24762 Chap.9 Segmenting, Targeting and Positioning
Segmenting, Targeting and Positioning
Segmentation
Week 8 rejects one-size-fits-all programmes.
Segmentation divides a population into relatively homogeneous groups in three phases, using geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioural bases.
Targeting
Nine criteria, from segment size and severity to reachability, responsiveness and organisational capability, guide which segments to choose, and the lecture asks who is left out.
Positioning
Positioning gives the desired behaviour a distinctive place in the audience’s mind.
The lecture gives four types and an internal positioning statement that is not the slogan.
Value in each segment
Each target segment has its own benefits, barriers and competition, so the lecture asks three questions of every one: what value will they get, what will they give up, and what will stop them.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Why segment
- 02
The three phases of segmentation
- 03
Four segmentation bases
- 04
The attitude and behaviour matrix
- 05
Nine criteria for targeting
- 06
Four positioning types
- 07
Writing a positioning statement
- 08
The ethics of segmentation
Worked example · free
Segment drivers for a speeding programme
- 1Positive attitude to safe speeds, safe behaviour: reinforce their choice so it lasts.
- 1Negative attitude, but safe behaviour for now: shift the attitude before a risky habit forms.
- 2Negative attitude, unsafe behaviour: these drivers do not want to change, so rely on enforcement and strong norms.
- 2Positive attitude, unsafe behaviour: reluctant speeders who want to change need tools such as speed alerts and route planning.
Key terms
- Market Segmentation
- Dividing a population into manageable, relatively homogeneous groups so offers can be tailored.
- Positioning
- Designing the actual and perceived offering so it occupies a distinctive place in the target market’s mind.
- Positioning Statement
- An internal sentence naming the target, the desired behaviour, how they should see it and the competition it beats.
- Social Branding
- Influencing behaviour by changing the social image associated with it.
Segmenting, Targeting and Positioning FAQ
What are the four bases for segmentation?
Geographic, such as regions or areas of high deprivation; demographic, such as age, income and gender; psychographic, such as attitudes, values and lifestyles; and behavioural, such as current use or stage of change. Programmes often combine them, as WOSCAP did with a geo-demographic target.
How do I choose which segment to target?
Use the lecture’s nine criteria: segment size, problem incidence, severity, need, reachability, responsiveness, incremental costs, responsiveness to the marketing mix, and organisational capabilities such as staff, resources and credibility.
Is a positioning statement the same as a slogan?
No. The lecture says it is for internal use only. It follows a template: we want a target group to see a desired behaviour as something, and as better and more important than the competing behaviour, for example adolescents seeing not smoking as the norm.
Is it fair to target some groups and not others?
The lecture admits targeting can stigmatise groups such as people who are poor, overweight or immigrants, and can leave others out. Its answer is to push upstream for resources to serve different groups, which is also a useful line in a critique.
What are the four types of positioning?
Behaviour-focused positioning for new or specific behaviours; barrier-focused positioning to reduce perceived barriers, as the Swiss AIDS Foundation did with its own condom brand; competition-focused positioning when the alternative is more appealing; and repositioning to reach new markets or fix an image problem.
What is the Healthy Foundations segmentation model?
A UK Department of Health model that crosses life stage, circumstances and attitudes to health. Within each life stage it describes four segments, Fighters, Thrivers, Survivors and the Disengaged, each needing a different mix of support, reinforcement and changes to their environment.
What were WOSCAP and Every K Over?
WOSCAP, the West of Scotland Cancer Awareness Project, ran from 2002 to 2005 and targeted working-class people over 50 so those at risk of bowel and oral cancer presented earlier. The Every K Over campaign from Queensland Transport named male drivers and motorbike riders, in two age groups, as primary and all drivers as secondary.
Assessment move
Segment the audience for your Assessment 1 problem using two bases, then score your top two segments against the nine criteria. Write one positioning statement for the segment you choose and check it names a real competing behaviour. Finish by writing one sentence on who your targeting leaves out and how you would reach them.
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