UNIT 5 Flashcards
A market researcher…
Never replaces the decision maker. It is only a source of information
Information
- market research
- internal factors
- basic parameters
- results (sales)
MKT Mix Strategy
4ps
- product
- place
- price
- promotion
Strategic marketing
Long term- final goal
Operational marketing
Short term- tools to reach the goal
Market studies
Aim to analyze the behavior of market players and to seek new opportunities
Positioning studies
They analyze what the company’s positioning is with respect to the different competitors, according to different criteria
Segmentation studies
Through the study of consumers, they offer information about homogeneous groups (segments), their characteristics and behavior. Segmentation is basic in marketing.
Segmentation arises when:
When the market is classified by crossing at least two variables.
- At least one is usually related to product consumption.
- The rest serve to characterize
Consumers that work in (what market?) usually apply at least one of the following segmentation criteria:
Consumer or service markets
- Geographical segmentation
- Demographic segmentation
- Psychographic segmentation
- Behavioral segmentation
Geographic variables
Refers to the division of the market into geographic units such as:
- nations
- states
- regions
- cities
- towns ++
Examples:
1. Sometimes a company’s clients are concentrated in a certain geographical area
- Climate influence on the needs and purchasing habits of a certain geographical region (for example companies that sell ice-cream or airconditioning)
- Most of the national newspapers have a regional section depending on the specific place where it is sold
Demographic variables
Customer wants, preferences, and level of use are often associated with demographic variables such as:
- Gender: for example running shoes for women
- Age: as in the Rocco brand, which segment their products according to age of the children
- Rent level: Jaguar cars
- Level of education: the existing offer of master’s courses for previously graduated students
- Family life cycle (CVF): DINKS (double income, no kids)
- Occupation: Elite athletes
Psychographic segmentation
Deals with aspects of mind such as motives, personality or lifestyle that help to understand many elements directly related to purchase decisions.
- Michelin attracts its customers motivated by aspects such as safety and security
- Other brands seek customers who seek the most sporty and risky driving
VALS
One of the best known psychographic tools.
Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles
Used by many companies during the launch of their products or to choose the appropriate channel to serve as support in communication campaigns
Psychographic segmentation advantages
- understand customer concerns by analyzing their personalities, lifestyles and social status
- this segmentation type is important when customization of products and services is involved
- as it provides details about factors such as lifestyles, interests, opinions etc it is much more effective than geographic or demographic segmentation
The VALS- three main orientations
Ideals: Principle-oriented individuals: decisions made for their beliefs and not for the desire for approval
Achievements: Status-oriented individuals: Guided by the actions, approval, and opinions of others
Self expression: Action-oriented individuals: Desire to participate in social or physical activities, find variety, or face risks
8 definitions of VALS categories
- Innovators
- Thinkers
- Believers
- Achievers
- Strivers
- Experiencers
- Makers
- Survivors
Innovators
- top of the VALS framework
- high income and high resource individuals
- independence is important
- their own individual taste
- motivated by achieving finer things in life
Thinkers
- a well educated professional
- high resources
- motivated by their knowledge
- rational decision maker consumers
- well informed about their surroundings
likely to accept any social change because of their knowledge level
Believers
- difference between believers and thinkers: Thinkers make their own decisions while believers are more social in nature and hence also believe other consumers
- lower resources
less likely to accept innovation on their own - best class of word of mouth consumers
Achievers
- mainly motivated by achievements
- want to excel at their job as well as in their family
- more likely to purchase a brand that has shown its success over time
- high resource consumers
- if any brand is rising, more likely to adopt that brand faster
Strivers
- low resource consumer group which wants to reach some achievement
- do not have the resources to be an achiever
- similar values as the achiever
- if a striver can gain the necessary resources such as high income or social status he can move on to becoming an achiever
Experiencers
- high resources but also need a mode of self expression
- mostly young adults
- people who want to experience being different
- early adopters who spend heavily on food, clothing and other youthful products and services
Makers
- also want self expression but are limited by their resources
- more focused towards building a better family rather than going out and actually spending higher amount of money
- making themselves into better individuals and families becomes a form of self expression
Survivors
- the class of consumers with the least resources
- least likely to adopt to any innovation (due to low resources)
- not likely to change their course of action regularly - form into brand loyal customers
Example: Old age pension earners living alone- basic necessities are important and they are least likely to concentrate on anything else
Behavioral segmentation
Analyzes variables that have to do with purchasing behavior, especially with the relationship between the consumer and the company. Behavioral segmentation is the one that is most related to the needs of consumers.
Divides the market into groups based on different aspects such as:
- The knowledge that consumers have about the product.
- The attitude towards the brand.
- Usage rate /Frequency of consumption.
- Loyalty to the company/ product
- Moment of use.
- Desired Benefits.
- User categories.
- Inclination towards the purchase.
- Attitude with the brand/product: enthusiastic, positive, indifferent, negative and hostile.
Studies of demand and price
Its objective is to find out what is the relationship between price and demand, to what extent the market is sensitive or not to this factor.
Elasticity is basic in this context. Price Elasticity is a measure of the relationship between a change in the quantity demanded of a particular good and a change in its price. Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) is a term used in economics when discussing price sensitivity. The formula for calculating price elasticity of demand is:
Price Elasticity of Demand = % change in Quantity Demanded / % Change in Price
Inelastic demand
(Ped < 1)
If the co-efficient of price elasticity of demand <1, the demand is said to be price inelastic i.e. unresponsive to a change in price.
- following a change in price, the total revenue earned by the producing firm will depend on the PED of its product.
- if the coefficient of PED is <1, a rise in market price (e.g. from P1 to P2) will lead to an increase in total revenue