The Basics Regarding Behavioral Segmentation

By Judy Sullivan





As a marketer, it is very unlikely that you will encounter a set of two consumers who have exactly the same tastes and preferences. That is expected. As human beings, many differences exist among others. From our genetic make-up, our cultural background, our levels of education, life experiences and so on. One will therefore not be surprised to when consumers demand different things from a product or service. Behavioral segmentation is the subdividing of a market based on these differences.



The traditional way of marketing is rather straightforward but has poor returns. The marketing involves targeting the entire pool of consumers regardless of any differences that exist between them. The marketer sends out a message to all the potential consumers in the hope of reaching out to willing buyers. This is different from the segmentation approach where different groups of customers are treated differently depending on their specific demands.



The behaviors that can be used as the basis for segmenting are numerous. They will largely depend on your judgment. Any client behavior that you consider significant enough to influence demand for your goods can be used. Product loyalty is widely variable among clients for many goods and services. It is possible to classify your clients in several groups depending on their levels of loyalty. By so doing, you will get the opportunity to determine the factors that enhance or discourage the use of your products.



Another way of dividing the market is to determine the kind of benefits that are sought by various consumer groups as they demand for goods. It should not be assumed that all consumers buy products for the same reason. Many products have multiple uses and as such demand is likely to be influenced by different factors. The marketer will need to establish which benefits are demanded by a given group of customers and the reasons driving the demand.



There are many goods and services that are subject to occasional buying. Buying goods at some times of the year and not the other may pose a great challenge to supply and may actually result in demand and supply mismatch. Commonly, gifts with a religious connotation are usually sold around the time of these religious festivities. Such is the case for Christian goods during Easter and Christmas. The supplier needs to understand the number of customers that are expected during such a period of time so that they can increase the quantity of goods supplied.



Usage rate refers to the number of times that a client uses a given product within a specified period of time. The rate is a reflection of the quantity demanded which means that people who use a given product more frequently also have high demand for the same. In this regard, clients can be divided into light, moderate and heavy users. By so doing, it will be possible to address the needs of each group that has been created.



Buyer readiness is a term that is used to describe the likelihood of a potential consumer to spend on a good or service. There are about six categories of readiness that exist. The first stage is known as awareness and in this stage are people who only know about the product. In the sixth stage are clients willing to spend on the product.



There are several other options of market subdivision that can be considered besides behavioral segmentation. Demographic, psychographic and geographic characteristics can all be used. The main objective is to make sure that the groups are large enough.









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