If the firm fails to segment the market, the market will segment the firm.

P. Doyle, American marketing specialist

Market segmentation in modern market conditions is one of the most important marketing problems. Every company must understand that its products may not please all customers. There are too many of these buyers, they are widely scattered and differ from each other in their tastes and needs. In order to meet these different needs, manufacturing organizations seek to identify consumer groups that are likely to respond positively to the products offered and target their marketing activities primarily to these consumer groups.

Therefore, many firms both abroad and in Russia currently adhere to a policy of market segmentation, developing new products specifically to meet the wishes of specific consumer groups.

This work aims to set out the main provisions of segmentation, to highlight the views of both Western and domestic researchers on the problem of segmenting markets for individual goods, to trace the patterns of choice of goods for certain categories of consumers.

The work consists of four chapters. The first chapter discusses the essence of segmentation, its criteria, methods and principles. In the second chapter - signs of market segmentation of individual products. The signs of segmentation of consumer goods and the signs of segmentation of industrial goods are described in detail. The third chapter explains what is targeted segmentation and product positioning; how to choose a target segment and target market. And, finally, the fourth chapter is devoted to describing how the above theoretical calculations are applied in Russia. On what grounds is our segmentation of product markets carried out and what are the forecasts for the future.

Familiarity with these issues will allow you to get a fairly complete idea of ​​what segmentation is and what its role is in modern market conditions.

1 THE ESSENCE OF MARKET SEGMENTATION

Any market consists of buyers who differ from each other in their tastes, needs and desires. Therefore, any company must understand that with a variety of demand, and even in a competitive environment, each person will respond differently to the goods offered. Any company needs to consider the market as a differentiated structure depending on consumer groups and consumer properties of the product. Implementation of a successful commercial activities in market conditions involves taking into account individual preferences various categories buyers. This is what constitutes the basis of market segmentation.

Market segmentation is the choice of a strategy for dividing the market into separate segments that differ from each other in different sales opportunities for the manufacturer's products, that is, this breakdown of the market into clear groups of buyers, each of which may require separate goods 1 (9, p. 55). By segmenting, the company divides the market into separate segments, which are most likely to be characterized by the same response to marketing incentives.

A market segment is a specially identified part of a market, a group of consumers, products or enterprises that have certain common features (9, p. 55).

Market segmentation is one of the most important marketing tools. The success of the company in the competitive struggle largely depends on how correctly the segment of the market is chosen.

The objects of segmentation are consumers, goods and firms themselves. Despite the possibility of segmenting the market for various objects, the main focus in marketing is on finding homogeneous groups of consumers who have similar preferences and respond in the same way to marketing offers. Thus, the main goal of segmentation is to ensure the targeting of the product. Through it, the basic principle of marketing is realized - consumer orientation.

Market segmentation makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of means and methods of advertising, price regulation, and the forms and methods of sale used. Its meaning lies in the fact that the company does not spray, but concentrates its efforts on the most promising segment for it.

Thus, market segmentation is, on the one hand, a method for finding parts of the market and determining the objects (primarily consumers) to which the company's marketing activities are directed. On the other hand, it is a managerial approach to the process of making a decision by a firm in the market, the basis for choosing right combination elements of the marketing mix.

Marketing practice shows that market segmentation:

allows you to meet the needs of customers in a variety of goods to the maximum extent;


provide rationalization. And optimization of the company's costs for the development, production and sale of goods;


helps to develop an effective marketing strategy based on the analysis and understanding of the behavior of potential buyers;


contributes to the establishment of realistic and achievable goals of the company;


makes it possible to raise the level of decisions made, providing their justification with information about the behavior of buyers in the market at the present time and forecasts of their behavior in the future;


provides an increase in the competitiveness of both the product and the company;


allows you to evade or reduce the degree of competition by moving to an undeveloped market segment;


involves linking the scientific and technical policy of the company with the needs of clearly identified specific consumers.

But, despite all these advantages, market segmentation has its drawbacks. First of all, these are high costs associated, for example, with additional market research, with the preparation of options for marketing programs, the provision of appropriate packaging, the use of various distribution methods.

Segmentation can have both advantages and disadvantages, but it is impossible to do without it, because in modern economy each product can be successfully sold only to certain segments of the market, but not to the entire market.

Segmentation of any market can be carried out in a variety of ways, according to a variety of principles and methods, taking into account a variety of features and criteria.

The first step in segmentation is the selection of segmentation criteria and signs of market segmentation. V.P. Khlusov in his book "Fundamentals of Marketing" emphasizes the difference between these two concepts. He defines a sign as a way to highlight a particular segment in the market. And the criterion is a way to assess the validity of the choice of a given market segment for an enterprise (firm) (9, p. 62).

1.1. Segmentation criteria

Market segmentation can be carried out using various criteria. Marketing researcher V.P. Khlusov identifies the following most common segmentation criteria:

Quantitative parameters of the segment. These include: the capacity of the segment, that is, how many products and at what total cost can be sold, how many potential consumers are there, what area they live in, etc. Based on these parameters, the enterprise must determine which production capacities should be oriented to this segment, what should be the dimensions sales network.


Availability of the segment for the enterprise, i.e. the ability of the enterprise to obtain distribution and marketing channels for products, the conditions for storage and transportation of products to consumers in this market segment. The enterprise must determine whether it has a sufficient number of distribution channels for its products (in the form of resellers) or its own distribution network, what is the capacity of these channels, whether they are able to ensure the sale of the entire volume of products produced taking into account the existing capacity of the market segment, whether the system is sufficient or reliable delivery of products to consumers (are there any cargo handling, etc.). The answers to these questions provide the company's management with the information necessary to decide whether it has the opportunity to start promoting its products in the selected market segment or whether it still has to take care of forming a distribution network, establishing relations with resellers or building its own warehouses and stores. .


Segment materiality, i.e. determination of how realistic this or that group of consumers can be considered as a market segment, how stable it is in terms of the main unifying features. In this case, the management of the company will have to find out whether this market segment is growing, stable or declining, whether it is worth orienting production capacities to it or, on the contrary, it is necessary to re-profil it to another market.


Profitability. Based on this criterion, it is determined how profitable it will be for the company to work in a selected market segment. Typically, a company to assess the profitability of a particular market segment uses standard methods for calculating the relevant indicators: the rate of return, return on invested capital, the amount of dividends per share, the amount of growth in the total mass of the enterprise's profit, depending on the specifics economic activity specific enterprise.


Compatibility of the segment with the market of the main competitors. Using this criterion, the management of the enterprise should get an answer to the question to what extent the main competitors are ready to give up the chosen market segment, to what extent the promotion of the products of this enterprise affects their interests here. And if the main competitors are seriously concerned about the promotion of the company's products in the selected market segment and take appropriate measures to protect it, then the company must be prepared to incur additional costs when targeting such a segment or find a new one for itself, where there will be competition (at least initially) weaker.


Efficiency in the selected market segment. This criterion means, first of all, checking whether the company has the proper experience in the selected market segment, how fig, production and sales personnel are ready to effectively promote products in this segment, how prepared they are for competition. The company's management must decide whether the company has sufficient resources to work in the selected segment, to determine what is lacking here to work effectively.


Protection of the selected segment from competition. In accordance with this criterion, the company's management must evaluate its ability to compete with possible competitors in the selected market segment. It is important to determine who can become a competitor in the chosen segment in the future, what are its weak and strengths, what are the company's own competitive advantages, on which areas of economic activity it is necessary to concentrate the main efforts and resources in order to develop strengths and identify weaknesses, etc.

Only after receiving answers to all these questions, assessing the potential of the enterprise according to all criteria, it is possible to make decisions as to whether this market segment is suitable for the enterprise or not, whether it is worth continuing to study consumer demand in this segment, continue collecting and processing additional information and spend new resources on it. The listed criteria are also important in the case when a company analyzes its positions in a previously selected market segment. Taking into account segmentation, in fact, the market capacity for the company can be determined.

1.2 Segmentation principles

Marketing researcher E.V. Popov in his article “Market Segmentation” identifies five principles for successful market segmentation” (10, p. 77):

Differences between segments, customer similarities, measurability of customer characteristics, large segment size, reachability of customers.

The principle of difference between segments means that as a result of segmentation, groups of consumers that differ from each other should be obtained. Otherwise, segmentation will be implicitly replaced by mass marketing. The segment consumer similarity principle provides for the homogeneity of potential buyers in terms of consumer attitudes towards a particular product. The similarity of consumers is necessary in order to be able to develop an appropriate marketing plan for everything target segment.

The requirement for a large segment means that the target sales segments must be large enough to generate sales and cover the costs of the enterprise. When assessing the size of a segment, one should take into account the nature of the product being sold and the size of the potential market. Yes, on consumer market the number of buyers in one segment can be measured in tens of thousands, while pan industrial market a large segment may include less than a hundred potential consumers (for example, for cellular and satellite communication systems, for consumers of power engineering products, etc.).

The measurability of consumer characteristics is necessary for targeted field marketing research, as a result of which it is possible to identify the needs of potential buyers, as well as to study the reaction of the target market to the marketing actions of the enterprise. This principle is extremely important, since the distribution of goods "blindly", without feedback from consumers, leads to the dispersion of funds, labor and intellectual resources of the seller.

The principle of reachability of consumers means the requirement for the availability of channels of communication between the selling firm and potential consumers. Newspapers can be such channels of communication.

Magazines, radio, television, media outdoor advertising etc. Reachability of consumers is necessary for organizing promotional campaigns, otherwise informing potential buyers about a particular product: its characteristics, cost, main advantages, possible sales, etc.

The basis of the market segmentation procedure, along with the application of segmentation principles, is the reasonable choice of the appropriate segmentation method.

1.3 Segmentation methods

The most common methods of market segmentation are the method of grouping by one or more characteristics and the methods of multivariate statistical analysis.

The grouping method consists in the sequential breakdown of a set of objects into groups according to the most significant features. A feature is singled out as a system-forming feature (a consumer who intends to purchase a product, a product owner), then subgroups are formed in which the significance of this criterion is much higher than for the entire set of potential consumers of this product. By successive splitting into two parts, the sample is divided into a number of subgroups.

Figure 1. shows a diagram of sequential breakdowns by AID methods (automatic interaction detector), which is widely used in segmentation procedures at the present time. Such methods of enumeration of options are often used in market segmentation. Some marketing researchers consider such methods as a priority method for choosing a target market.

For the purposes of segmentation, multidimensional classification methods are also used, when the division occurs according to the complex of analyzed features simultaneously.

Rice. 1 AID classification scheme

The most effective of them is the methods of automatic classification, or otherwise cluster analysis. In this case, the classification schemes are based on the following assumptions. Consumers that are similar to each other in a number of ways are combined into one class. The degree of similarity among consumers belonging to the same class should be higher than the degree of similarity among people belonging to different classes.

Using this method, the problem of typification is solved with the simultaneous use of demographic, socio-economic and psychographic features, the essence of which will be considered in the second chapter of this work.

As an example, we can consider solving the problem of market segmentation by constructing a consumer typology, which refers to the division of consumers into typical groups that have the same or similar consumer behavior. Building a typology is the process of dividing the studied set of objects into groups that are quite homogeneous and stable in time and space.

2 SIGNS OF SEGMENTATION OF THE MARKETS OF GOODS

The signs of segmentation differ depending on the purpose of the goods (consumer and industrial purposes).

2.1 Signs of segmentation of consumer goods

Many domestic and Western marketing researchers, including marketing professor F. Kotler, identify four main features of segmentation consumer goods: geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral.

But the generally accepted division that A.P. gives is closer to me. Durovich in his book "Marketing in entrepreneurial activity". To these four features, he adds one more: socio-economic.

Thus, for the segmentation of the consumer goods market, the main features are: geographical, demographic, socio-economic, psychographic and behavioral features.

Geographic segmentation of the market involves dividing the market into different geographical units: countries, states, republics, cities, regions, etc., taking into account the size and location of the region, population size and density, climatic conditions, and administrative division. At the same time, groups of buyers with the same or similar consumer preferences, determined by residence in a particular territory, are considered.

A whole country or a group of countries with some political, ethnic or religious community can be considered as a geographical segment. An example of such segments can be the countries of the Middle East, Central America, the Baltic States, the CIS, etc. A whole continent (for example, Latin America) can be a geographical segment.

When segmenting by geography, a firm may decide to operate: 1) in one or more geographic areas, or 2) in all areas, but taking into account differences in needs and preferences determined by geography.

Geographic segmentation is the simplest. It was used in practice earlier than others, which was due to the need to determine the spatial boundaries of the enterprise. Its application is especially necessary when there is a climatic difference in the market between regions or features of cultural, national, historical traditions, as well as consumer habits and preferences.

demographic signs. Demographic segmentation is the division of the market into groups based on demographic variables such as gender, age, family size, stage life cycle families, number of children, marital status, etc. (see Table 1).

Demographic variables are the most popular features that serve as the basis for distinguishing consumer groups. One of the reasons for such popularity is that needs and preferences, as well as the intensity of consumption of a product, are often closely related precisely to demographic characteristics. Another reason is that demographic characteristics are easier to measure than most other types of variables. Even in cases where the market is not described from a demographic point of view (but, for example, on the basis of personality types), it is still necessary to make a connection with demographic parameters.

Table 1

Market segmentation by demographics

Signs of segmentation	Possible segments
Age	Up to 6 years; 6 - 12; 13 - 19; 20 - 29; 30 - 39; 40 - 49; 50 - 59; 60 and older
Floor	Male, female
Family size (persons)	12; 3–4; 5 or more
Life cycle stages	Single life stage, newlyweds without children; young spouses with children under 6 years old; young spouses with children over 6 years old; elderly spouses; lonely, etc.

An important demographic feature of segmentation is the age of consumers. Needs and opportunities change with age. The number of people in each age group determines not only the existing demand for many types of goods, but also the prospects for its development. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the desires of young people are more non-plastic and it is easier for this segment of consumers to form new needs, tastes and preferences.

In addition to age, gender differences in consumers are fundamentally important in many cases. Gender segmentation has already been done for clothing, hair care products, cosmetics, and magazines. From time to time, the possibility of segmentation based on gender is also discovered by other market players. Good example the cigarette market. Most brands of cigarettes are used by both men and women without distinction. However, "Women's" cigarettes, such as Virginia Slims, Vogu, are increasingly appearing on the market with the appropriate flavor, in appropriate packaging and accompanied by advertising that emphasizes the image of the femininity of the product.

Throughout his life, the same person changes his tastes, desires and values. Naturally, these changes are reflected in consumer behavior. Since a person is surrounded by a family, it is advisable for the purposes of segmentation to divide his entire life cycle into stages, taking into account changes in the family circle. The classic differentiation of consumers, taking into account the sequence of important stages in the life of an adult, is used in their book "The Life Cycle and Financial Opportunities of Consumers" by John B. Lansing and James N. Morgan (see Table 2).

People change what they buy over the course of their lives. Thus, the complete family at the first stage is the main buyer of washing machines, televisions, food for small children and toys. At the same time, a complete family at the third stage is a consumer of expensive radio-electronic equipment and luxury items.

Most firms segment the market based on a combination of two or more demographic variables. An example of such a characteristic is the marital status and age of the head of the family (the recipient of the main family income).

Socio-economic features suggest the allocation of consumer groups based on the commonality of social and professional affiliation, education and income. Thus, the socio-cultural sphere creates a certain range of interests and preferences in relation to consumer goods. Belonging to a certain social stratum obliges a person to play a decisive role in society, which in one way or another will influence his purchasing behavior. Many firms, taking into account the segmentation of consumers on the basis of belonging to a particular social group, use targeted advertising to form demand and stimulate sales of certain goods.

table 2

Segmentation of consumers by life cycle stages

Life cycle stage	Possible segments
Unmarried, bachelor period	Young people living separately
Newly created families	Newlyweds without children
Complete family, 1st stage	Young couples with young children under 6
Complete family, stage 2	Young couples with children aged 6 and over
Complete family, stage 3	Married couples living with minor children
"Empty Nest", stage 1	Elderly couples with whom working children do not live
"Empty Nest", Stage 2	Elderly couples with whom children do not live, pensioners
Elderly singles	Widowed persons with whom children do not live

The type of activity (profession) is also a factor influencing the demand of the buyer and his behavior in the market. It will be different for a working engineer, for a worker of different qualifications, for an economist and philologist, and so on. Therefore, marketing specialists need to carefully examine the relationship between professional groups of people and their interests in acquiring a particular product. The firm, on the other hand, can orient the production of its products based on specific professional groups. The profession plays a special role in the process of market segmentation of "intellectual" goods, for example. These are books, media.

Education is closely related to the profession, but at the same time, these are not identical concepts. Having the same education, people can have different professions. Experts have found that as the level of education changes both as an individual and in social groups we should expect a reorientation of demand in the market.

income level. Another age-old division of the market in relation to such goods as cars, boats, clothing, cosmetics, etc., is segmentation based on income level. Income differentiation divides consumers into low, middle and high income groups. Each category has different resources to purchase goods. Thus, a consumer with a high income has more possibilities choose and buy the offered goods. The amount of income affects the consumer in other ways. For example, it is not at all necessary that when income increases, consumption for all product groups increases accordingly. Thus, the relative share of funds used for food is decreasing, while incomes for recreation and entertainment are increasing. The distribution is also affected by the number of family members. Provided that their income is the same, the consumption of each person in a small family may be higher than in a large one.

Therefore, marketers must pay a lot of attention to predicting trends in income, savings, taxes. This is especially true for the current situation in our country. At the same time, it is necessary to have sufficiently flexible pricing, change in the assortment and quality structure of goods offered to the market, because practically none of them can be created for the entire population. Thus, the range of products offered should be designed for the "purse" of the buyer of each segment.

Demographic characteristics are very closely related to the socio-economic and can be combined with each other in a certain way, forming the combined parameters of the segments. For example, a boarding house takes care of blind people, takes care of maintaining their psychological state, provides professional education. However, due to limited capacity, the boarding house is not able to provide assistance to all blind people of different social status. On fig. Figure 2 shows an example of multifactorial segmentation of these individuals by gender, age, and income level (4, p. 260).

And the boarding house has chosen to cater to low-income, working-age blind men because management believes it can best meet the needs of this particular group. potential clients.

Rice. 2 Segmentation of the blind by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics

Geographical, demographic features are common objective features of segmentation are common objective features of segmentation. However, segments that are homogeneous in terms of these characteristics often turn out to be significantly differentiated in terms of the behavior of buyers in the market. Thus, census data provide useful information about population groups, but do not explain the reasons why certain products find their own niches in the market, attracting some part of the buyers. Obviously, the use of only objective features does not allow for effective segmentation.

Subjective specific features of segmentation are psychographic and behavioral.

Psychographic segmentation combines a whole range of buyer characteristics. It is generally expressed by the concept of "way of life" and is a model of a person's life, which is expressed in hobbies, actions, interests, opinions, a hierarchy of needs, a dominant type of relationship with other people, etc.

An analysis carried out by one American made it possible to distinguish the following groups of people according to a certain way of life:

"desperate" - people who live without meaning in life, who have a tendency to move away from society (4%);

"supported" - people who are still losers in life, but maintain ties with society in order to escape from poverty (7%);

"belonging" - people who are very conservative, honoring customs, do not like to experiment, prefer to adapt rather than stand out (33%).

"competitive" - ​​people with ambitions, striving "to the top", always wanting to achieve more (10%);

"prosperous" - people who consider themselves happy, "grown" into the social system, satisfied with life (23%);

"I - to myself" - people, most often young, self-absorbed, capricious (5%);

“survivors” are people with a rich inner life who accept her for who she is (7%);

"socially creative" - ​​people with a high degree of responsibility who want to improve social relations (9%);

"integrated" - people with a fully mature psychology, combining the best elements of internal aspirations and external, social (2%).

This classification is valuable for marketing because it is based on the idea that each person goes through different stages of lifestyle. So far, such studies have not been carried out in Russia, although the need for them is obvious.

Abroad, studies of market segments have long been practiced, taking into account personality types and lifestyles. So, for example, the American marketer R. Ekoff and J. Emshoff managed to identify four personality types of beer consumers (see Table 3) and help Ankhozer-Bush develop a competitive advertising campaign to cover each of these groups (4, p. 262).

Table 3

Segmentation of beer consumers by personality type

Consumer type	Personality type	Consumer habits
Drinker in company	Driven by our own needs and especially the need to achieve success and the desire to manipulate others to get what we want	A controlled person who can sometimes get drunk, but is most likely a non-alcoholic. Drinks on weekends, holidays, usually in the company of friends. Drinking beer is considered one of the ways to achieve social recognition.
Drinker to restore tone	Sensitive and responsive. Adapts to the needs of others. Usually a middle aged person.	Self-controlled, who rarely gets drunk. Drinks after work with close friends.
drinking a lot	Sensitive to the needs of others. Often a loser who blames himself for this.	Drinks a lot. At times he loses control of himself, can get very drunk. Drinking beer for him is an escape from reality.
Drinking out of control	As a rule, does not feel sympathy for others, blaming for his failures on the lack of himself on the part of others	He drinks a lot, often gets drunk, often becomes an alcoholic. Drinking beer for him is a form of escapism.

E.P. Golubkov in his work "Marketing Research: Theory, Methodology and Practice" identifies the following behavioral signs of segmentation: by the circumstances of application; based on benefits; based on user status; based on intensity of consumption; based on the stage of readiness of consumption to make a purchase (2, p. 43).

Behavioral signs of segmentation (see Table 4) are the most descriptive and, according to many experts, are the most logical basis for the formation of a market segment. Behavioral segmentation involves dividing the market into groups depending on such characteristics of consumers as the level of knowledge, attitudes, the nature of the use of the product or the reaction to it, etc.

Table 4

Segmentation of consumers according to their behavior in the market

Segmentation by circumstances of use - dividing the market into groups in accordance with the circumstances, reasons for the emergence of an idea, making a purchase or using a product. For example, abroad, orange juice is usually consumed at breakfast. However, orange growers are trying to expand demand for oranges by stimulating orange juice consumption at other times of the day.

Segmentation based on benefits - dividing the market into groups depending on the benefits, benefits that the consumer is looking for in the product is one of the main vital needs, for the other - only an element of a certain image.

User status also characterizes the degree of regularity of using a product by its users, which are divided into non-users, former users, potential users, novice users and regular users. For example, you can target your market activity to convert novice users into regular users.

Consumption intensity is an indicator on the basis of which markets are segmented into groups of weak, moderate and active consumers of certain goods. Obviously, it is more profitable to serve one market segment than several small segments of weak customers.

The degree of loyalty, i.e. consumer commitment to a particular brand of product. It is usually measured by the number of repeated purchases of products of this brand.

According to the degree of customer loyalty to the product, F. Kotler and A.P. Durovich distinguish the following segments: 1) unconditional adherents; 2) tolerant adherents; 3) fickle adherents; 4) "wanderers".

Buyer readiness stage is a characteristic according to which buyers are classified into ignorant about the product, well-informed about it, interested in it, willing to buy it and not intending to buy it.

A.P. Durovich. Depending on the attitude of the buyer to the product, he proposes a division into the following segments: 1) ignorant, who knows nothing about the product; 2) informed - knows only that the product exists; understanding - has an idea about the merits of the product, its functions and the needs it satisfies, but is not sure that it is superior to competing products; 4) convinced - realized the advantages of the proposed product, but for some reason (financial situation, seasonality of consumption, etc.) does not buy it yet; 5) active - acquires and uses the goods (3, p. 135).

The choice of the correct segmentation attribute significantly affects the final results of commercial activity. For example, when developing a market strategy and tactics for the implementation of the Mustang car model, Ford Motors (USA) chose the age of buyers as the basic segmentation criterion. The model was intended for young people who want to buy an inexpensive sports car. However, having launched the car on the market, the company's management found to their surprise that the model was in demand among buyers of all ages. The conclusion suggests itself that not the youth, but “psychologically young” people should have been chosen as the basic segment group. This example shows us how important it is to do right choice segment, taking into account the various signs of segmentation, because the successful operation of the company depends on it.

2.2 Signs of product segmentation

industrial purpose

As a basis for segmenting markets for industrial goods, you can use most of the same features that are used when segmenting markets for consumer goods. Consumers of manufacturing goods can be segmented geographically and along a range of behavioral variables, based on the benefits they seek, user status, intensity of consumption, degree of commitment, willingness to accept and attitude towards the product.

When segmenting the market for industrial goods, E.P. Golubkov identifies such features as: geographical position; type of organization purchasing the goods; the amount of purchases; direction of use of purchased goods (2, p. 44).

In the textbook "Marketing" edited by A.N. Romanov said that for the segmentation of the market for industrial goods, economic and technological criteria are of paramount importance, which include:

industries	(industry, transport, Agriculture, construction, culture, science, healthcare, trade);
forms of ownership	(state, private, collective, foreign states, mixed);
field of activity	(R&D, main production, production infrastructure, social infrastructure);
enterprise size	(small, medium, large);
Geographical position		(tropics, Far North)

Important features of segmentation are also the frequency of orders for these goods, the specifics of the procurement organization (delivery terms, payment terms, payment methods), forms of relationships (6, p. 57).

A.P. Durovich believes that in the market of industrial goods, where consumers are enterprises, where consumers are enterprises, geographical segmentation is to some extent combined with production and economic segmentation. He refers to specific features of production and economic segmentation (3, p. 134)

industry to which the enterprise belongs: agriculture, oil production and refining, metallurgy, etc.;

technological processes used at the consumer enterprise.

The second group of signs characterizes the specifics of the organization of procurement, especially consumer requests: the presence of specific problems in the field of procurement of means of production (for example, productivity, power, speed, completeness, etc.); terms of payment and forms of relationship with suppliers (one-time purchases, long-term relationships, etc.).

With this group of signs of segmentation, technical and applied ones are closely related.

When segmenting the market for industrial goods, brand-demographic characteristics can be widely and effectively applied. So, information about the main production assets, the capital of the enterprise, the dynamics of the volume of production and its range give an idea of ​​both the current production and commercial program and the prospects, and therefore, the existing and potential needs of the enterprise for certain goods.

As for the consumer goods market, the segmentation of industrial goods is carried out on the basis of a combination of several features. It is important that the segments are not too small. On fig. Figure 3 shows a fragment of the results of a sequential three-stage segmentation of the aluminum consumer market.

Rice. 3 Three-step market segmentation

3 TARGET MARKET SEGMENTATION AND PRODUCT POSITIONING

The segmentation of the market in the process of segmentation is usually carried out in two stages. At the stage of macrosegmentation, the product market is identified, at the subsequent stage of microsegmentation, the goal is to identify individual segments of buyers in the previously identified product market.

3.1 Choice of target market

One of milestones market segmentation, after defining the criteria, methods and characteristics of segmentation is the choice of the target market. The choice of the target market must be given serious attention, since the effectiveness of all subsequent activities of the enterprise depends to a large extent on the choice made. In Lamberne's monograph, this stage of market segmentation was called macrosegmentation, as opposed to microsegmentation, dedicated to the choice of the target segment.

The main points of macro-segmentation in accordance with the results of Lumbern's work are as follows: the implementation of a market segmentation strategy should begin with the definition of the mission of the firm, which describes its role and main function in perspective, consumer oriented. The head of the firm should ask three fundamental questions: “What business is the firm in?”, “What business should be in?”, “What business should not be in?”.

Hence, the concept of a firm's target or base market arises, which is a significant group of consumers with similar needs and motivational characteristics that create favorable marketing opportunities for the firm.

According to Abell's work, a firm's target market can be defined in three dimensions (10, p. 79):

technological, describing technologies that can satisfy the needs of the market (“how?”);


functional, certain functions of which must be satisfied in this market (“what?”);


consumer, which determines the groups of consumers that can be satisfied in a given market (“who?”).

Graphically, this can be represented by a three-dimensional scheme (see Fig. 4).

Using this approach, it is possible to distinguish between three different structures: the market for one technology (industry), the market for one function (technology market) and the product market.

An industry is defined by technology, regardless of its associated functions or consumer groups. The concept of an industry is itself traditional. At the same time, it is the least satisfactory, as it is oriented towards supply rather than demand. Thus, such a category is appropriate under the condition of high homogeneity of the considered functions and consumer groups.

A product market is at the intersection of a group of consumers and a set of features based on a specific technology. It corresponds to the concept of a strategic business unit and responds to the realities of supply and demand.

The choice of a market coverage strategy is made on the basis of a competitiveness analysis for each segment. The following different target market strategies can be chosen by the enterprise:

Concentration strategy - the company gives a narrow definition of its field of activity in relation to the product market, function or group of consumers.


Functional Specialist Strategy - Enterprises prefer to specialize in one function but serve all customer groups interested in that warehousing function.


Customer specialization strategy – the company specializes in a certain category of customers (hospitals, hotels, etc.), offering its customers a wide range of products or complex equipment systems that perform additional or interrelated functions.


The strategy of selective specialization is the release of many goods in different markets that are not interconnected (a manifestation of production diversification).


Full coverage strategy - offering a complete range that satisfies all consumer groups.

In most real cases, target market strategies can be formulated in two dimensions: functions and customer groups, as firms most often own only one specific technology surrounding their industry affiliation.

If the firm owns different technologies, then the choice of the target market and strategies for its coverage will also be determined by the technological dimension of the market.

After choosing the target market, it is advisable to move on to its more detailed segmentation.

3.2 Selecting the target segment

After selecting the target market, the firm must decide how many segments the company should focus on, in other words, select target market segments and develop a marketing strategy.

Target market segment - one or more segments for marketing activities enterprises.

At the same time, the form should, taking into account the chosen goals, determine the strengths of competition, the size of markets, relations with distribution channels, profits and its image of the company.

The goals of the enterprise can be set both quantitatively and qualitatively. They may concern the introduction of new products or the penetration of well-known products into new market segments. At the same time, the segment must have sufficient demand potential to be selected as the target segment. In addition, the target segments must be stable, allowing sufficient time to implement the chosen marketing strategy.

The choice of the target segment can be decided by one of the following segment differences and one type of product can be released to the entire market, providing it with marketing means of attractiveness in the eyes of consumers of all groups. In this case, a mass marketing strategy is applied. This strategy is referred to as a big sales strategy. The main goal of mass marketing is maximum sales. Penetration into a large number of segments is associated with a wide capture of the entire market and requires significant resources, so this strategy is usually used large enterprises. For successful mass marketing, it is necessary that the majority of buyers feel the need for the same properties of the product. Methods of mass distribution and mass advertising are used, one price range, a single marketing program aimed at various consumer groups. However, as the market saturates, this approach becomes less productive.

Secondly, it is possible to concentrate the efforts and resources of the manufacturer on one market segment (a specific group of consumers). AT this case a concentrated marketing strategy is applied. This strategy is attractive with limited resources, for small enterprises. The enterprise concentrates efforts and resources where it has the opportunity to use its advantages, providing savings on the specialization of production and a strong market position due to the remote degree of uniqueness and individuality in meeting needs.

The concentrated marketing strategy allows the company to maximize profit per unit of output, with few resources to compete with big firms in specialized market segments.

The marketing strategy of the enterprise is based on the exceptional nature of its products, but here, too, the influence of competitors is dangerous, but here, too, the influence of competitors is dangerous and the risk of large losses is significant.

It is more reliable to work on several segments that form the target market of this enterprise.

The third way to select a target market segment is to cover several segments and release for each of them its product or its variety. Here, a differentiated marketing strategy is applied with a different marketing plan for each segment. Covering multiple market segments requires significant market segments requiring significant enterprise resources and capabilities to produce and market different brands and products. At the same time, the release of several types of goods, oriented to several segments, allows you to maximize sales.

So, the choice of any of these three market coverage strategies is determined by:

the number of identified and potentially profitable segments;


enterprise resources.

If the resources of the enterprise are limited, then the strategy of concentrated marketing, apparently, is the only possible one.

In some cases, an enterprise starting with a mass or concentrated marketing strategy is able to reach undeveloped consumer segments (for example, switching from the production of universal shampoo (mass marketing) to the production of special shampoos for different types of hair for children). Or vice versa, having firmly established itself in one segment, the company expands its activities, mastering a new segment. So, along with the release of products for children, Johnson & Johnson sells shampoos for women over 40 years old. In some cases, firms use both mass and concentrated marketing in their strategy.

Often in the process of segmentation, certain parts of the market are found that manufacturers, for one reason or another, neglect. The consumers that make up these segments do not fully satisfy their desires and preferences. An example is goods for certain categories of consumers: pensioners, teenagers, etc. This situation is called a market window. A manufacturer seeking to close this “window” can have great success.

Market segments in which the company has secured a dominant and stable position are commonly called a market niche.

The creation and strengthening of a market niche, including by searching for market windows, is ensured only through the use of market segmentation methods. Market segmentation establishes differences in demand, and the product adapts to the needs of buyers.

3.3 Product positioning

After determining the target market segment, the enterprise must study the properties and image of competitors and assess the position of their product in the market. Having studied the positions of competitors, the company decides on the positioning of its product, i.e. ensuring the competitive position of their product in the market. The positioning of a product in the chosen market is a logical continuation of finding target segments, since the position of a product in one market segment may differ from how it is perceived by buyers in another segment.

In some works of Western marketers who consider positioning within the framework of marketing logistics, it is defined as the optimal placement of goods in the market space, which is based on the desire to bring the product as close as possible to the consumer. Advertisers use the term "positioning" to refer to selecting the most advantageous position for a product in a product display, such as a window display.

If segmentation gives the characteristics that a product should have in terms of desires and preferences, then positioning convinces consumers that they are offered exactly the product that they would like to purchase.

Positioning includes a set of marketing elements with the help of which people need to be convinced that this is a product created specifically for them, so that they identify the proposed product with their ideal.

Here you can note the main strategies for positioning goods in the target segment:

positioning based on excellent product quality;


positioning based on a particular way of using the product;


positioning based on the benefits of purchasing a product or on solutions to a specific problem;


positioning focused on a certain category of consumers;


positioning in relation to a competing product;


positioning based on a gap with a certain category of goods.

To gain a strong position in the competition, based on the results of the positioning of its products, the company highlights the characteristics of the product and marketing activities that can distinguish its products from competitors' products in an advantageous way, i.e. differentiates its products, i.e. differentiates its products.

Moreover, different directions of differentiation can be chosen for different products.

So, marketer E.P. Golubkov identifies productive differentiation, service differentiation, staff differentiation, and image differentiation (2, p. 50).

Productive differentiation is offering products with features and designs that are better than those of competitors. For standardized products (chicken, oil products, metal) it is practically impossible to carry out product differentiation. For products such as automobiles, household appliances, following this market policy is common.

Service differentiation is the offering of services (speed, reliability of supply, installation, after-sales service, customer training, consulting, etc.) that are related to the product and are at a higher level than the services of competitors.

Personnel differentiation is the recruitment and training of personnel who carry out their functions more effectively than the personnel of competitors. Well-trained personnel must meet the following requirements: competence, friendliness, reliability, responsibility, communication skills. He must inspire confidence.

Differentiation of the image - the creation of an image, an image of an organization or products that differ in their better side from competitors. For example, most well-known brands of cigarettes have similar taste and are marketed in the same way. However, Marlboro cigarettes, due to their unusual image, according to which only strong, “cowboy-like” men smoke them, have about 30% of the world cigarette market.

Depending on the characteristics of specific products and the capabilities of the company, it can simultaneously implement from one to several areas of differentiation.

When determining the position of a product on the market, the method of constructing positioning maps in the form of a two-dimensional matrix is ​​often used, on the field of which the products of competing firms are presented.

On fig. Figure 5 shows a map of the positioning of products of competing products of competing products in a specific target market according to two parameters: price (horizontal axis) and quality (vertical axis).

In circles, the radii of which are proportional to the volume, the implementations indicate the names of competing firms. The question mark characterizes the possible choice of a position in the market for a new firm, based on an analysis of the position in this market of other firms. The choice made is justified by the desire to take a place in the target market, where there is less competition. In this case, it is the production of relatively High Quality sold at average prices.

Rice. 5 Map of product positioning in terms of "quality-price" parameters

Based on the decision made, this company must carry out a set of works on the development, market testing and launch of the selected product. There is no 100% guarantee of successful implementation of the decision made. It is also necessary to evaluate the chances of success.

Thus, the positioning of the product in the target segment is associated with highlighting the distinctive advantages of the product, meeting specific needs or a certain category of customers, with the belief in the excellent quality of the product, as well as with the formation of a characteristic image of the product or company.

4 features of SEGMENTATION of the goods market in Russia

Above, we examined the basics of both Western and domestic theories of segmentation of the goods market. Which of these approaches is applicable today in Russian practice marketing?

Let's start with segmentation based on traditional socio-demographic and geographic features.

Any plan for an advertising and marketing campaign in the United States or any other industrialized country necessarily includes a "geographical section" that provides accurate data on the number of households with a certain level income in a particular city and state. To compare the marketing potential of regions, multifactorial indices are widely used - the population size, the total monetary income of the population and the region and the distribution of this income, the total volume and index retail sales certain types of goods. The main thing here is the index of retail sales, since it is on its basis that one can predict the potential capacity of the regional market (see Table 5) (5, p. 72).

A multi-factor index that most accurately characterizes the marketing potential of a region in the US is calculated by the weighted average of three factors: 1) the percentage of actual consumer income; 2) the percentage of retail sales and the percentage of the population.

For Russian conditions geographic segmentation is of particular importance - the growing trend towards regionalization in recent years leads to the creation of closed and dissimilar markets and closed "consumer worlds". As applied to Russia, the methodology for calculating the multifactorial consumer index of the region was proposed by Leonid Laptev and Oleg Mitichkin (ORFI) (5, p. 73).

Table 5

An example of determining the potential capacity of regional markets for the United States

Region	Total Retail Sales ($ million)	Retail Sales Index	Sales potential (in million dollars).
Great Lakes Illinois	129657 37691	19,6	9800 2850

According to their methodology, the following indicators are used to calculate the multifactorial consumer index of the region: the number of families in the region, the average family spending on the purchase of food (non-food) products, the average salary in the region, the ratio of the average salary to the subsistence minimum in percent.

An example of calculating a multi-factor consumer index for those regions in Russia is given in the table (see Table 6).

Leonid Laptev and Oleg Mitichkin note that in addition to assessing the sales potential of consumer goods, their multifactorial index can also be used to calculate the capacity of markets for industrial goods. For example, in relation to the market of paper and paper products, the multi-factor index of the region will represent the weighted average of several indicators: the percentage of printing enterprises in the region to their total number in Russia, the ratio of the volume of printing production in the region to the all-Russian indicators.

Table 6

An example of calculating a multi-factor consumer index for three regions of Russia

Region	Number of families	Average monthly expenses	Average salary (thousand rubles)	Living wage (thousand rubles)	The ratio of the average salary to the cost of living	consumer index
Nizhny Novgorod	1060000					2,317
KOMI	325000					1,517
Murmansk	316000					1,457

With regard to the calculation of consumer demand, the greatest difficulties will arise in practice with obtaining reliable data on average salary and living wage in the region. There is nothing surprising in this - segmentation by income level is basic and more difficult in conditions and more difficult in conditions of a sharp property stratification that has occurred in our society. The situation is paradoxical in that for advertising and marketing campaigns on a huge variety of products, segmentation by income level can be practically self-sufficient. Such indicators as gender, age and family income make other socio-demographic characteristics (education, social status, type of occupation, etc.) is redundant. That is, the target audience obtained on the basis of income level turns out to be so narrow that it no longer requires further division with the help of additional socio-demographic characteristics.

So, for example, the potential market for foreign tourism, air travel or financial services of commercial banks today is within the limits of only 10% of the most highly profitable part of the population of Moscow. Exploring the communicative behavior of the highly profitable part of the population of Moscow, the V raoloi research center limited itself to 17% of the capital's residents. The remaining 83% of the population of Moscow can serve as a target audience for advertising campaigns for washing powder, Coca-Cola, chocolates, coffee, chewing gum, shampoo, which we actually see on our TV screens. This is the striking difference between marketing practice in Russia and Western. In Russia, developments in the field of the theory of consumer behavior are far behind. When can you define your target audience? advertising company in just three dimensions—income, gender, and age—the question of segmentation by benefit, buying behavior, or lifestyle no longer arises. The reason is the absence of the middle class - a potential buyer of most quality goods and the main object of advertising influence. The middle class exists in Russia as a kind of "phantom" in the mass consciousness. In the course of surveys about class affiliation, the following data were obtained (5, C, C. 76). 1% of the respondents considered themselves to be in the “upper” class, 37% – in the “middle” class, 44% – in the “lower” class, 18% found it difficult to answer.

Thus, the conclusion about the emerging potential unaffordability of many ordinary foodstuffs by low-income buyers, whose share reaches half of the population, is confirmed by the data of the researchers. Thus, according to the VTsIOM data (see Table 7), the regular consumption of the most popular goods is as follows.

Table 7

Share of consumption various goods

Russian buyers

Product	Share of consumers as a percentage of the population
Chocolate candies
Chocolate bars
Chewing gum
Mineral water
Cold drinks like "Cola"
Other soft drinks
fruit juices
Tea
Coffee
Vodka
Beer
Cigarettes
Soap
Toothpaste
Shampoo
washing powder

This table shows that half of Russians never or almost never buy fruit juices, mineral water, soft drinks, beer, a quarter of our country never buy coffee and chocolates. All this testifies to the very low consumer potential of the vast majority of the population.

Thus, it can be seen that marketers may need models for segmenting by benefits, lifestyle and buying behavior only when developing advertising and marketing strategies for selling goods to a highly profitable (8 - 10%) part of our society. For the rest, the price of the goods will be decisive for a long time. So far, there are only attempts to build such models.

Segmentation of buyers by lifestyle and motives in Russia was carried out in two research products: "R-TGI" of the "Comson-2" center and its adapted Finnish version "Media&Marketing Index" made by the center "Romir/G11up Media" (5, p. 78 ).

Summarizing the obtained segmentation data based on the purchase and lifestyle in Russia, CEO research center "Comson -2" Elena Koneva identifies three top Russian buyers:

1) buyers of "romance", "life burners" (young people with modest financial resources but with a great willingness to spend them. They consider the prestige of the product as a means of socialization, a way to express belonging to their group. Characteristic - low level of consumption, prudence in spending, motives for buying - prestige, attention to advertising, combined with a cautious attitude towards it).

2) "rich pragmatists" (persons employed in the private sector). They are characterized by the willingness and ability to spend significant cash, which is combined with prudence in purchases. They know the value of money, they know how to earn it, and they want to have what suits them the most for their money. Characteristic - a high level of consumption, prudence in spending, motives for buying - prestige, attention to advertising, combined with a cautious attitude towards it);

3) a “socialist-conservative” type of consumer (mainly a socially unprotected group of older people over 55 years old). “Affordable prices” is the main motive for consumption. This group is focused only on survival and has little ability to adapt to the new economic conditions. Characteristic - low level of consumption, unwillingness to spend money, purchase motive - affordable price, irritation with advertising and distrust of it.

Elena Koneva notes that belonging to one or another age group does not mean the inevitable adoption of the appropriate type of behavior. In her opinion, the most severe factor determining the type of consumption is employment in the private sector of the economy. The “technological shifts” in this area, in her estimation, will take place in the direction from the “socialist conservative” “or romantic consumer” to the wealthy pragmatist, and not vice versa.

Thus, the peculiarities of market segmentation in Russia boil down to the fact that in the conditions of a colossal property stratification of society, segmentation by income level is of key importance. The absence of a middle class, the main object of advertising influence, has led to the fact that the vast majority of advertised goods in terms of income are now available to no more than 8–10% of the Russian population. Of particular importance is also geographic segmentation, which (given the deepening gap in living standards between individual regions of Russia) should take into account the multifactorial consumer index, reflecting the purchasing potential of the region.

Other types of segmentation (according to lifestyle, purchase motives, benefits, etc.) are only beginning to be developed in Russia today and are applicable, first of all, in the development of marketing strategies aimed at high-income segments of the population.)

CONCLUSION

So, we have determined that the segmentation of the goods market is a breakdown into clear groups of buyers,

Each of which may require separate products and marketing mixes. To find the best, from the point of view of the firm, segmentation opportunities, the marketer tries a variety of methods. It performs segmentation according to a variety of principles, taking into account a variety of criteria and features.

Having assessed the potential of the company according to all criteria, the manufacturer (entrepreneur) decides whether this market segment is suitable for the enterprise, whether it is worth continuing to study consumer demand in this segment, continue collecting and processing information and spending time and new resources on this.

The choice of the correct segmentation attribute significantly affects the final results of commercial activity. In consumer marketing, segmentation is based on geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral characteristics. Segmentation of markets for industrial goods can be carried out according to the types of end users, according to the importance of customers, according to their geographical location. The effectiveness of analytical work on segmentation depends on the extent to which the resulting segments are measured, accessible, solid and suitable for targeted actions.

Then the firm must select one or more of the most profitable market segments. It decides how many segments to cover. The firm can ignore differences in segments (undifferentiated marketing), develop different market offers for different segments (differentiated marketing). In this case, much depends on the resources of the firm, the degree of product and market homogeneity, the stage of the product life cycle and marketing competitors.

The choice of a specific market segment determines the circle of competitors of the company and the possibility of its positioning. Having studied the positions of competitors, the firm decides whether to take a place close to the position of one of the competitors, or try to find and fill its own niche in the market. If a firm occupies a position next to one of its competitors, it must differentiate its offer by product, price, and quality differences. The precise positioning decision will allow the firm to move on to the next step, which is detailed marketing mix planning.

Segmentation Russian market currently carried out on the principle of "affordable prices". Therefore, income segmentation is of key importance in Russia.

Unfortunately, in conditions of economic instability, colossal property stratification Russian society, segmentation by psychological, psychographic features is practically not carried out, although the need for them is obvious.
Examination of goods: definition, types of examination, their goals and objectives. Importance of expertise of goods in modern commercial activities World market of agricultural products: trends and characteristics

2015-02-09

Course work:

Market segmentation

Introduction

One of the main areas of marketing activity is market segmentation, which allows accumulating enterprise funds for certain direction your business. To date, in the economic literature, the concepts of the target market and the target segment are quite clearly defined, the selection of which is the main goal of market segmentation. Market segmentation is necessary for market-oriented companies for the following main reasons: Different groups of people have different needs and therefore the company needs to tailor the product for each group. The company must position its products in a specific way for each group. The company must select the appropriate price for each of the groups. Some groups may require special sales channels. For the service industry, tailoring a product for each consumer group is a fairly easy task. However, it is impossible to adapt the service to each consumer, so they need to be combined into groups that are homogeneous in terms of needs. At the same time, all other of the above reasons lead to the need to divide into groups that are homogeneous from the point of view of the perception of the entire marketing mix.

To be successful in the market, a company needs to know “its” customers. This can be achieved through market segmentation. Then the organization more purposefully carries out marketing, saves money, time, effort.

The purpose of this term paper: reveal the basic concepts related to market segmentation and trace the segmentation process for a specific product group.

To write this course work, teaching aids, as well as teaching aids, were used.

Market segmentation

1.1 Purposes of segmentation

Market segmentation is the process of dividing the market into clear groups of consumers, each of which may require separate marketing mixes.

A segment is a group of consumers that is allocated during segmentation.

The target segment is the group of consumers most suitable and profitable for the company, with which the company begins to work.

A segment of consumers in the product market is characterized by similar needs, behavioral or motivational characteristics, which creates favorable marketing opportunities for the enterprise.

The main purpose of segmentation is to ensure the targeting of the product being developed, produced and sold. As a result of segmentation, the main principle of marketing is implemented - consumer orientation.

The first step in segmenting is the choice of features - indicators of the method of highlighting this segment in the market. Signs of segmentation of markets for consumer goods, industrial products and services can vary significantly.

Distinguish between supply and demand segmentation. Demand segmentation is a concept that describes the diversity of demand, while segmentation of supply is a concept that describes the diversity of supply. Demand segmentation is based on the variety of needs of potential buyers that represent the market, and supply segmentation is based on the variety of goods, if these goods (segments), from the point of view of buyers, represent a different solution to their problems.

1.2 Prerequisites for market segmentation

The fundamental premise of market segmentation is that not all buyers have needs for the same product or service. For this reason, it is rarely possible to apply a single marketing or sales program to attract all potential buyers at once.

Market segmentation allows you to find a balance between the heterogeneity of buyers, on the one hand, and the limited resources of suppliers, on the other. This is possible because shoppers with broadly similar needs and buying behaviors for products or brands can be combined, or grouped, into one market segment. Customers within a segment tend to have similar consumption patterns and attitudes towards a product that are different from those of other segments.

Most companies recognize the existence of segments of buyers with similar needs and promote several products in the hope of reaching more than one group of consumers. Many thriving companies attribute their success to the fact that they were able to identify and satisfy the needs of a certain type of customer. However, few companies have sufficient resources to offer different products for all segments of a particular market. Instead, they focus on the most attractive or profitable segments.

This is the essence of market segmentation: subgroups of buyers with similar needs are identified, some of these groups are selected for further work and they are offered carefully designed sales and marketing programs that emphasize the distinctive image of the product or position the brand.

1.3 Importance of market segmentation for a company

Companies reviewing their segmentation strategies may do so as a separate study or as part of a business or marketing plan. As a rule, firms approach such an analysis with a fair amount of optimism. Research may well uncover new ways of grouping buyers with similar needs. Needs are constantly evolving and changing, influenced by general market trends, the offerings of the company and its competitors, and the opinions of other customers. In most cases, re-evaluating market segments yields positive results: better product orientation and a deeper and more accurate understanding of needs, plus insights into developing sustainable competitive advantage.

Unfortunately, the optimism that is so characteristic of the beginning of the process completely dissolves towards the end. For successful segmentation, potential obstacles must be identified in advance. What are these "pitfalls"? Initially, a company may misunderstand the purpose of the segmentation process and not fully understand the possible outcomes. Further, she may not understand the process itself, that is, the steps that need to be taken to identify new scheme segments. Finally, many obstacles will be recognized and overcome, the company must succeed and get all the benefits that segmentation brings.

2. Market segmentation process

2.1 Stages of market segmentation

A deep understanding of the different needs and demands of different buyers is the fundamental basis of marketing. Companies can comprehend these needs in all their breadth, but it is usually not possible to develop products for each customer individually. The transition from mass marketing to market segmentation, where the target is a specific group (or groups) of buyers, is an increasingly popular way to find a compromise between the various needs of the consumer.

Many companies believe that marketing success depends on how well segmented their customers are. This is due to the fact that through segmentation they manage to satisfy various needs and at the same time achieve certain economies of scale. The process begins with a grouping of consumers with similar needs and purchasing characteristics. The organization then selects the group(s) to target its sales and marketing efforts. The marketing program is designed to take into account the special needs and characteristics of the target group(s), or segment(s), of customers. Its goal is to position a product or service directly among the target clientele. When positioning, the offers of competing organizations operating in the same segment are also taken into account. The process of market segmentation contains many different useful points. These include a deeper understanding of customer needs and desires, which can be used to create accurate and effective marketing programs, and competitive insights that help create and maintain a differentiating advantage, and a more efficient allocation of resources. It is rarely possible to serve 100% of the market, which is why focusing on individual segments allows the organization to achieve greater efficiency.

Any market segmentation program consists of three stages. They need to be carefully studied before making any decisions about how to segment.

In general, the main principle of all three stages is that "similar" buyers can be grouped. For example, if you ask 100 managers what car they like best, you can get 100 different answers. However, some of them will want the benefits of a sports car, others will want an all-wheel drive SUV, and still others will be best suited for an executive car. If enough of these "similar" customers are recruited, there is an obvious potential for companies wishing to serve the corresponding segment.

3. Division of the market into segments

3.1 Features used in segmentation

Main stages.

The division of the market into segments, or the grouping of buyers into groups, can be divided into two main stages.

Market segmentation is a universal way of dividing any industry into homogeneous groups. This process is applied not only to consumers to determine target audience. Segmentation helps to analyze the assortment of all manufacturers on the market, build a map of competitive groups and determine the boundaries of price segments. In this article, we will take a closer look at seven universal ways product market segmentation.

Product segmentation of the market helps to look at any industry from a strategic angle. Combining all market products into homogeneous groups helps to qualitative analysis market conditions, identify the most popular product groups in the industry, assess the capacity of each segment and make a forecast of its growth dynamics, identify key market trends and, as a result, develop a working long-term assortment strategy.

7 Basic Segment Search Methods

In world practice, there are 7 main methods for segmenting the assortment on the market: by product groups, by basic functions / characteristics of the product, by volume and size of the product, by type of product packaging, by manufacturer, by price segments, as well as a combination of several parameters.

The first principle - product groups

Product groups are large categories of goods, united by purpose and principle of use. Product groups are a more detailed view of the industry as a whole. Product groups in which the company's product is not represented are in fact good sources of business growth. Entering new product groups, as a rule, does not lead to a decrease in sales of sales of the current assortment, as it covers completely new needs of the buyer.

For example, commodity groups market household appliances are: washing machines, refrigerators, kettles, TVs, etc.

The second principle - according to the purpose of the goods

This type of segmentation is the most common and widely used. This method of segmenting the market into groups of goods is based on the key functions and characteristics of goods that the consumer takes into account when buying. The more detailed the segmentation by the main functions of the goods, the easier it is to find free market niches for the development of the company.

Here is an example of segmenting the chocolate market:

• by color and composition: dark, milky, white
• by consistency: airy and not airy
• on appearance: bar, bar, candy, other shapes
• according to tastes: pure chocolate, with nuts, with fruits, etc.

The third principle - by price segments

This type of market segmentation is important for understanding the established price boundaries of the market. Over time, clear boundaries of price segments are established on the market, which tell the buyer about the quality of the product, its complexity, uniqueness and premium. Based on the level of their income, expectations from the effectiveness of the product or desire to confirm their social status, the buyer chooses a product from one of the established price segments. If a customer wants a basic product, they are more likely to buy the product at the lowest price. If the quality of the product, the guaranteed result and status are important to him, he is more likely to pay attention to more expensive products.

The most common example of price segmentation: low-price segment or economy segment, mid-price segment, high-price segment, premium segment.

Marketing. Short course Popova Galina Valentinovna

6.1. The concept of market segmentation (segmentation)

A market segment is made up of consumers who respond in the same way to the same set of marketing incentives. Markets are made up of buyers, and buyers differ from one another in a variety of ways. Needs, resources, geographic location, purchasing attitudes and habits can be different. And any of these variables can be used as the basis for market segmentation.

Usually, segmentation means dividing the market into groups that are homogeneous in composition, among which those with whom the organization is going to work are selected. Actually segmentation is the process of analyzing the market and selecting those groups that correspond to the marketing interests of the organization and correlate with its capabilities. Generally speaking, then segmentation is an ordered, systematic attempt to identify the areas in which the organization will work, to whom this or that type of product will be supplied. In addition, segmentation allows you to create a certain social, psychological, economic portrait of a group of customers, create certain ways to distribute products.

The entire segmentation process can be roughly divided into six stages.

1. Determination of the current position of the company. At this stage, the general direction of the organization's activities is determined; the company is trying to fix how it will develop, what production capabilities it has, investment resources and personnel potential. In addition, it should be emphasized that the organization at this stage is of particular importance how the current position of the company is determined, how managers determine the boundaries / limits to which the organization can move and develop. This requires very special mechanisms for analyzing the organizational situation, ways of building joint activities managers of various functional departments. There are a variety of ways to analyze the current state of the organization.

2. Determining the needs and desires of consumers. This stage is probably one of the most important in the entire segmentation process, since it is on it that the specific parameters are analyzed, which in the future will become the basis for the created product samples. It is at this stage that organizations often make key mistakes regarding the definition of consumer preferences and wishes. It is at this stage that the correct or incorrect perception of the market situation arises, which can lead to large profits or to large financial failures.

3. Dividing the market in the right areas. It is this direction that is often associated with the entire segmentation process, although such an approach, in our opinion, is not justified, since it does not take into account all the other stages of segmentation, which we have already mentioned above. Segmentation is of two types − a priori and ad hoc. As part of a priori segmentation the manager independently decides, before conducting any research, on what parameters the market should be divided. As part of ad hoc segmentation first, a study is carried out, after which the relevant market segments are determined. From a psychological point of view, in both cases, organizations in the process of market division often fall under the influence of managers and their already formed position regarding the product with which the organization works. As a rule, managers in the process of segmenting determine segments based on their own experience and the experience of their colleagues, which is always fraught with certain errors. Therefore, in the chapter on new product development, we will focus on the mechanisms for identifying and defining all that is related to the needs of customers and their inclusion in the circle of organizational opportunities.

It should be noted that in the traditional scientific understanding of segmentation, its main parameter is the grouping of consumers according to a number of characteristics, namely:

Geographic segmentation (according to the place of residence of potential customers);

demographic segmentation(by age parameters, family size, gender, income, nationality, religious affiliation, etc.);

psychographic(social classes, lifestyles);

cognitive(e.g. habits, behaviors, status, participation in product consumption).

However, it should be specially noted that in Russia, due to the radical changes in the social structure of society in the 90s, due to the large difference in the amount of funds possessed by different consumer groups, such segmentation does not always correspond to the real requirements of the market. Therefore, the basis for segmentation in Russia should be determined solely with the participation of customers and based on their requirements and wishes.

4. Definition of product positioning. At this stage, it is determined how the product could be fixed in the minds of consumers and in their buying habits. At this stage, the way we want our product to be perceived by potential consumers is formed, how they would analyze and read its properties and characteristics.

5. Determination of the segmentation strategy.

6. Defining a strategy for the marketing mix. At this stage, specific actions are defined at the level of the organization in terms of product characteristics, pricing, advertising campaign and distribution systems. In fact, at this stage, the actions that the organization takes to implement the chosen strategy for a particular type of product are determined.

The stages of segmentation are shown in fig. ten.

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Market segmentation is the process of dividing the market (consumers) into groups according to certain characteristics. The main purpose of this action is to study the reaction of a particular group to a particular product, as well as the choice of the target (main) occupies a dominant position in any marketing research companies.

What is market segmentation for?

Any company works for its customers. Naturally, they all differ in one way or another from each other. Market segmentation is the process of highlighting certain parameters that distinguish one group from another. One buyer from another can be distinguished by his place of residence, habits, religious views and even attitude to life. Taking into account all these differences, the company can produce different products for each segment. Each group is naturally different from each other. One of the differences is their number. Many firms focus their attention only on the largest group. Although there are quite a few companies that focus on one narrow lets them avoid a lot of competition and have regular customers. Segmentation provides an opportunity to study your customers better, as well as to identify which groups do not use the services of a particular company. Thus, market segmentation is in the activity of any company. This phenomenon is based on certain principles.

Principles of market segmentation

Segments can differ according to several criteria:

1. Geographically. Consumers can be divided into urban and rural populations, as well as by place of residence - by regions, cities and even countries.
2. On a demographic basis. The most common is the division of potential customers by age, income level and marital status. Among the additional: religion and
3. On a psychographic basis. The division of consumers is carried out on the basis of the characteristics of a particular person. There are various methods for determining the psychographic type of a person, according to which the market is segmented. Example: a person can be attributed to one of two groups - to psychocentrics or allocentrics.

Among other signs, consumers can be distinguished by their attitude to products, by consumption style and by personal characteristics.

How to select segments

The choice of a particular product can be influenced not only by one age of consumers, but also, for example, by income level or geographical location. Therefore, the more criteria will be allocated when studying consumers, the more clearly the whole situation on the market will be visible. At the same time, a large number of signs significantly complicates the situation. Simply put, the more segments, the fewer consumers in each group. How many segments to allocate and by what parameters depends on the individual characteristics of the enterprise.

Thus, market segmentation is a process that must follow a certain pattern, depending on the goals of the enterprise.