Chapter 5: Market Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning
5.5 Discussion Questions and Activities
Review and Reflect
- Think about some of your friends and what you have discovered by visiting their homes. Do they buy different things than you do? If so, why? How might a company distinguish you from them in terms of its targeting?
- Is it always harder to find new customers than it is to retain old ones, or does it depend on the business you’re in? Explain with an example(s).
- Does one-to-one marketing have to be expensive? How can small organizations interact with their customers in a cost-effective way?
- Are large companies better off using multisegment strategies and are small companies better off using niche strategies? Why or why not?
- Can you think of any companies that have tried to change their position (reposition their stores)?
Activities
- Form groups of three students. Think of a product or service that one of you purchased recently on campus. How might you go about developing a customer profile for the product? List the sources you would use.
- Describe a product you like that you believe more people should use. As a marketer, how would you reposition the product to increase its use? Outline your strategy.
- Look at the latest census data and identify at least two areas of the country that are growing. What type of businesses would you recommend enter the growing markets?
- Think of an idea for a new product or service. Who would be the target market(s) and how would you position your offering?
