpose of segmentation analysis– identifying a niche, its development and subsequent development in the fight against competitors. The effectiveness of segmentation analysis is assessed using the following factors:

Possibility of comparative assessment of the market relative to other markets, commensurability and identifiability of markets;

Significant size of the promising market, allowing us to identify at least two types of consumer behavior, and the capacity of the segments, sufficient for the program of developing targeted marketing designed for these segments to acquire real meaning;

The existence of sales promotion tools suitable for influencing market segments;

Consumer responsiveness to external influences.

Various criteria are used to determine segments (Table 3.8). The segment selected during marketing research should open up good prospects for the further development of the enterprise. In this regard, the implementation of segmentation is determined by the strategic goals of the manufacturer.

The indicators that determine the effectiveness of the segmentation performed include:

Market size adequate to the manufacturer’s needs;

Weak connection between segments;

Low competitiveness of goods and services offered by competitors;

Consistent differences between segments;

Low additional costs for servicing the segment;

The segment has a significant need for goods and services from this manufacturer.

Table 3.8

Criteria for determining a market segment

When segmenting a market, various characteristics are distinguished. Some of them are presented in table. 3.9.

Table 3.9

General signs of market segmentation

The main advantages of market segmentation:

Creation of new products that meet market demands;

Determination of effective sales promotion strategies;

Assessment of competition in the market;

Objective assessment of existing marketing strategies.

Main disadvantages of market segmentation:

Conclusions regarding market segmentation characterize only the average statistical trend in consumer behavior;

Diversity of consumer lifestyles since the 1980s makes segmentation difficult in many markets;

Segmentation does not solve problems associated with insufficient attention to other elements of marketing. Even the most accurate segmentation is of no value if the organization has not developed strategies for assortment formation, sales promotion, pricing, and product distribution.

When carrying out segmentation, it is necessary to select segmentation characteristics, taking into account the differences between the markets for personal consumption goods (Fig. 3.5) and industrial products (Fig. 3.6).

Segmentations according to those shown in Fig. 3.5 The characteristics for personal consumption goods are:

segmentation by application circumstances– dividing the market into groups in accordance with the circumstances and the motive for making a purchase;

benefit-based segmentation– dividing the market into groups depending on the benefits, benefits, and advantages that the consumer sees in a given product;

segmentation by user status– dividing the market into groups depending on the degree of regularity of use of a product by its users, among whom are distinguished those who do not use this product; former, potential, regular and new users;

segmentation by consumption intensity– dividing the market into groups of weak, moderate, active consumers of a particular product;

Rice. 3.5. Segmentation features for personal consumption goods

Rice. 3.6. Signs of segmentation for industrial goods

segmentation by degree of loyalty– dividing the market into groups in accordance with consumer commitment to a certain brand of goods, measured by the number of repeat purchases of goods of this brand;

segmentation by stage of buyer readiness– classification of buyers into ignorant and knowledgeable, well-informed about the product and interested in it, and those unwilling and unable to purchase this product.

In Russia, segmentation of consumers depending on their ability to pay is very common.

General rule for segmentation: it can be carried out on the basis of one criterion, as well as through the sequential application of several criteria.

In practice, six types of market segmentation are used (Table 3.10).

Table 3.10

Types of market segmentation

Segmentation is successful if a market window is identified or a market niche is discovered.

Market window– groups of consumers whose specific needs cannot be directly satisfied by a product specially created for this purpose, but are satisfied as a result of the use of other, similar products.

Market Niche– a segment for which the products of a given company are optimal and their supply seems most appropriate. Has a high level of specialization.

Market niches can be quite profitable due to the high level of quality satisfying the specific needs of a limited number of consumers at increased prices.

The algorithm for forming a product niche is presented in Fig. 3.7.

Rice. 3.7. Sequence of actions when creating a market niche

There are two approaches to creating a market niche:

vertical niche– sales of a given product or group of functionally related products to different groups of consumers;

horizontal niche– satisfaction of various consumer needs for goods and services that are functionally independent of each other.

Over time, a market niche can become a large market segment or even a strategic business area.

In marketing practice, various market segmentation strategies are used (Table 3.11).

Table 3.11

Market Segmentation Strategies

Concept of market segmentation

Selecting target market segments

Product positioning.

Market niche.

1.The concept of market segmentation

In modern conditions of market development, it is almost impossible to satisfy all consumers with one product or service. Everyone has their own desires, interests and expectations from the product. Therefore, companies need to take into account differences in consumer requirements and expectations when developing a marketing strategy and marketing mix. This can be done by dividing the market into specific groups, each of which contains consumers with common characteristics and similar needs for certain goods and services. Identifying these groups is called market segmentation.

An enterprise in its activities can focus on the entire market or on individual market segments. The task of marketing is to help an enterprise find its place in the market.

Under segmentation understand the division of the market into separate segments that differ either in their parameters and or in their response to certain types of activities, or in some other way.

Market segment- this is a specially selected part of the market, a group of consumers, goods or enterprises that have some common characteristics.

Market segmentation is one of the functions in the system of marketing activities and is associated with the implementation of work to classify buyers or consumers of goods located on the market or introduced to it. Main goal of segmentation- “revive” by focusing on the consumer the designed, manufactured and sold flow of goods (services) in a specific market segment.

The division of the underlying market is carried out in two stages, which correspond to two levels of market division.

At the first stage, which is called macro-segmentation, the “product market” is identified.

In the second stage, called microsegmentation, consumer segments are identified within each previously identified market (i.e., selecting small areas of the base market to apply the company's marketing efforts to them).

The segmentation process consists of the following steps:

Analysis of the company's market and marketing capabilities

Study of segmentation criteria

Market segmentation

Market environment analysis and target market selection

Selection and planning of a company's behavior strategy in the market

Assessing attractiveness and selecting target market segments

Positioning of products on the market

Marketing mix planning

Development of a marketing mix

Organization of the company’s activities in a new market segment

Segmentation goals:

The best satisfaction of the needs and requirements of people, customization of goods according to the wishes of the buyer

Strengthening competitive advantages

Ensuring rationalization of costs for production and sales of products

Orientation of all marketing work towards a specific consumer

Linking a scientific and technical company with consumer needs

Avoiding competition by moving into an untapped segment.

Pre-segmentation– the initial stage of marketing research, focusing on studying the maximum possible number of market segments.

Final segmentation– the final stage of market analysis, the implementation of which is regulated by the capabilities of the company itself and the conditions of the market environment. It is associated with the search for optimal market segments in order to position products there that meet consumer demand and the capabilities of the company.

Depending on the type of consumer of goods or services, a distinction is made between consumers of consumer goods and consumers of goods for industrial and technical purposes.

Thus, the consumer segment in a firm's product market consists of consumers with similar needs and behavioral or motivational characteristics, which creates favorable marketing opportunities for the firm.

The main goal of segmentation is to ensure targeting of the product being developed, produced and sold. By means of it, the basic principle of marketing is implemented - consumer orientation.

The average entrepreneur in our country without an economic education, but with rich practical experience in commercial matters, believes that segmentation is the division of the market for goods/services into certain areas based on common characteristics.

What is market segmentation - theory

Since this issue is one of the most important not only in marketing, but also in other economic disciplines, its study will help many businessmen, in addition to eliminating gaps in education, obtain practical benefits, which is expressed in conquering the market and increasing sales of their products. This article will discuss all the nuances of market division and structuring, including both the theoretical aspects of this issue and its practical component.

One of the main axioms of marketing, which is directly related to the topic of our article, says: you can get maximum profit only if you direct all the efforts and resources of the enterprise to a certain market segment, and not try to become a monopolist in all directions. Naturally, first of all, a person who has never been involved in marketing research will be interested in what “segmentation” is, how it happens and what goals it pursues. Before we give answers to these questions, as it is written in textbooks on economic theory, we will try to do this on our own, using available examples.

First, let's make a complete list of criteria by which segmentation occurs. It is necessary to take into account any nuances that allow you to distinguish one buyer from another:

geographical characteristics (place of residence, size of the settlement, its level of urbanization).

socio-demographic differences (age, gender, marital status, income, nationality).

psychographic characteristics (moral values ​​and beliefs, outlook on life, upbringing, motivation to action).

behavioral differences (this includes any parameters that characterize the buyer before/during and after the process of purchasing a product).

Using the above criteria, you need to imagine what the following categories of people would look like:

those who will gladly buy your product and will never take advantage of competitors’ offers;

those who can buy goods from you and from competing companies;

customers who don't like your product.

Having collected and systematized all the above information, you can draw certain conclusions about the buyers of your products. In addition, with careful analysis, it is quite possible to identify the main errors in the production, advertising or sale of your goods. Why do 17-20 year old students buy products with pleasure, while adult consumers prefer to purchase similar products from competitors? Based on a structured analysis of the categories of your potential buyers, you can find the answer to this question.

At the next stage, you need to trace the pattern between the cost of the product and its potential buyers. That is, to draw up an approximate “portrait”:

consumers of goods from competing companies that are cheaper than yours;

consumers of goods from competing companies that cost more than yours;

consumers of products from competing companies that cost the same as yours.

At the next stage, you need to carefully analyze all the information received and, preferably, create a table with the criteria of buyers and their price preferences. The result of your analytical work should be the identified parameters, which will be the foundation of segmentation.

For example, an accomplished man of 52 years old with a higher education, average income, who has a family with adult children, an apartment in a fairly large city and a summer cottage for relaxation, will never buy cheap cognac, but also overpay huge sums for the “name” when buying a famous French brand (there is a possibility that it is a fake) it will not be. At the same time, a twenty-year-old student living in a dormitory with his parents’ money and going on a visit can most likely buy a counterfeit to show that he earns “serious” money and can afford to spend it on “quality” alcohol. Note that he does not care about the fact that the next morning he and his friends may wake up in the hospital with a diagnosis of poisoning from low-quality alcohol.

Based on basic criteria, it is necessary to segment the market and begin to assess the potential of your products in each segment. To do this, it is best to proceed according to the following scheme:

assess the prospects for its development in the near future.

determine the competitiveness of your products and the chances of winning a buyer in this segment.

At the final stage, you need to determine which market segments are of interest to the company in terms of making a profit. The main thing is not to scatter your capabilities and do not try to capture the entire market in one fell swoop! In every business, consistency and efficient use of resources should be the determining factors. This is the only way to achieve serious results and make your enterprise profitable and promising.

It is simply physically impossible to consider all the definitions of “market segmentation” that exist today in marketing theory. In principle, if we remove unimportant nuances, they boil down to the fact that this is the first stage of market research, which helps determine its capacity, structure and development prospects, taking into account the sentiments, preferences and economic capabilities of potential consumers.

Practical aspects of market segmentation

Taking into account current trends in the development of the world economy and the lack of stability in this process, we can safely say that the term strategic segmentation, which was widespread several years ago, has today completely lost its original meaning. If earlier it meant a complete change in the outgoing parameters (objective or conscious) in any market within 2-3 years, today this term means a study of the main parameters of the market in order to determine the correct development strategy for the company.

The following market parameters are distinguished::

needs to be satisfied;

separate consumer groups belonging to a specific segment;

timing, volumes and cost of sales of products in certain segments;

technology to meet needs.

In the process of realizing your main goal– obtaining maximum profits with minimal expenditure of resources, each company selects promising target segments that correspond to the optimal production volume. Management theorists call them the strategic zone of management.

The entire process of selecting and forming strategic management zones comes down to the following actions:

determining the needs of potential consumers;

analysis of available technological capabilities to meet these needs;

calculating the cost of manufactured products;

determining the market segment in which this product will be in demand;

implementation.

But such a strategy is only possible in a situation where demand consistently exceeds supply on the market for a given product. If the market situation changes, strategic segmentation involves searching for new areas of activity based on existing technological capabilities. We can conclude that segmentation in marketing is one of the main principles that allows you to get maximum results using exclusively objective factors, without interfering with production technology or other organizational issues.

Another important point that is directly related to the topic of our article is the market coverage strategy.

Marketers identify three main areas:← Back