Market segmentation is the classification of consumers into groups that are distinguished by the relative homogeneity of demand, tastes and preferences. Markets are segmented because they understand that you cannot make a product for everyone. Customers and their needs are different, therefore, the goods must be different.

A market segment is a group of customers, defined in a specific way, that can be effectively served by an enterprise.

The purpose of market segmentation is to identify the most important needs for goods for each consumer group and to orient its policy towards meeting their demand.

Segmentation principles:

Demographic, i.e. by gender, age, education, income level, occupation, nationality;

Behavioral involves knowledge of the product, attitude to the new product;

Geographic, i.e. by territorial affiliation of the market segment;

Psychographic takes into account belonging to social class, lifestyle, personality type.

Basic segmentation rules: there must be differences between consumers; consumers of each segment should be united according to certain criteria; the selected segments must be large enough; the segment must be available for effective marketing methods.

Depending on the nature of the segmentation and the type of consumers, several types of it are distinguished: macro-segmentation (by country); micro-segmentation (by groups of consumers of one country); depth segmentation; breadth segmentation; pre-segmentation and final segmentation.

The most common segmentation criteria are:

– segment capacity, by which the number is determined potential consumers and, accordingly, the required production capacity;

- channels for distribution and marketing of products, allowing to solve the issues of forming a sales network;

- stability of the market, allowing to make a choice about the expediency of loading the capacities of the enterprise;

- profitability, showing the level of profitability of the enterprise in this market segment;

- compatibility of the market segment with the market of the main competitors, which allows to assess the strength or weakness of competitors and decide on the appropriateness and readiness to incur additional costs when targeting such a segment;

- assessment of the experience of specific personnel of the enterprise (engineering, production or sales) in the selected market segment and the adoption of appropriate measures;

– protection of the selected segment from competition.

According to the subject, book literature can be divided into: mass-political, scientific and popular science, production, study, educational and methodical, literary and artistic, publications for children and youth, reference publications.

This choice of segments allows the most complete coverage of book production.

According to the form of publishing books: hardcover (about 35-40%.), softcover (small number of pages (about 55-60% of the market), low cost, volume; gift editions (small circulation. Almost do not take up space on the market).

The Russian book market is based on 4 large segments: Lith-hood editions (45%) Applied liter (15%) Children's liter (30%) Business liter (10%)

Types of buyers: individual buyer, families and housewives, resellers (resellers), industrial buyers.

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

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

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

Market segmentation 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.

The well-known marketer S. Madjaro noted that a marketing specialist who is able to offer new way segmentation of the market for its product, may enable the firm to avoid intense competition. Therefore, the success of the company in the 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 particular product, and therefore must focus only on those segments that are most preferable in terms of the production and commercial capabilities of the company. Sales market segmentation objects- these are groups of consumers, goods (services), as well as enterprises (competitors).

2. Stages of segmentation

There are (distinguish) main stages of segmentation:

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

2) analysis of similarities and differences of consumers: there is an analysis of the collected information; identification of similarities or differences should affect the developed marketing plan;

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

4) choice of segment (segments) of consumers: follows from the previous stage;

5) determining the company's place of work in the market in relation 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 should be targeted; moreover, the company must realistically represent its goals, strengths, the level of competition, the size of markets, relations with distribution channels, profits and its image in the eyes of others;

6) creation of a marketing plan: after the company has collected and analyzed information about consumers, defined 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, including: product, distribution, price, promotion.

3. Types of segmentation

Market segmentation requires a detailed study of the requirements imposed by the consumer on 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 on the type of consumer of goods (services).

1. Depending on the nature of segmentation:

1) macro-segmentation - the division of markets into regions, countries, the degree of their industrialization;

2) microsegmentation - 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); e.g. automobiles, passenger 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 young people;

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

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

2. Depending on the type of consumers:

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

2) segmentation of consumers of goods for industrial 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 in their analysis.

4. Criteria for market segmentation

Market segmentation is carried out according to criteria and features.

Criterion is a way of assessing the choice of a particular segment by a firm.

Market segmentation criteria:

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

2. Availability of the segment, i.e. e. Obtaining the company's channels for distribution and marketing of products, as well as the conditions for transporting products in this segment.

3. The materiality of the segment, i.e., how stable is the market to the capacity utilization of the enterprise.

4. Profitability.

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

6. Experience of the firm's personnel.

7. Accessibility of the media.

8. Impact of business structure.

9. Legal aspects.

10. Demographic characteristics.

11. Lifestyle.

12. The attitude of consumers to this trademark.

13. Expected risk.

14. Importance of buying.

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

16. Demographic.

17. Economic (property).

18. Social.

19. Cultural.

20. Psychological, etc.

5. Strategy and opportunities for market segmentation

After the segmentation of the market, the firm needs to make a decision on how many and what segments it will work on. It is also important to choose a strategy.

There are three types of strategies:

1) undifferentiated;

2) differentiated;

3) concentrated.

Strategy undifferentiated marketing is a firm strategy that focuses on the commonality of interests and preferences of buyers, and not on differences in needs and attitudes. Target– development of such products and marketing program that can satisfy the maximum possible number of customers. In other words, the goal of the firm is achieved by finding a line of compromise. The company adheres to the standardization and mass production of goods. This strategy is very economical. However, it is not recommended to use it for enterprises of the same industry, since there may be fierce competition in large segments.

Strategy differentiated marketing- This is a company strategy focused simultaneously on several market segments with the development of individual proposals. 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 necessary, therefore the strategy of differentiated marketing is feasible mainly for large companies.

Strategy concentrated marketing is a strategy for focusing the firm's efforts on one or more profitable market segments. Especially, it is attractive in cases where the resources of the enterprise are rather limited. This strategy is preferred for small and medium-sized firms. It consists in the fact that one or more products are offered to the market, which are accompanied by targeted marketing programs. At the same time, it is necessary to pay great attention the reputation of your company, the prestige of your product, constantly analyze selected segments, monitor the dynamics of market share, and take measures to prevent the emergence of new competitors.

The main arguments in favor of market segmentation are:

1) the possibility of providing a better understanding of not only the needs and requirements of buyers, but also knowing your potential or real consumer “in person” (personal characteristics, motives for behavior in the market, etc.); result - the product is more in line with the requirements of the market;

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

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

4) study of the most promising buyers;

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

6. The concept of a segment and a market niche

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

Purchasing needs under the influence of changing market trends, new offers of firms, opinions from the outside are constantly evolving and changing. 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 own home”, i.e. a niche is such a part of the market where the company has secured a dominant position. It is believed that an enterprise operating in niches is so aware and able to satisfy the needs and requirements of buyers in its niche that the latter are willing to pay even higher prices for the goods (services) of this enterprise.

Occupying your own niche is a chance to survive the competition by focusing your resources on serving narrower market niches that do not attract interest or are not paid attention to by larger competitors.

7. Multiple segmentation

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

Scale of activity is to involve several market segments in the process of buying and selling, which indicates certain production and marketing capabilities of the company.

This method takes into account a variety of specific needs of customers (for example, automotive plants, electronics industries, banks, etc.)

Benefits of Multiple Segmentation consist in an expanded assortment, which allows the company to significantly increase its turnover by involving several market segments in the production and sale of goods, which allows you to have potentially higher profits, as well as conducting parallel work with several segments can actually 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 segment of the market 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 method of multiple segmentation involves the study of potential market segments where the company is going to work. A thorough study of the needs of consumers in different segments is quite expensive. However, in case of successful research and making the right decision, the company receives significant advantages over competitors, and, consequently, impressive results.

8. Selecting target segments

Carrying out marketing segmentation enables the company to determine the various 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, the company can use the following strategies:

1) undifferentiated marketing;

2) differentiated marketing;

3) concentrated marketing.

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

1) the company was created recently and (or) its resources are severely 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 - consistent association 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).

Evaluation of a market segment consists in the attractiveness of the segment: analysis of current sales volumes and expected profit for each segment; size and potential for long-term growth; knowledge of your competitors; availability of goods - substitutes;

It is also necessary to identify the strengths of the company.

So, the end result of the firm in choosing target segments is that it determines the segment or segments on which it will concentrate its efforts.

9. Classification of consumers

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

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.

Items for individual use are clothes, shoes, personal items (except for purchases as a gift). First of all, these consumers are interested in the consumer qualities of the product: utility, price, appearance, packaging, service, guarantees. However, at the moment the market for individual consumers in Russia is relatively narrow.

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

3. Intermediaries are a type of consumers who purchase goods for subsequent resale. Intermediaries are not interested in consumer qualities of the goods, 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 presented by them can be both rather broad and rather narrow.

4. Suppliers or representatives of firms, 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, transport costs, completeness of the assortment, the company's reputation in the market, the level of service, and much more.

5. Officials or government workers. The peculiarity lies in the fact that when purchasing this or that product, the official manages not his own money, but state money, and, therefore, this procedure is bureaucratized and formalized. Important criteria when choosing a supplier or manufacturer are reliability, loyalty, honesty, personal connections, etc.

The international market also highlights such a type 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 - 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. Socio-professional criterion.

6. Responsiveness to new information or the emergence 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 provide mass sales at the stage of product growth;

4) "skeptics" - connected to demand at the stage of saturation;

5) "conservatives" - 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 the type of personality with the help of 10-12 test questions.

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

10. Characteristics of buyers that influence their buying behavior

One of the main tasks of a marketing specialist is to identify those who make the decision to make a purchase.

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

For certain types goods (services) it is relatively easy to identify such persons. For example, a man usually decides for himself which brand of cigarettes to buy, and a woman decides which brand to prefer when choosing lipstick. Decisions related to determining the place of family vacation or buying an apartment are likely to be made by a group of people, consisting of a husband, wife and adult children. Therefore, the marketing specialist should determine as accurately as possible the role of each family member in decision making, 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) offer initiator;

2) the decision maker;

3) a person exerting influence;

4) the buyer;

5) user.

So, in the process of deciding to acquire a computer, the proposal may come from a child (teenager). Each member of the family can have some influence on the decision or any of its components. Husband and wife make the final decision and, in fact, become buyers. All family members can be users.

To determine the roles of buyers, marketing specialists conduct research on 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 buying process. For instance, 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 the wife's decisions.

4. Joint decision-making (syncretic).

There are all four types of families on the market, but their ratio changes over time. In modern society, due to the growth of incomes, 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 life cycle families. Seven periods have been identified:

1) bachelor period, unmarried;

2) young families;

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

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

5) married couples living with minor children;

6) elderly couples living separately from their children;

7) elderly loners.

Any family at a certain point in its life cycle has certain needs. For example, a young family with a minor child under the age of 10 is the main buyer of washing machines, televisions, kitchen appliances, 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.

11. Personal and psychological factors

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.

TO personal factors relate: age, gender, income of a person, stage of the family life cycle, nationality, profession, lifestyle, personality type, etc.

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

Person is a person, therefore, over a relatively long time interval of his reaction to the impact external environment 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 found that active coffee consumers are quite highly social personalities.

TO psychological factors relate: motivation of human behavior, perception of the surrounding world.

The study of motivations (or motives) is necessary, since this is what motivates a person to make a purchase.

Marketers are looking for an answer to questions such as: “Why is this purchase made?”, “What is the basic need the buyer wants to satisfy with this product?” etc. motive It is the need that motivates a person to satisfy it. When studying the motives of human behavior, motivational analysis is used, based on the theory of Z. Freud and A. Maslow.

Z. Freud studied the process of making decisions about the purchase by the consumer. He believed that important consumer motives are embedded in the subconscious and that the buyer can not always justify this or that choice.

According to Z. Freud, a person from birth is under the pressure of many desires that he is not able to realize 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 at a certain point in time have different needs.

He built the system of needs according to 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 the love of others. And only after satisfying his important need, he moves on to satisfy the next less important need. This knowledge is used in assessing the possible behavior of different consumer groups, as well as in motivating employees.

Perception- this is how a person interprets the information received from the outside. It is necessary to take into account the internal motives 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 must be taken into account when forming the marketing policy of the company, trying to bring them as close as possible to certain relationships.

12. Model of buying behavior

The buying behavior model includes the following categories:

1. Motivating factors of marketing (product, its price, methods of distribution and sales promotion).

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

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

4. Responses of the buyer (choice of product, brand, supplier, time of purchase).

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

1. The emergence of a need: the 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, i.e., displace or suppress other desires. The marketing specialist must find out what needs the buyer satisfies by purchasing this product, and also with the help of what activities the intensity of the need can be increased.

2. Information search: to meet the emerging need, a person needs relevant information about a particular product. Depending on the intensity of the need, two states of a person are distinguished: the state of increased attention (increased attention to the information that is associated with the satisfaction of his need) and the state of active information search (when the intensity of the need becomes aggravated, a person deliberately begins to look for information about the product of interest to him).

Sources of information:

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

c) public (media);

d) empirical (use of goods, 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 purchase decision: assessment of the information received about the product, as well as taking into account the influence of various factors on the behavior of the buyer regarding the purchase. A marketing specialist must provide the consumer with the necessary information and draw his attention to those factors that will help motivate him to buy, that is, help him buy a particular product.

5. Impressions after purchase. The impression of the purchase of goods can be different: from complete satisfaction to complete negativity for this purchase. The marketer must do everything so that the buyer is not disappointed in his choice.

There are main directions for studying consumers:

1) the attitude of the consumer to a particular company;

2) attitude to various aspects of its activities;

3) the level of satisfaction of needs;

4) intentions of buyers;

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

6) the behavior of the buyer in the process of making a purchase 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.

With the help of various marketing methods, marketers study the attitude towards their product. This is necessary in order to correct the actions of the company in the market in time.

Two main approaches are used in determining the type of customer relationship to a product:

1) revealing preferences;

2) identifying propensities to buy a particular product.

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

Also, an important direction in the study of consumers is the value system, which they are guided by when choosing a product.

It is necessary to conduct an in-depth analysis of the degree of customer satisfaction, by compiling 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 the analysis is carried out by comparing the obtained data. 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.

In addition, it is important to regularly measure customer satisfaction (and dissatisfaction) and find out the reasons for dissatisfaction.

Market - its segmentation and "niche". The role of marketing in the formation of market relations

The market is a set of consumer goods, services, scientific achievements, etc., represented by its various segments, aimed at specific consumers in order to meet their needs, and on this basis to maximize profits.

The market in general is an abstract concept. It exists from a set of markets, various goods. For the manufacturer, it is necessary to know the presence of a consumer of his product, the attitude towards this product and the potential capabilities of consumers.

1) A market segment is a part of the market, a distinctive group of consumers with their own characteristics and capabilities.

2) Market segmentation- this is the definition of groups of buyers focused on your product. Purpose of segmentation- identify homogeneous needs and orient their product policy (i.e. assortment, price, place, methods of influence). The market is an implementation of the marketing mix.

3) Market segmentation- a strategy for entering the market, but not for the whole market, but for its consumer, i.e. for the future.

Target market selection- the most important condition marketing activities. Target market - a market segment where not only competitive advantages, but also disadvantages can give a positive (sustainable) demand. Marketing segmentation- is: 1) increase in market share; 2) expansion of "own" segment and entry into new segments; 3) weakening the positions of competitors; 4) retention of one's positions - the implementation of a commodity policy directly on the market; 5) taking into account shortcomings - timely exit from the market, correction of product policy.

In marketing segmentation, markets are classified as follows:

1) Undifferentiated - the entire market and the same product.

2) Differentiated - several segments, different goods.

3) Concentrated - one segment, few goods (spot).

4) Diversification - expansion of the nomenclature (assortment).

The choice of the method of marketing segmentation is influenced by the marketing program, its implementation through the strategy (the size and resources of the company, the degree of assortment (commodity) policy, the phases of the product life cycle).

Segmentation criteria:

• economic (level of income, etc.);
• socio-demographic;
• political;
• psychological;
• consumer (price, quality, fashion - i.e. demand).

Features of segment definition: significance - accessibility - measurability - similarity of requirements - differences - prospects - stability.

Segmentation of the book market in the first half of 2002

Segment name	Circulation
	in million copies	in % of the total
Literature on education, culture and media	68,9	29,2
Fiction	57,4	24,3
Social science literature	43,3	18,3
Children's literature	26,4	11,2
Technical literature	12,9	5,5
Medicine, sports	9,5	4,0
Agricultural literature	6,6	2,8
natural science literature	5,1	2,2
Philology and art	5,1	2,2
Literature of universal content	0,7	0,3

Simple, concise and accessible, with many examples, the basics of enterprise marketing are outlined. The development of an enterprise's marketing program and its implementation is considered as a single process consisting of market analysis, assessment of the characteristics of the enterprise, choice competitive advantage, formation of a development strategy and control of its implementation.

The book is intended for entrepreneurs, heads of departments and directors of companies, marketing managers. It will also be useful for students of MBA schools, students, undergraduates and graduate students specializing in marketing.

Book:

Sections on this page:

Who to sell to: market segmentation

The buyers' market is rarely a homogeneous structure. As a rule, it is possible to distinguish groups of buyers in it, which are united by common attributes: age, nationality, income level, preferences, etc., i.e., divide the entire market into homogeneous segments. It is important for the company to allocate specific target segments, in which, first of all, funds for development will be invested. It is generally believed that 20% of customers bring 80% of sales. Often, in SMBs, the top 20% of buyers fall into one or two target segments, and it is important for them to offer relevant products and develop 4P marketing programs.

Depending on the size of the segments, there are marketing of the region, segment, niche, individual, as well as mass marketing. Mass Marketing- this is marketing, in which the manufacturer produces one product for all buyers, organizes mass sales and promotion. The main argument in organizing such marketing is to reduce the cost of goods due to economies of scale, and hence the price, which leads to an increase in sales. A classic example of such marketing is the release of beer or Coca-Cola only in 0.33 liter bottles. However, at present, due to the saturation of the market with goods and increased competition, its stratification is taking place, and as a result, manufacturers are forced to respond to this. For example, Western beer producers sold their goods in the Russian Federation, as well as all over the world, in bottles of 0.33 liters, while the Russian consumer historically prefers the volume of 0.5 liters. Later, the brewers reoriented themselves and began to offer beer in bottles of 0.5 liters, and then in plastic bottles larger volume, i.e. the era of mass marketing is a thing of the past.

Region marketing involves the selection of goods and the development of marketing programs for a certain territory, and the territory can be, for example, both a set of states (CIS) and trade zones in a city. It is obvious that the range and advertising shopping complex on Nevsky Prospekt will differ from the assortment and advertising of a shopping complex in a residential area.

segment marketing. A segment is understood as a group of buyers within the market, which are characterized by some common features, attributes. For example, a bicycle manufacturing company can identify five large segments:

Children's bicycles;

Women's bikes;

Sports/racing bikes;

Mountain bikes;

City/tourist bikes.

It is also possible to further refine the market by dividing, for example, the mountain bike segment into two segments - worth up to 10 thousand rubles. in the first segment and above 10 thousand rubles. in the second segment. A company that develops a package of offers for goods and services for a segment must evaluate the required level of detail for dividing the market into segments. On the one hand, it is expensive and impractical to develop offers for each individual buyer, on the other hand, buyers in the segment must be sufficiently homogeneous so that the marketing programs developed for them turn out to be interesting.

Niche marketing. A niche is a narrower group of buyers than a segment, and differs from a segment in that the needs of buyers in it are not sufficiently satisfied by competitors. Since the market segments are quite large, they are easily identified by large companies and are highly competitive. The niche, by its size, is of less interest to large companies and allows small and medium-sized businesses to occupy it. An example of a niche would be stunt bikes, which are part of the sport bike segment. Consumers who want to buy a stunt bike, and these tend to be young, energetic people, are willing to pay a higher price for fulfilling the need to realize themselves by doing difficult stunts. Of course, the manufacturer of such bicycles must have highly qualified salespeople in their staff, knowing the features tricks and psychology of these extraordinary buyers.

The constant search for new niche for an entrepreneur is the main work for the future. As soon as your niche is found, you need to expect competitors to come into it and start looking for a new one.

Individual marketing. With this approach, each customer is treated as a separate segment. The seller forms individual offers for each buyer, not only such as means of payment or delivery of goods, but also its characteristics. One of the pioneers of individual marketing was Dell, offering its customers to "collect" on their website Personal Computer with features that meet the needs of each individual customer - you buy exactly the computer you need. It will be specially assembled for you at the factory and delivered to your home. Manufacturing of goods for individual orders is perhaps the most promising direction in marketing. By producing such a product, you reach the needs of each individual customer. Use of the Internet, modern information technologies allows companies to address each buyer with his individual requests and requirements. However, the bursting bubble of dot-coms (Internet companies) in the early 2000s. says that simply using the Internet without a promising business idea does not give anything, except for the cost of developing and promoting the site.

Segmentation principles. There are two approaches to market segmentation. The first approach is based on the characteristics of the consumer, which is described by such variables as geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral. Variables are set to specific values ​​that form a segment. For example, all consumers are divided by demographic characteristic, such as age, and receive three segments: young people (age 16-36), middle-aged people (37-60 years) and old people (over 60 years). You can, of course, combine features, for example, the three segments discussed above can be divided into three more on a regional basis - Moscow, St. Petersburg and the rest of Russia. As a result, we get 9 segments.

In the second approach, segments are formed on the basis of the consumer's attitude to the benefits, utility and properties of the product that they (consumers) want to receive by purchasing it to satisfy their needs. For example, it is possible to single out a segment of consumers who are interested in such usefulness of a product (inflatable mattress) as a place to sleep and rest with the properties of lightness and small size. Further, having formed segments in relation to the product, they find the connections of these segments with the characteristics of consumers. For example, the segment of consumers of air mattresses has very specific characteristics:

Demographic (ages 18–28);

Behavioral (lovers of outdoor activities).

We can make a small generalization - the first approach to segmentation is used when we need to select the segments that are of the greatest interest according to the company's profile, and then select the corresponding product for these segments. The second approach is mainly used when the product is already known and it is necessary to determine target group- the most interesting segment for which it will have the greatest demand.

The market is divided into segments using one or another approach, the boundaries of which are determined by the values ​​of the following main variables: geographical, demographic, psychographic and behavioral (Table 3.1).

Segmentation by the first two groups of variables - geographical and demographic - is quite simple, based on objective features. However, often buyers from segments that are homogeneous according to these characteristics behave in the market, however, differently due to various subjective reasons that can be combined into subjective signs: psychographic and behavioral.

Table 3.1. Key Variables for Segmenting Consumer Markets

Under psychographic characteristics of the consumer suggest differences in lifestyle, as well as personality traits. Lifestyle is a fairly broad concept that includes a variety of characteristics, such as active and passive, for example, there may be several groups in relation to healthy lifestyle life (some go in for sports, others follow a vegetarian diet), owls and larks can also be attributed to different lifestyles.

Buyers, from the point of view of a car salesman, might, for example, be described as impulsive, courageous, welcoming of change, who would be more suited to a Jeep or other four-wheel drive vehicle, as opposed to conservative, economical buyers who would be more suited to an economy class sedan. As a result, in the simplest case, we get two segments of consumers, educated on a personal basis.

At behavioral segmentation buyers are divided into segments depending on the degree of consumption of the product, the willingness to accept a new product, the willingness to make a purchase, commitment to a particular brand, and other characteristics.

The degree or intensity of consumption of a product allows us to distinguish, for example, two groups of buyers - rare and frequent flyers. The latter group generates more revenue for the airline and, of course, receives certain privileges. Special programs, discounts, etc. are being developed for them. To segment consumers according to the perception of new products, the following division scheme has developed:

Innovators - people who want to be the first to buy and try a new product, to be on the cutting edge of fashion; they make up about 14% of the market;

Early followers and late followers are two groups of approximately equal size; make up 35% of the total number of buyers;

Conservatives - buyers who purchase a new product only after the previous version of the product is not only morally, but also physically worn out; account for 16%.

All these figures are indicative, but in general, as practice shows, they correctly reflect the ratio in the market.

According to the degree of readiness to make a purchase, buyers are usually divided into six groups: the first - ignorant of the product; the second - those who are aware of the product, knowing only that the product exists; the third group is aware of consumer properties product, but are not sure that it is superior to competing products; the fourth group - show interest in the product; fifth - they want to buy it, but do not do it for any reason (finance, availability, seasonality); and finally, the sixth group - those who intend to make a purchase. The ratio of consumers in different groups largely determines the direction of marketing programs. And the duration of advertising and programs, as a rule, transfers the buyer from one group to another, bringing them closer to the purchase.

At segmentation by commitment, loyalty to the brand can be divided into four groups of buyers:

With absolute loyalty, constantly buying the same brand, such as Levis Straus jeans or BMW cars;

With a certain loyalty, which share preferences between two or three brands, and, according to research, the number of such buyers is growing. The consumer chooses two or three types of beer, and does not stop only at Baltika No. 3;

Consumers with inconsistent loyalty, who change brands fairly quickly, moving from one to another;

Without a certain loyalty, not showing interest in any of the brands, such as cognac, but buying the product that is currently discounted.

It should be noted that there are no identical, strictly regulated approaches to market segmentation. Each entrepreneur, depending on the experience, type of activity, characteristics of the goods produced, uses his own signs of segmentation. In the general case, a set of segmentation variables is used, with the help of which the target market segments are more or less clearly expressed. This is exactly what entrepreneurial flair and talent consist of in order to select those signs and segmentation parameters that best characterize the market in which it operates. this enterprise. And then choose the segment or niche that best suits the specifics of the enterprise and will allow you to get the best result. The techniques described above should be considered as general recommendations, as examples of successful segmentation, but not at all as a direct guide to action.

Segmentation of business markets. Business markets are formed during the sale and purchase of goods between companies and are referred to in the business literature as B2B (business to business), in contrast to the consumer market B2C (business to consumer). When segmenting product markets industrial purpose usually apply the methodology and approaches used to segment consumer markets. But there are some differences, for example, the use of operational variables (Table 3.2).

Table 3.2. Key Variables of Business Market Segmentation

Segmentation, for example, of the paper market for printers can be carried out as follows.

Demographic variables: we will be interested in banks in St. Petersburg with more than 200 employees.

Operating variables:

Our clients are banks that do not yet use electronic document management;

It will be interesting for us to work with banks that make at least one purchase per month in the amount of at least 30 thousand rubles.

Purchasing practice:

Our banks buy paper centrally for all their branches, but the central branches also buy paper themselves;

We have a list regular customers, but we are constantly looking for new ones;

Banks are reliable buyers, we are ready to provide everyone with a deferred payment;

The most important aspect of deliveries is the delivery of paper to each branch at a strictly agreed time, i.e. the quality of service is a priority, and banks are ready to pay for the delivery of goods.

Situational Variables: Urgent orders, as a rule, do not happen, and the size of the ordered consignment of goods varies slightly from time to time. At the same time, we need to keep stock in case of an urgent order from a new customer.

Personality Features: we serve all customers, with any attitude to risk and any loyalty. In the event of a refusal to deliver, the goods may be stored in our warehouse for a sufficiently long time. (And, for example, in the case of the supply of ski equipment to rental points, buyers must be loyal to suppliers, since the market for such equipment is narrow and in case of refusal to purchase, the goods will remain in the supplier's warehouse until the next season.)

Segments should be such that size and purchasing power can be measured and evaluated;

The segment size must be large enough to at least recoup the marketing program proposed for it;

The segment should be homogeneous, and the consumers that make up the segment should be characterized by the same type of reaction to the marketing program offered to them.

Market potential. After dividing the market into segments, an equally important question arises - how interesting is this market segment, does it have business potential? This assessment is usually a difficult task due to the lack of reliable market data. To begin with, the overall market potential is assessed - the maximum sales volume in the industry while maintaining existing marketing costs:

Q = n ? q,

where Q– total demand in physical terms; n- the number of buyers of this product; q is the average number of purchases per year by one customer.

If the total demand Q multiply by unit price p, then we get the potential of the market in money:

R = Q ? p.

To calculate the demand for a product of a certain company (the brand that we plan to sell), it is necessary to know or estimate the share of this company in the market. Then the demand for the goods of this firm is calculated as:

S = Q ? s,

where s is the firm's market share. With full market coverage by the firm, the value S equals 100%, and then the potential of the company is equal to the potential of the market.

In reality, it is quite difficult to obtain accurate statistics for assessing the potential of a firm. However, indirect data can often be found out, and in this case the multifactor method of indices is used. For example, a company producing bicycles for children aged 5–10 wants to assess the potential of its market in St. Petersburg. To do this, a group of children aged 5 to 10 years is allocated from the city's population of 5 million people, its size is calculated as follows:

The average life expectancy in St. Petersburg is 75 years;

The number of children at the age of interest will be 75/5 = 15% of the total population of the city, where 5 years is the age range we have chosen.

5,000,000? 0.15/2 = 375,000 pcs.

375,000? 0.2 = 75,000 pcs.

Another amendment - bicycles are durable goods and are usually bought to a child once at the age of 5-10 years. Thus, the potential of 75,000 bicycles refers to the five years of childhood, i.e., the market capacity per year will be 15,000 bicycles.

It is more difficult for manufacturers of goods for the business market to estimate industry sales and their market share, since market information is usually not disclosed by participants, and if there are estimates from research companies, they are usually very approximate. Nevertheless, it is necessary to carry out an assessment of the market, it is only necessary to make a correction for accuracy when calculating, which will give, albeit approximate, but still a figure of the potential of the segment.

segment size should be sufficient to generate significant profits for the company. The IKEA firm, for example, will be of little interest to a town with a population of up to 0.5 million people to open a store there, but such a segment may be attractive for a Russian furniture company;

business profitability taking into account the marginality of sales, personnel costs, rental of premises is also one of the main criteria for the attractiveness of the segment;

level of competition in the segment should be relatively low, allowing you to quickly reach the expected sales volumes;

the segment should be interesting for its indicators not only today, but in the future, rates of growth in the medium and long term should be of interest;

And finally, the most general criterion – segment must be available both in terms of geography, logistics and finance to work on it, and in terms of labor and customs legislation, experience in similar segments, it is also highly desirable to have a business partner who already has experience in this segment.

An example of an ideal segment for luxury goods is China, with its largest market size, high GDP growth, large number of millionaires, strong business regulations, and still little competition. All these factors allow you to work with a high rate of return. Established logistics makes this segment quite accessible. There is only one difficulty: as practice shows, it is extremely difficult to start a business in China without a local business partner. An example of an unsuccessful choice of the target segment is the entry of MTS into the Uzbek market cellular communication. Despite the interesting economic indicators and geographical proximity to the Russian Federation, MTS was forced to close the office, and its top managers were under investigation. This example obviously underestimates the aspect of local legislation that allows local authorities to interpret the law in their own interests. Bad examples are often more useful than good ones. If everyone looks around, you can see several more unsuccessful examples of segmentation in the form of closed cafes or furniture stores. In this case, most likely, the range of goods or services offered did not correspond to the location of the enterprise and the buyers living in the nearest houses, i.e., the segment of buyers was chosen unsuccessfully.

Similar Pages

The priority direction for the Books company is the segment of adult entertainment and professional literature. Thus, the main direction of work in Books stores are books of the following thematic purpose: fiction - 38.7%, business literature (political, socio-economic) - 29.4%, scientific and educational literature (educational literature, culture, media, technical literature, etc.) - 23%. Based on this segmentation, bookstores Books for adult entertainment and professional literature, the largest zones are allocated in trading floors, and accordingly the range of such books is wider than others.

Currently, Books is developing plans for the development of work with the segment of children's literature, with the aim of occupying a leading position in the market.

Also, Books uses marketing at the level of a market niche. For example, the store provides a small, so far, range of literature for informal groups.

Macro environment analysis

To study the environmental factors that currently determine the development of the book business, we will conduct a pest analysis:

politics		economy
low degree of interest and support on the part of state authorities to the problems of the industry (minimization of financial participation in targeted programs publishing literature, purchasing educational literature for general education schools, library acquisitions, other forms of indirect and direct support); development of the education system	Growth of real incomes of the population while maintaining low demand on books, limiting the price ceiling.
		Technologies
· falling status of books and reading, changing the structure of free time, limiting the time budget for reading.	· Intensive development of replacement technologies (Internet, e-commerce, etc.), including an increase in the number of users.

Competition analysis

According to the segmentation of the book products market by the Books chain of stores, two main competitors of the company can be identified: the book chains Bookcity and Encyclopedia.

The activities of competitors are tracked by collecting information. For example, the Books book network collects information about its competitors through secondary sources such as competitors' annual performance reports, statistical reports, trade magazines, and newspapers. The Books company attends exhibitions of book products, press conferences, which can also be a source of information about competitors. This is done by the manager competitive intelligence. On the first of the new month, the Competitive Intelligence Manager checks the status of Books' competitors.

Information is provided in the form of reports set in the form of data tables and line charts that demonstrate quantitative changes. This information is provided in a timely manner to the CEO of the Books bookstore (about the competitor's strategic plans), the head of the sales and marketing department (about the competitor's new marketing plans, sales volumes and other indicators of competitors), as well as the head of the personnel department (about new forms of remuneration for bookstore employees trading network competitors, training programs of competitors, etc.).

Based on the information received, decisions to change marketing activities, organizational policy in the organization, if necessary, are made by the top management of the Books bookstore and the heads of departments.

The book company Books annually practices the assessment of strengths and weaknesses main competitors.

Analysis and evaluation of competitors

	Characteristics of competitors	Shop Books	First competitor: Bookcity	Second competitor: Encyclopedia
	Volume of sales, natural indicators	On average, 17 books a day	per day, on average,	On average, 15 books a day
	Occupying market share, %
	Price level	Middle price segment	Average price	Average price
	Buyer awareness
	Sales staff work, %	70% is devoted to communication with customers and 30% of the working time for the layout of goods	60% of working pay layout goods on showcases, 40% - communication with buyers	45% of working time pay layout goods on display 55% - communication with customers
	Product quality
				politics
	Time of operation of the enterprise		2 year and 6 months