Target Markets

Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning (STP)

STP is one of the most critical decisions a marketer will make and thus it is extremely important to collect accurate information to support this decision. The process of SP includes:

Segmentation : Identifying al segments for the product/service. Many of the resources listed in Module 3 will be helpful to you when you develop segments. To be useful, segments should be:

  1. Measurable
  2. Accessible (can you reach them)
  3. Profitable
  4. Distinct from one another

The objective of segmentation is to find attractive markets. Strategies include

  • Break market into components
  • Regroup into market segments
  • Select which segment to target


Books
The Kennedy Library owns a variety of excellent books on market segmentation. Search PolyCAT with the following suggested subjects:

Market Segmentation
Psychographics
Consumers
Child Consumers
Aged Consumers
Minority Consumers
Teenage Consumers
Women Consumers

Sample titles:

Handbook of Market Segmentation: Strategic Targeting for Business and Technology Firms
by Art Weinstein
HF 5415.127 .W45

The Great Tween Buying Machine: Marketing to Today's Tweens
by David Siegel
HF5415.32 .S55

Market Segmentation: Using Demographics, Psychographics, and Other Niche Marketing Techniques to Predict and Model Customer Behavior
by Art Weinstein
HF5415.127 .W45

 

Databases

Target and Media Markets

MRI (Mediamark) Online
Most business faculty and students are familiar with Mediamark and Simmons print volumes - Simmons (1994) and MRI MediaMark (1998). In fall of 2004, Mediamark released a Web version of the print volumes.

The online version, like the 20 print volumes, provide accurate and timely information for a variety of media and marketing applications. The online version allows you to create customized reports in Excel and to save or print instantly! Data includes over 450 product categories, including:

  • Overall incidence of users
  • Users by demographics
  • Users by media exposure
  • Users by readership of nearly 170 magazines
  • Volume of usage
  • Usage by brand

Answers questions such as:

  • What percent of the population uses the product at all?
  • What percent uses your brand?
  • How does that compare to competing brands?
  • What is the demographic profile of the product category?
  • Which media reach the users of this category?


TableBase
TableBase is a database comprised of tabular information of a strategic nature. The tables provide such information as: market share, market size, capacity, production, imports, exports, sales, product and brand rankings, forecasts and demographics.

Tips:
Select an industry from the Industry Drop Box. For example, "Beer".
Next, from the Concept Drop Box, select "Demographics".
Click Search.

Note that TableBase integrates key market data/reports from top companies such as ACNielsen Homescan Consumer*Facts and IRI.

 

Market Research Reports

MarketResearch.com
Market research reports are very costly - the reason is simple: they are comprehensive in scope and include massive amounts of statistical and market data including market size, growth, world market, new product trends, retail level data, consumer, competitive profile, and more!
MarketResearch.com Academic, formerly Kalorama Academic, offers access to previously unavailable market research reports. This fully searchable and browseable repository offers the complete text of over 500 market research reports on dozens of topics, complete with graphs, tables and charts.

 

Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning

The following databases provide a wide range of articles on STP - search terms include:

market strategy; target markets; positioning; market segmentation and target markets; market segmentation and demographics

ABI/Inform
ABI/INFORM provides in-depth coverage of business issues, management techniques, competitive information, and a variety of other topics. It indexes and abstracts articles from more than 1,000 leading business and management publications, including over 350 English-language titles from outside the United States. More than half of the articles are available in full-text or full-image.


Business & Industry
A multi-industry, international database that provides access to company, industry, market, and product information. Includes articles from over 900 trade and business publications covering business events in over 190 countries. Subjects include companies, industries, products, and markets.

 

Positioning Mapping
Positioning is an essential component -- and skill - in good marketing. Perceptual maps are used to determine the position of a product, firm, person, service or idea. Positioning maps, or perceptual maps can be simple, yet very effective marketing tools. One definition of Positioning Theory is: the science of perceptual strategy. It is based on a theory that strategy can only be planned in the mind of the consumer, not the marketplace*.

It is important to understand the levels of competition because positioning applies at all levels of competition. For example:

  • Product Level (e.g., Pepsi vs. Coke)
  • Category Level (e.g., Cola vs. Root beer)
  • Corporate Level (e.g., Pepsi Inc. vs. Coca Cola Company)
  • Industry Level (e.g., Beverage Industry vs. Snack food Industry)
  • Country Level (e.g., USA vs. France)

Based on Mark E. Smith's Website: http://www.hourglass1998.com

 

Readings on Positioning
The following databases provide authoritative journal articles that focus on positioning and related marketing concepts:

ABI/Inform
ABI/INFORM provides in-depth coverage of business issues, management techniques, competitive information, and a variety of other topics. It indexes and abstracts articles from more than 1,000 leading business and management publications, including over 350 English-language titles from outside the United States. More than half of the articles are available in full-text or full-image. Search terms include:

positioning and competition; positioning and marketing; positioning and image; positioning and strategic planning; positioning and market segmentation; market positioning; market positioning and brands; market positioning and consumer behavior


Emerald
This web-based library delivers access to over 130 journals in management, human resources, information management, operations, and training and education. Includes high-level management and marketing journals. Search terms include:

brands; marketing theory; positioning; services marketing; marketing and maps; market research; perception; product positioning; and tree diagrams


Case Studies
ABI/Inform
ABI/INFORM provides hundreds of case studies in all areas of marketing. From the drop box select Subject. Type in Case Studies. In the search box below add any of the positioning search terms identified in the previous page. Next limit the search to Fulltext articles only by checking the box. Finally, limit the search to scholarly journals by clicking the box.

 

Related Research Guides
Demographics

Market Potential

Consumer Behavior

 

 

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Frank Vuotto, M.A., M.L.I.S.
Business & Agribusiness Librarian, Faculty
California Polytechnic State University
Robert E. Kennedy Library
San Luis Obispo, CA 93420
fvuotto@calpoly.edu

 

Last updated August 26, 2005

© Copyright by Frank Vuotto 2003