After the company held a comprehensive and careful analysis of the market, desires and characteristics of consumers, it should choose the most profitable market segment for it.

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

Market segmentation- This is the process of dividing a single consumer market for a certain number of segments according to any factor (sign).

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

purpose- the most complete satisfaction of the needs and needs of buyers, and as a result, the successful functioning and prosperity of the company.

The famous Marketer S. Majaro noted that a marketing specialist who is able to offer a new way to segmented the market for his product can enable the company to avoid acute competition. Consequently, the success of the company in the competitive struggle will largely depend on how correctly the market segment is chosen.

The main segmentation of the market is the situation of the company in the context of competition, when it is unable to meet all the needs in a specific product, and therefore should be focused only on those segments that are most preferable from the point of view of the production and commercial opportunities of the company. Sales Market Segmentation Objects- These are groups of consumers, goods (services), as well as enterprises (competitors).

2. Stages of segmentation

Exist (allocate) the main stages of segmentation:

1) identifying the requirements and basic characteristics of the consumer to the product (service), which offers a firm: at this stage, with the help of various marketing methods, the requirements and wishes of consumers are determined and systematized;

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

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

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

5) Determination of the company's place in the market regarding competition: At this stage, the company needs to answer two questions - which market segments will not create large opportunities for the company and how many consumer segments need to be focused; Moreover, the firm must actually submit its goals, strengths, the level of competition, the size of the markets, relations with sales channels, profits and their image in the eyes of others;

6) Creating a marketing plan: After the company collected and analyzed the information about consumers, identified its segment (or segments) of the market, it should examine in detail the properties and images of goods of its competitors, and subsequently determine the position of their goods on the market; As a result, the company is developing a marketing plan, including: product, distribution, price, promotion.

3. Types of segmentation

Market segmentation requires a detailed study of the requirements for the consumer to the goods, as well as the knowledge of the characteristics of the buying motivations of the consumer themselves.

Segmentation is divided into the following types depending on its nature and from the type of consumer of goods (services).

1. Depending on the nature of segmentation:

1) macroegmentation - division of markets by regions, countries, the degree of their industrialization;

2) microsemmentation - the formation of groups of consumers of one country (region) on more detailed features (criteria);

3) deposit segmentation - the segmentation process begins with a wide group of consumers, and then it is in phasteningly deepen (narrow) depending on the classification of end users of any group of goods (services); For example, cars, cars, luxury cars;

4) segmentation of styre - the segmentation process begins with a narrow consumer group and gradually expands depending on the scope and use of goods (services); For example, skates for professionals athletes, skates for lovers, skates for young people;

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

6) the final segmentation is the final stage of market research; Here the most optimal segments for the market are determined, in which in the future it will develop their market strategy.

2. Depending on the type of consumers:

1) the process of segmentation of consumer consumer goods (services);

2) segmentation of consumers of industrial and technical goods;

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 in the analysis are used by a combination of these species.

4. Market segmentation criteria

Market segmentation is carried out by criteria and grounds.

Criterion- This is a way to assess the choice of a firm of a segment.

Criteria for market segmentation:

1. The segment capacity, i.e. how many goods (services), which cost can be sold on this segment, and, consequently, how many potential consumers can be served; Based on this, the company determines the necessary production facilities.

2. availability of the segment, t. e. Getting the company's distribution channels and product sales, as well as conditions for transporting products on this segment.

3. Significance of the segment, i.e. how stable the market to load the capacity of the enterprise.

4.Ability.

5. Competition Security , i.e. how compatible the market segment with the market of major competitors; The ability to assess the strengths and weaknesses of "rivals".

6. Firm personnel experience.

7. The availability of the media.

8. The impact of the structure of commercial activities.

9. Legal aspects.

10. Demographic characteristics.

11. Lifestyle.

12. Consumer attitudes for this brand.

13. Expected risk.

14. The importance of buying.

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

16. Demographic.

17. Economic (property).

18. Social.

19. Cultural.

20. Psychological, etc.

5. Strategy and the possibilities of market segmentation

After market segmentation, the company needs to make a decision: how many and which segments it will work. It is also important to choose a strategy.

Highlight three types of strategies:

1) undifferentiated;

2) Differentiated;

3) concentrated.

Strategy undifferentiated Marketing- This is a strategy of a company focusing on the community of interests and preferences of buyers, and not to differences in needs and relationships. purpose- Development of such goods and marketing programs that will be able to satisfy the maximum possible number of buyers. In other words, the goal of the firm is achieved by finding the line of the compromise. The firm adheres to the standardization and mass production of goods. This strategy is significantly economical. However, it is not recommended to use the enterprises of one industry, since it is possible that the occurrence of tough competition on large segments.

Strategy differentiated Marketing- This is a strategy of a firm focused simultaneously into several market segments with the development of individual proposals. This strategy more fully reflects the market situation, and therefore provides large volumes of sales and a small level of risk. On the other hand, large investments, industrial and managerial costs are needed, because the differentiated marketing strategy is located mainly for large companies.

Strategy concentrated Marketing- This is a strategy for focusing the efforts of the company on one or more profitable market segments. Especially, it is attractive in cases where the company's resources are quite limited. This strategy is preferred for small and medium-sized firms. It is that one or several goods are offered to the market, which are accompanied by target marketing programs. At the same time, you need to pay great attention to the reputation of your company, the prestigiousness of your product, to carry out a permanent analysis of the selected segments, follow the dynamics of the market share, as well as take measures to prevent the emergence of new competitors.

The main arguments in favor of market segmentation are:

1) the possibility of ensuring a better understanding of not only the needs and needs of buyers, but also knowledge of their potential or real consumer "in person" (personal characteristics, motives of behavior in the market, etc.); Result - goods more complies with market requirements;

2) the possibility of a better understanding of the nature of the competitive struggle;

3) the appearance of the possibility of concentrating limited resources and organizational opportunities on more favorable directions of their use;

4) the study of the most promising buyers;

5) the possibility of accounting for the features of various market segments.

6. Concept of segment and market niche

Segment- This is a certain group of consumers, which has one or more sustainable signs that determine their market behavior.

Consumer needs under the influence of changes in market trends, new proposals of firms, opinions on the part are constantly developing and changing. Therefore, market segments are not constant.

The success of firms on the market depends not only from finding its segment, but also from finding an unoccupied place in the market - a market niche. For the company to find their own market niche - it means to find "your home", that is, Niche is such a part of the market, where the company has provided a dominant position. It is believed that the enterprise acting in the niches is so knowing and knows how to satisfy the needs and needs of buyers of his niche that the last willingly are ready to pay for goods (services) of this enterprise even a higher price.

The occupation of your niche is a chance to withstand competition, focusing its resources to maintain narrower market niches that do not cause interest or on which larger companies do not pay attention - competitors.

7. Multiple segmentation

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

Scale scaleit is involved in the market for the purchase and sale of several market segments, which indicates certain production and sales capabilities of the company.

This method takes into account the diverse specific needs of buyers (for example, automotive plants, electronic industries, banks, etc.)

Advantages of multiple segmentationenclosed in an expanded assortment, which makes it possible to significantly increase its volumes of trade through engaging in the production and implementation of goods of several market segments, which allows you to have potentially higher profits, as well as the maintenance of parallel working with several segments can really reduce the threat of deterioration of the company's work indicators , in connection with the emergence of a powerful competitor or a change in customer preferences. The loss of one market segment will not be so painful for the entire company. At this time, it is possible to work successfully on 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 the study of potential market segments, where the firm is going to work. A careful study of the needs of consumers in different segments is quite expensive. However, in the case of a successful study and the adoption of the right decision, the company receives significant advantages over competitors, and consequently, the impressive results of the work.

8. Selection of target segments

Marketing segmentation makes it possible to identify various market segments on which she has to participate.

1) decide how many market segments should she take;

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

For this, the firm can use the following strategies:

1) undifferentiated marketing;

2) Differentiated marketing;

3) Concentrated marketing.

The leaders of small firms usually choose the third market coverage strategy, given some factors:

1) the company has been created recently and (or) its resources are strongly limited;

2) provision of various services.

When choosing a target segment, it is advisable to use the following methods for analyzing segments:

1. AID - automatic definition of relationships by successive comparison according to the specified parameters (criteria).

2. Cluster analysis is a consistent consumer combination (over 200) to the group, followed by study.

3. Factor analysis.

4. Joint analysis - Analysis of the choice of consumer preferred goods (services).

Assessment of the market segment lies in the attractiveness of the segment: Analysis of current sales and expected profits for each segment; sizes and growth opportunities in the long term; Knowledge of their competitors; availability of goods - substitutes;

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

So, the final result of the company in the choice of target segments is that it determines the segment or segments on which it has to concentrate its efforts.

9. Classification of consumers

One of the main marketing objectives is to conduct a competent strategy for promoting goods in the market, where it is very important to identify the most significant, large target groups of consumers who differ among themselves, but have general intragroup interests (needs, needs).

Determine five types of consumers:

1. Individual - these are consumers who acquire goods only for their personal needs. For example, lonely people or lively citizens living independently.

Individual use objects are clothes, shoes, personal belongings (except for purchases as a gift). First of all, consumer data is interested in consumer quality products: utility, price, appearance, packaging, service, warranty. However, at the moment the market of individual consumers in Russia is relatively narrow.

2. Family or households are a group of food buyers and non-food products, with the exception of personal belongings. Decisions are accepted jointly with spouses or head of the family.

3. Intermediaries are the type of consumers who purchase goods for subsequent resale. Intermediaries are not interested in consumer quality of goods, they are taken care of exchange characteristics - the price, the demand, profitability, the speed of treatment, the shelf life, etc. Intermediaries are more professional buyers in contrast to families and individual consumers. Establishing demand can be both quite wide and quite narrow.

4. Supplements or representatives of firms, i.e. buyers of industrial goods. They buy goods for its further use in production, therefore it takes into account all: the price, quantity, speed of supply, the size of transport costs, the fullness of the range, the reputation of the company on the market, the level of service and much more.

5. Officials or state workers. The peculiarity is that when purchasing one or another product, the official does not dispose of its money, but cassenger, and, therefore, this procedure is bureaucratis and formalized. Important criteria when choosing a supplier or manufacturer is reliability, loyalty, honesty, personal connections, etc.

The international market allocates such a type of consumers as foreign legal entities and individuals.

There is I. traditional classificationconsumers for the following criteria.

1. Gender: There are products with a clear sexuality - bras, dresses, electric shavers, smoking tubes, shaving foam, etc. There are male and female models: cigarettes, deodorants, pants, shirts, etc.

2. Age.

4. Education.

5. Socio-professional criterion.

6. Fast reaction to new information or the appearance of a new product in the market. It is customary to divide consumers to the following groups:

1) "NOVATORS" - consumers who risked try a novelty;

2) "Adepts" - followers that make goods are trendy and known;

3) "Progressors" - consumers providing mass market at the stage of growth of goods;

4) "Skeptics" - plug in demand at the saturation stage;

5) "Conservatives" - the demand is shown when the goods become "traditional".

7. Personality type: four major psychological types are allocated - Sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, melancholic. The practical application of this classification in the marketing is quite difficult, as it is difficult to determine the type of personality using 10 - 12 test questions.

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

10. Characteristics of buyers affecting their behavior when buying

One of the main tasks of a marketing specialist is to identify those who decide on the purchase.

The decision to acquire a particular product accepts a person (or a group of persons), having a common goal and dividing the risk associated with the adoption of this decision.

For certain types of goods (services), identify such persons relatively simple. For example, a man usually decides, which brand is cigarette to buy, and a woman - what company to give preference when choosing a lipstick. Solutions related to the definition of a family recreation or purchase of an apartment will most likely be accepted by a group of persons consisting of a husband, wives and adult children. Therefore, marketing expert should rather determine the role of each family member in decision making, which will help him develop a product characteristic.

Allocate several roles that a person plays in the process of making a decision on the purchase of goods:

1) the proposal initiator;

2) a decision maker;

3) the person affecting;

4) buyer;

5) User.

So, in the process of the decision to acquire a computer, the proposal may come from a child (adolescent). Each family member can have a certain impact on the solution or any of its component. Husband and wife take the final decision and, in fact, become buyers. Users can be all family members.

To determine the roles of buyers, marketing service specialists conduct studies of various participants in the decision-making process. Mostly a survey is used. It is important to determine the relative impact of various family members on the process of making a purchase. For example, J. Herbst allocates four types of families.

1. Each family member takes an equal number of independent solutions.

2. Families, where husband takes most of the solutions.

3. Dominance of the solutions of the wife.

4. Joint decision-making (syncretic).

There are all four types of families on the market, but over time, their ratio changes. In modern society, due to income growth, the formation is increasingly becoming syncretic families and less and less with the dominance of "male beginnings". This circumstance must be considered when choosing and developing marketing strategy.

Also an important characteristic of the buyer is the period of the life cycle of the family. Seven periods are highlighted:

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) Nursing loners.

Any family at a certain point of 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 equipment, toys, while a family with adult children acquires expensive video, audio equipment. Depending on the family life cycle, the role of individual family members can change, and accordingly, their impact on decisions made.

11. Personal and psychological factors

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

Let us dwell on the detailed review of the first two.

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

Under the style of life is a person's life stereotypes (his interests, beliefs, their own opinions). Sometimes it is quite difficult for marketers to explore this factor. For this purpose, special marketing programs are specifically developed, within which research is conducted.

Human- This is a person, so during relatively long interval of his reaction to the impact of the external environment is almost constant. The type of personality characterizes such features as self-confidence, independence, sociality, activity (or passivity) behavior, adaptability, etc. For example, when conducting research, coffee manufacturers have found that active consumers of coffee are quite highly sociable personalities.

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

The study of motivation (or motivation) is necessary, since it is this that encourages a person to make a purchase.

Marketers are looking for an answer to such a question as: "Why is this purchase?", "What basic need the buyer wants to satisfy this product?" etc. Motive- This is the need that encourages a person to satisfy her. In the study of the motives of human behavior, a motivational analysis based on the theory of Z. Freud and A. Maslow is applied.

Z. Freud studied the decision-making process on buying a consumer. It believed that important consumer motives were laid in the subconscious and that the buyer could not always substantiate one or another.

According to Z. Freud, a person from birth is under the press of many desires, which he is unable to realize and control, that is, the individual is never fully aware of the motives of his behavior.

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

The system of needs, he built on the principle of importance:

1) physiological (nutritional need, clothing, housing);

2) self-preservation (protection, security);

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

4) in respect;

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

A person satisfies the needs of their importance. For example, a hungry man first of all tries to satisfy his need for food, rather than the need for His respect and love surrounding. And only satisfying its important need, it moves to the satisfaction of the next less important need. These knowledge is used in assessing the possible behavior of different consumer groups, as well as when motivating the work of employees.

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

Beliefs- This is a representation of a person about something. It is based on knowledge, faith, experience, opinions. This is one of the important knowledge that marketers must have.

Relations- These are different estimates, feelings in relation to specific subjects and ideas. They have strong impact on human behavior, they are difficult to change, but it is necessary to take into account when forming the company's marketing policy, trying to bring them as close as possible to certain relations.

12. Model of purchasing behavior

The model of consumer behavior includes the following categories:

1. Watching marketing factors (goods, its price, distribution methods and sales stimulation).

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

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

4. Buyer's responses (Selection of goods, brand, supplier, purchase time).

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

1. The emergence of need: The need arises under the influence of external and internal factors. For the enterprise of concrete actions, his need should achieve a certain level of intensity, i.e., oust or suppress other desires. Marketing specialist should find out what their needs buyer meets, acquiring this product, as well as with the help of what events the intensity of the need can be increased.

2. Search for information: To meet the emergence of the need for a person, relevant information about the specific product is necessary. Depending on the intensity of the need, two states of humans are distinguished: the state of increased attention (exacerbation of attention to the information that is associated with the satisfaction of its need) and the state of active search for information (with the exacerbation of the intensity of the need, a person deliberately begins to look for information about the goods you are interested in).

Information sources:

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

c) public (media);

d) empirical (use of goods, experiment, test).

3. Evaluation of information: The person received relates to the information with its capabilities and forms the appropriate attitude to this product.

4. Decision on the purchase:evaluation of the information received about the product, as well as accounting for the influence of various factors on the behavior of the buyer regarding the purchase. A marketing specialist should provide a consumer with the necessary information and pay attention to those factors that will help motivate to purchase, i.e. help him buy a specific product.

5. Impressions after purchase.The impression of the purchase of goods may be different: from full satisfaction to the perfect negative to this purchase. The marketer must do everything so that the buyer is not disappointed in his choice.

Allocate the main directions of the study of consumers:

1) consumer attitude to a specific company;

2) attitude to various aspects of its activities;

3) the level of satisfaction of needs;

4) the intentions of buyers;

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

6) the behavior of the buyer in the process of making a purchase and after;

7) Consumer behavior motives.

The consumer assessment about the information received about the product is either based on the existing knowledge, or on the basis of caused by emotions.

With the help of various marketing methods, marketers are studying attitudes towards their product. It is necessary to adjust the actions of the company in time.

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

1) identify preferences;

2) Detection of inconsistencies in the purchase of a particular product.

For example, two models of goods are presented on the market: a and B. With the help of the question "What model is more preferable for you?" You can identify the preference of the buyer. You can identify the tendency to purchase by asking the question "What model do you most likely get?". The consumer can prefer the model A, but due to the lack of the desired amount of money (or other factors) to buy a model B.

Also, an important direction in the study of consumers is the system of values \u200b\u200bto which they are oriented when choosing a product.

It is necessary to carry out a deep analysis of the degree of customer satisfaction, by drawing up a satisfaction card. To do this, calculate the average value of satisfaction at specified indicators and the standard deviation for each of them. And analyze by comparing the data obtained. With this reception, you can get a fairly complete picture of the perception of the product quality market, its price, level of service, etc.

In addition, it is important to regularly measure the degree of satisfaction (and dissatisfaction) of buyers and find out the causes of discontent.

Any firm is aware that its goods can not like all customers at once. Buyers of these too much, they are widely scattered and differ from each other with their needs and habits. Some firms are best to send their attention to the maintenance of certain parts, or segments, market. Each company must identify the most attractive market segments, which it is able to fully serve.

But such a point of view was not always inherent in sellers. Their views passed through three stages:

Mass marketing:- characterized by the fact that the seller is engaged in mass production, mass distribution and mass stimulation of the sale of the same product for all buyers at once. The main reason in favor of mass marketing is that with a similar approach, the costs of production and prices should be reduced as much as possible and to form the most large potential market.

Commodity Differentiated Marketing:In this case, the seller produces two or more products with different properties, in different design, of different quality, in different packaging, etc. . These goods are designed not so much to enjoy different market segments, how much to create a variety for buyers.

Target marketing: In this case, the seller studies the specifics and taste of each individual market segment, and develops goods and marketing complexes per each of the selected segments.

Today, the firms are increasingly turning to target marketing, as any company is interested in maximizing sales of its products, so why spray your marketing efforts, if it is possible to specifically convey the product to a potential buyer, most interested in purchasing this product, and this product will be as close as possible to or

Target marketing requires three main events:

1. Market segmentation - market breakdown on clear groups of buyers, for each of which may require individual goods and marketing complexes. The company determines the different methods of market segmentation, draws profiles received segments and assesses the degree of attractiveness of each of them.
2. The choice of target market segments is an assessment and selection of one or more market segments to access them with their products.
3. Positioning the market in the market - providing the product of a competitive position in the market and the development of a detailed marketing complex.

Market segmentation.

The market consists of buyers, and buyers differ from each other in a variety of parameters. Everything can be all, needs, geographical position, resources, buying relationship habits in the end. And any of these variables can be used as a basis for market segmentation.

General approach to market segmentation.

Since the needs and needs of each are unique, it means that everyone can potentially constitute a separate market segment. Ideally, the seller would have to develop a separate marketing program for everyone. For example, manufacturers of aircraft, such as quite a few buyers, and firms belong to each of them as a separate market. - the maximum degree of market segment.

Many manufacturers do not see sense in the adaptation of their products to meet the needs of each particular buyer. Instead, the seller reveals extensive discharges of buyers, differing from each other with their requirements for the goods and their response marketing reactions. For example, the seller may find that the needs change depending on the level of income of buyers. On the other hand, the seller can see significant differences between young buyers and older buyers. Finally, the buyer's attitude to the goods can affect both the level of income and age at the same time. When market segmentation based on a larger number of parameters, the swelling of each individual segment rises. In this case, the number is growing, and each decreases.

A single method of market segmentation does not exist. The market in the market needs to test the segmentation options based on different variable parameters, one or more immediately, in attempts to find the most useful approach to the consideration of the market structure. For such a situation, there is an excellent statistical method for studying the influence of factors on the result. This is about Factor analysis. With this analysis, it is easy to analyze the influence of a factor on the end result, choose exactly the factors that carry maximum significance in the effect on the final result.

Geographical, demographic, psychographic and behavioral, these are the main factors - indicators used by marketer.

Segmentation of the geographical principle involves the breakdown of the market for different geographic units: states, states, regions, districts, cities, communities. The firm may decide to act: in one or several regions, or in all areas, but taking into account the needs and features of the defined geography.

The demographic principle segmentation is the breakdown of the market on groups based on such demographic variables, as the floor, age, family size, the stage of the life cycle of seven, the level of income, occupation, education, religious beliefs, race and nationality. Demographic variables are the most popular factors that serve as the basis for distinguishing groups of consumers. One of the reasons for this situation is that the needs and preferences, as well as the intensity of consumption of goods are often more closely related to demographic signs. And also demographic signs are easiest to be measurers and research.

In the psychographic segment of buyers, they are divided into groups on the signs of belonging to the public class, lifestyle or personality characteristics. Representatives of the same demographic group may have completely different psychographic profiles.

When segmenting the behavioral attribute, buyers are divided into groups depending on their knowledge, relationships, the nature of the use of goods and the reaction to this product. Many market figures consider behavioral variables the most appropriate basis for the formation of market segments.

The next stage of target marketing is Selection of market target segments: Marketing Signping reveals the possibilities of various segments of the market, on which the seller will act. After that, the firm needs to be solved:

There are three market coverage options:

Untifferentiated marketing is a situation when the firm is decided to neglect the differences in segments and turn to the entire market at once with one and low proposal. In this case, it concentrates efforts not on what the needs of customers differ from each other, but what is in these needs. The company is developing goods and marketing program that will seem attractive to more buyers. The company relies on the methods of mass distribution and mass advertising. It seeks to betray the image of superiority in the minds of people. In addition, undifferentiated marketing is economical. Costs for the production of goods, maintaining its reserves and tracuting low. Advertising costs with undifferentiated marketing are also kept at a low level. The lack of marketing research segments of the market and planning in dealing with these segments contributes to lower marketing research costs and product production management.

Differentiated marketing - in this case, the company decides to perform on several segments of the market and breaks a separate offer for each of them. The company calculates that due to the hardening of positions in several market segments, it will be able to identify in the consciousness of the consumer a firm with a given product category. Moreover, it calculates on the growth of repeated purchases, since the product of the firm corresponds to the desire of consumers, and not vice versa.

Concentrated marketing - many firms see for themselves and a third marketing opportunity, especially attractive to organizations with limited resources. Instead of concentration of efforts on a small proportion of the large market, the company KNNC centers them on a large proportion of one or rocky submarines. Thanks to concentrated marketing, the firm provides a solid market position in the services serviced segments, since it knows the needs of these segments better and uses a certain reputation. Moreover, as a result of the specialization of production, distribution and measures to stimulate sales, the company achieves savings in many areas of its activities.

Choosing a market coverage strategy.

When choosing a market coverage strategy, it is necessary to take into account the following factors:

• Firm resources. With the limness of resources, the most rational strategy of concentrated marketing is provided.
• The degree of homogeneity of products. Strategy of undifferentiated marketing is suitable for uniform goods. For goods that may differ from each other in design, such as cameras, cars, more suitable differentiated or concentrated marketing strategies.
• Stages of the life cycle of goods. When entering the company to the market with a new product, it is advisable to offer only one version of the novelties. At the same time, the most reasonably use strategies of undifferentiated or concentrated marketing.
• The degree of homogeneity of the market. If buyers have the same tastes, they buy the same amount of goods in one and the same segment of time and react equally to other and target marketing incentives, it is appropriate to use a non-differentiated marketing strategy.
• Marketing strategies of competitors. If competitors are engaged in market segmentation, the application of non-differened marketing strategy may be disastrous. Conversely, if competitors apply undifferentiated marketing, the firm get benefits from using a differentiated or concentrated marketing strategy.

The average entrepreneur in our country without economic education, but with rich practical experience in commercial issues, it believes that segmentation is the division of the market for goods / services to certain areas on common features.

What is market segmentation - theory

Since this question is one of the most important marketing, but also in other economic disciplines, its study will help many businessmen in parallel with the elimination of gaps in education to extract and practical benefits, which is expressed in the conquest of the market and increase sales of their products. This article will consider all the nuances of the separation and structuring of the market, including both the theoretical aspects of this issue and its practical component.

One of the main axes of marketing, which is directly related to the topic of our article, reads: get the maximum profit can 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 engaged in marketing research will ask what "segmentation" is, as it happens and what goals is pursued. Before you give answers to these questions, as it is written in textbooks on economic theory, let's try to make it on your own using the available examples.

To begin with a complete list of criteria for which segmentation takes place. Need to take into account any nuances that allow you to distinguish one buyer from another:

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

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

psychographic signs (moral values \u200b\u200band beliefs, views on life, upbringing, motivation to action).

behavioral differences (here include any parameters that characterize the buyer to / during and after the purchase process).

Using the above criteria, it is necessary to imagine how the following categories of people will look like:

those who will gladly buy your goods will never take advantage of competitors;

those who can buy goods and you, and in competing firms;

buyers who do not like your product.

Collecting and systematizing all the above information, you can make certain conclusions about buyers of your products. In addition, with attentive analysis, it is quite realistic to identify the main mistakes in production, advertising or implementing your goods. Why are 17-20-year students with pleasure buy products, and adult consumers prefer to acquire similar products from competitors? Based on the structured analysis of the categories of your potential buyers, you can find an answer to this question.

At the next stage, you need to trace the pattern, between the cost of products and its potential buyers. That is, make an approximate "portrait":

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

consumers of goods of competing companies that are more expensive than yours;

consumers of goods of competing companies that are standing just like yours.

At the next stage, you need to carefully analyze all the information obtained and, it is desirable to draw up a table with customer criteria and their price preferences. The result of your analytical work should be the identified parameters that will be the foundation of segmentation.

For example, a 52-year-old man with higher education, an average wealth, which has a family with adult children, an apartment in a fairly big city and a cottage for rest, never buy a cheap brandy, but also overpays huge amounts for the "name", buying famous French Mark (there is a chance that this is a fake) it will not. At the same time, a twenty-year student living in a hostel for parents' money, going to visit, with a high probability can buy a fake to show that he earns "serious" money and can afford to spend them on "high-quality" alcohol. Notice, it does not care what the next morning he can wake up in a hospital with his friends with a diagnosis of poor-quality alcohol.

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

assess the prospects for its development in the near future.

determine the competitiveness of your products and chances to conquer the buyer in this segment.

At the final stage, you need to determine which market segments are presented for the company interest in terms of profit. The main thing is not to spray your capabilities and do not try to capture the whole market with one "in the fret"! In each business, the defining factors should have a sequence and rational use of resources. Only so you can achieve serious results and make your enterprise profitable and promising.

To consider all existing ones in the theory of marketing, the definition of "market segmentation" is simply physically impossible. In principle, if you remove insignificant nuances, they are reduced to the fact that this is the first stage of market study, which helps determine its capacity, structure and development prospects, taking into account moods, preferences and economic possibilities of potential consumers.

Practical aspects of market segmentation

Given the current trends in the development of the global economy and the lack of stability in this process, we can safely say that the term commonly spent a few years ago - strategic segmentation, today completely lost its initial value. If earlier he meant a complete change in outgoing parameters (objective or conscious) on any market for 2-3 years, today this term denotes the study of the main parameters of the market in order to determine the right strategy for the development of the company.

Allocate the following market parameters:

the needs that must be satisfied;

separate groups of consumers belonging to a specific segment;

terms, volumes and cost of sales of products for certain segments;

technologies to meet needs.

In the process of implementing its main goal - obtaining maximum profits with minimal resource costs, each company chooses promising target segments that correspond to the optimal production volume. Management theorists call their strategic landing area.

The whole process of choosing and forming strategic business areas is reduced to the following actions.:

determining the needs of potential consumers;

analysis of the available technological opportunities to meet these needs;

counting the cost of products manufactured;

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

implementation.

But such a strategy is possible only in a situation where demand has stably exceeds the offer on the market of this product. In case of changes in the market situation, strategic segmentation involves the search for new activities based on existing technological capabilities. It can be concluded that segmentation in marketing is one of the main principles that allow, to obtain the maximum result using exclusively objective factors, without interference with the production technology or other organizational issues.

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

Marketers allocate three main directions: ← Back

Segmentation (segmentation) of the market is its separation into separate segments that differ from the product facilities of the manufacturer.

The market segment is a large, identifiable for any signs (similar needs, purchasing power, region of residence, consumer priorities and habits) Group of buyers. The market segment consists of consumers equally responsive to the same set of marketing incentives. Market segment is part of the market, consumer groups of products with certain similar signs and significantly different from all other groups and market sectors.

The purpose of segmentation is to reveal the customers from each group of customers, and in accordance with this, orient the commodity, sales policy of the organization.

Separate segments must be:

1. defined, i.e., have a clear set of needs and react to a similar way to the proposed product (service);

2. sufficiently significant in size;

3. Available for marketing activities;

4. quantitatively measured;

5. Used for a long period of time.

Types of segmentation depending on the nature of it, on the type of consumers of goods / services:

• market macroGrementation - markets are divided by regions, degrees of their industrialization, etc.;
• microsages - the formation of groups of consumers (segments) of one country, region on more detailed features (criteria);
• deputy segmentation - the process of segmentation starts with a broad group of consumers, and then gradually deepen it depending on the classification of end consumers of goods or services;
• segmentation of styre - begins with a narrow consumer group, and then expands depending on the purpose of the purpose and use of the goods;
• preliminary segmentation is the initial stage of marketing studies, orienting to study the maximum possible number of market segments;
• the final segmentation is the final stage of market analysis, which is regulated by the capabilities of the company itself and the conditions of the market environment.

The task of the first stage, called macroegmentation, is to identify the "markets of goods", whereas at the second stage, called microspation, is the goal of revealing within each previously identified market "segments" of consumers.

The target market segment is one or more segments of a particular market, most essential for marketing activities:

1. Concentration on the only segment, make the decision to serve only one market segment (a group of middle-aged persons);

2. Orientation for the purchasing need; The company may focus on satisfying any one purchasing need (for all types of buyers - one product);

3. Customer orientation;

4. Maintaining several non-interconnected segments; The company may decide to serve several market segments, weakly coupled, except that each of them opens an attractive opportunity for a company;

5. Coverage of the entire market; The company may decide on the production of the entire range to serve all market segments.

When choosing target segments, the company managers decide whether they will concentrate efforts on one sector or on several, on a separate product (market) or in the mass market. The company may prefer to appeal to the entire market or focus on one or several specific segments within its basic market.

Of particular importance in marketing activity has the so-called target marketing. This is the process of market segmentation, selection by its results of the target (targeted) segment (segments) and positioning on the selected target segment of the company's goods by developing and implementing the relevant marketing complex. Target marketing is the distinction of the market segments, the choice of both about or several segments and the development of goods and complexes.

Target marketing steps:

• Market segmentation - determination of the principles of market segmentation, drawing up profiles of the segments obtained.
• The choice of target market segments is an assessment of the degree of attractiveness of the segments received, the choice of one or more segments.
• Positioning the goods in the market is the decision to position the goods in each of the target segments, the development of a marketing complex for each target segment.

Selection of market segmentation criteria, i.e. the parameters for which market segmentation is carried out.

1. Quantitative boundaries - segment capacity - how many goods and what value can be implemented on it, how many real and potential consumers, what is the segment area, what resources will need to be used to work in this segment.

2. The availability of the segment is the possibility of enterprise to obtain distribution channels and product sales, storage conditions and transportation of products to consumers on this segment.

3. The information saturation of the segment is whether it is possible to obtain the necessary information to create a data bank on the segment, whether there are closed zones.

4. The substantiveness of the segment is to determine how really a particular group of consumers can be viewed as a market segment, as far as it is resistant for the main unifying features.

5. The profitability of the segment is determined how profitable will be the work on this segment for the enterprise.

6. Compatibility of the segment with the market of major competitors - to what extent the main competitors are ready to come from the selected market segment, how much the promotion of products affects their interests?

7. Competition security - the management of the enterprise should evaluate their capabilities to survive in competition with possible competitors.

8. Efficiency of work on the selected segment - checking the availability of due experience in the selected segment, checking how much engineering, production and sales staff is ready to effectively promote the goods on this segment.

At the level of macrogets, only general characteristics are taken into account, especially if we are talking about the markets of industrial goods. For consumer goods, more subtle criteria are often required, such as age groups, the desired benefits, behavior when buying or lifelong lifestyle. Their definition is the task of microsages.

Technologies. There are various technological "know-how", ensuring the implementation of various functions. For example, paint or wallpaper for the domestic furniture function, road, air, rails or sea for international transport, bituminous or plastic films for the function of impermeability of roofs, X-rays, ultrasound and computed tomography for the function of medical diagnosis, etc.

Functions or combination of functions. We are talking about the needs that have to satisfy the product or service. Examples of functions serve: internal housing; international freight transport; roof waterproof; corrosion protection; teeth cleaning; deep and subsurface drilling; Medical diagnostics, etc. Functions can also be defined as sets of benefits that are looking for various consumer groups.

Classification signs: age, marital status, level of education, income level, attitude to the new product (service), lifestyle, social status, etc.

1. Geographical segmentation criterion (region, district, population density, climate);

2. Demographic, socio-economic (floor, age, family size, stage of the family of family, education, level of income, occupation, religious beliefs, race, nationality, social status (higher - top management), medium (entrepreneurs, managers, Independent employees: lawyers, journalists, teachers, employees and workers working retirees), lower (non-working retirees, low-skilled workers, unemployed). The needs and preferences, the intensity of consumption of goods are often associated with demographic signs. They are easier to measure;

3. Psychographic criterion - public class, temperament, type of personality (fond of nature, amateur flow "like everything", authoritarian nature, ambitious nature), lifestyle (settled, nomadic);

4. Behavioral - reason for making a purchase (ordinary purchase, special case), user status (unfortunate, former user, potential user, user-novice, regular user), consumption intensity (weak consumer, moderate consumer, active consumer), degree of commitment (unconditional adherents, tolerant, non-permanent, wanderers), in the desired benefits (quality, service, savings), for the speed of the reaction; According to the degree of need (strong, low, average); According to the degree of readiness for the purchase (ignorant, informed, informed, interested, wishing to buy, measuring to buy); In terms of the intensity of the purchase (regular, irregular), attitudes towards the product (enthusiastic, positive, indifferent, negative, hostile).

Marketing market segmentation is subordinate to the strategic goals of the commodity producer and is directed to:

• increase in market share;
• mastering new markets;
• weakening the position of competitors;
• holding its position in the most important markets, etc.

Methods most used in segmentation:

1. Grouping method. It consists in a consistent broken down of the set of objects on the group on the most significant features. The entire basic market is divided into groups of stages - at each stage of sequential partition, only one segmentation criterion is used.

2. Method of multidimensional classification ("tabular"). The classification is carried out on a set of analyzed signs at the same time. The basic market is divided into consumer groups at once several simultaneously used segmentation criteria. The results obtained are in the form of a table.

According to the segmentation results, "Consumer segment profiles" must be obtained. These are the corresponding descriptions of each of the received consumer groups. For example, the "segment profile - French perfect consumer profile may sound like this: these are young ladies with a level of income per family member at least 24,000 rubles / month, with an active way of life, with high brand commitment and a medium inclination towards risky purchases ...".

After identifying market segments, it is necessary to estimate their attractiveness and choose one or more segments for development. Criteria for estimating the attractiveness of the segment: the size and speed of changes in the segment; structural attractiveness; Objectives and resources of the organization itself.

The target market (basic) - segment-based segmentation is the most important and promising for the commodity producer segment of the commodity market. Organization's actions when choosing target segments:

1. Concentrate efforts to implement one product (services) on one segment.

2. Suggest one product (service) with all market segments.

3. Suggest all products (services) to one market.

4. For some selected segments, it is proposed to offer different goods (services).

5. Do not take into account the results of segmentation and supply all the goods (services) on the entire market.

Positioning is the development of goods (services) and the creation of such an image, which in the presentation of the buyer would be favorably different from competitors' goods. Positioning is a logical continuation and completion of the market segmentation process and the initial moment for detailed planning and programming a marketing complex.

Positioning goal is to help potential buyers to allocate goods from among its analogues of competitors on any sign and give it preference when buying. Determine the possible place of goods on the market now and in perspective. Strengthen competitive positions on a specific market segment by creating preferred incentives for its acquisition from a potential buyer.

The main approaches to the positioning of the goods are based:

1) on certain advantages of goods (services);

2) on the satisfaction of specific needs or special use;

3) with the help of a certain category of consumers who have already bought goods (service), or by comparing;

4) With sustainable representations.

Options for determining the organization of their market position:

• positioning yourself next to the competitor and the beginning of the competitive struggle for market share.
• creating a product of market novelty, with which you can fill out an existing "breach" on the market in the absence of competition.

Source - Marketing: Educational and Methodological Guide / Sost. I.V. Ilyicheva. - Ulyanovsk: ULGTU, 2010. - 229 p.

One of the main areas of marketing activities is the market segmentation, which allows accumulating the means of the enterprise in a certain direction of its business. To date, the concepts of the target market and the target segment, the allocation of which and is the main purpose of market segmentation, is quite clearly marked in the economic literature.

The target market is a potential firm market that is determined by a set of people with similar needs regarding specific product or service, sufficient resources, as well as readiness and opportunity to buy.

The target segment is a homogeneous group of consumers of the target market of a company, which has similar needs and purchasing habits in relation to the firm's product.

Thus, market segmentation is a breakdown of the market on clear groups of buyers, each of which may require individual goods and / or marketing complexes.

Segmentation goals.

Any activity of people pursues certain objectives and market segmentation. You can formulate three goals of segmentation. The first follows from the fact that the firm is not able to master the entire market, and is forced to be content with only part of it. Allocate this part through segmentation, it gets the opportunity to purposefully concentrate its efforts on those groups of buyers who will be more attractive for it.

The second goal is due to the fact that the identified group of buyers (target market) may be partially inaccessible for the actions of competitors. Analysis of the possibilities of competitors in the structure of selected segments allows you to identify those of which competitors are either less active or buyers are skeptical about their goods. These segments, if the firm does not want to fight competitors, and will be most preferred for it.

The third purpose of segmentation is reasonable in cases where the market has no complex multidimensional structure in segments. Its essence is that if there are few segments, the firm must strive to ensure its presence on each of them, i.e. Each segment to offer a special, most suitable model of goods for him.

In other words, the purpose of segmentation is the allocation of one or more target groups of consumers, under which the whole range of marketing events is "drawn" - from the development of products and branding to the choice of tonality and carriers of marketing communications. The purpose of segmentation is an increase in the company's profits by increasing competitiveness in a specific segment.

From here you can make several important conclusions:

• 1. To assess the feasibility of segmentation, it is necessary to have the opportunity to assess the demand in the selected segments.
• 2. The segment must be large enough and must exist long enough to invest in strengthening competitiveness in this segment led to an appropriate increase in sales.
• 3. The profitability of working with the segment should be sufficient. That is, the cost of logistics and communications with the segment should lead to the resulting profit.

In fact, it is these conclusions that are based on the classics of the principles of effective segmentation.

Market segmentation is activities to identify potential groups of consumers of a particular product of the enterprise.

Fig. one.

Such a scheme of market segmentation is general and can be applied when planning various areas of marketing activities.

It should be noted that the above scheme of market segmentation corresponds to the approach proposed by Laben and take into account macroegmentation to identify the basic (otherwise targeted) market and microsages to determine the enterprise target segment. This scheme, in turn, is the development of segmentation schemes proposed in other studies.

Principles of segmentation.

The principle of differences between segments is the main purpose of segmentation is to obtain different groups of consumers differing from each other. Accordingly, each obtained segment must have a set of unique characteristics.

The principle of similarity of consumers in the segment is the homogeneity of potential buyers inside the segment in terms of the goals of the segmentation tasks. The segments obtained as a result of segmentation should be fairly homogeneous - the differences between consumers inside the segment should be less significant than differences between segments.

The principle of a large amount of segment - target segments must have sufficient potential capacity to present commercial interest to the company. It is necessary to find the balance between the accounting of all significant factors on the one hand and the size of the segments obtained - on the other.

For the successful segmentation of the market, it is advisable to apply five principles tested by practical activities:

• 1. Differences between segments
• 2. The similarities of consumers
• 3. The large size of the segment
• 4. Measuring of consumer characteristics
• 5. Reachable consumers.

The principle of differences between segments means that as a result of segmentation, differing groups of consumers should be obtained. Otherwise, segmentation will implicitly be replaced by mass marketing.

The principle of consumer similarities in the segment provides homogeneity of potential buyers in terms of a consumer attitude to a specific product. The similarity of consumers is necessary so that you can develop an appropriate marketing plan for the entire target segment.

The requirement of the large size of the segment means that target segments should be quite large to ensure sales and coverage of the enterprise costs. When evaluating the value of the segment, the nature of the goods sold and the capacity of the potential market should be taken into account. So, in the consumer market, the number of buyers in one segment can be measured tens of thousands, whereas in the industrial market the large segment may include less than hundreds of potential consumers (for example, for cellular or satellite communication systems, for consumers of power engineering products, etc.).

The measurability of consumer characteristics is necessary for targeted field marketing studies, as a result of which the needs of potential buyers can be detected, as well as study the reaction of the target market for marketing actions of the enterprise. This principle is extremely important, since the spread of the goods "blindly", without feedback from consumers, leads to spraying of funds, labor and intellectual resources of the company-seller.

The principle of reaching consumers means the requirement for the seller's communications channels with potential consumers. Such communication channels can be newspapers, magazines, radio, television, external advertising tools, etc. The achievability of consumers is necessary for organizing promotion shares, otherwise informing potential buyers about a particular product: its characteristics, cost, main advantages, possible sales, etc.

The basis of the market segmentation procedure is based on the use of the principles of segmentation, there is a reasonable choice of the corresponding method of segmentation.

Approaches to market segmentation.

There are two approaches to market segmentation. The classic approach is carried out by the segmentation of the entire market. That is, the market is divided into segments in accordance with the maximum number of selected criteria. This method allows you to cover the entire market and cover with one analysis all segments. It is necessary to consistent deepening segmentation with analysis at each stage. Thus, an analysis is carried out to the required depth and the accuracy of the analysis is not lost.

The second approach is necessary if there is no possibility to carry out the segmentation of the entire market or it is inexpedient, due to insufficient resources for processing all possible segments. Take, for example, the ice cream market. No one bothers, finding out the difference in the behavior of representatives of a separate segment, allocate it. If the amount of demand in it can be determined due to the available (or possible to obtain) data. Let it be at least 10-15 years old, preferring to play pirates. If you can determine the potential demand that they can provide, and evaluate which part of them the new variety of ice cream "Young Pirate" will prefer. Why not release it on sale. This is a creative approach that can be used for some markets, and which complements the method of complete segmentation.

To implement segmentation, the company needs to try out the segmentation options based on different variables of parameters, one or more immediately, in attempts to find the most useful approach to the consideration of the market structure. For this, a factor analysis is used, exploring the influence of various factors on the result and allows you to choose those factors that have the maximum impact on the final result. All approaches to market segmentation can be divided into two types:

Disordered segment segmentation criteria. Segment segmentation criteria is carried out arbitrarily. It is applied in a situation where the construction of the hierarchy of segmentation criteria is difficult or not enough data for its construction.

Multistage approaches. Building a hierarchical criteria system based on an assessment of importance for segmentation. Two or more levels of criteria are distinguished through which segmentation is carried out. An example is the micro-macro model proposed by Uynd and Cardose (1974). On the first, macrotadia, general factors are used - demographic characteristics of the population, geographical position, consumption activity, etc. Microstadia is to determine segments within the framework of macrobroups based on the characteristics of decisions that make decisions. Another example is the nesting model of Bonoma and Shapiro (1983).

Market segmentation is necessary for market oriented companies for the following primary reasons: various groups of people have different needs and therefore companies need to adapt the product for each group; The company must position its products in a specific way for each group; The company must choose the corresponding price for each of the groups; Some groups may require special sales channels.