Question

Company: Apple

Discussion Question Chapter 7: Customer Profile Instructions Write a post for the Discussion Forum on this topic, addressing the questions below. Each part should be 1–2 paragraphs or several bullet points in length. Part 1: Identifying the Customer and Problem Describe a primary decision maker in your target segment: who they are, what they like, how they make buying decisions. Describe the primary problem(s) your organization, product or service will help them solve. Part 2: Factors Influencing Customer Decisions Provide a brief profile of your target segment using at least three of the following categories: Geographic characteristics: e.g., location, region, population size or climate. Personal and demographic characteristics: e.g., age, gender, family size, family life stage, income, personality. Social and Psychological characteristics: e.g., culture, social class, lifestyle, motivation, attitudes, reference groups, beliefs. Situational characteristics: e.g., buying situation, level of involvement, market offerings, frequency of use, brand loyalty. B2B/organizational buying considerations: e.g., individual factors, organizational factors, business environment factors, types of complexity Part 3: Reaching the Customer Based on this profile, identify 2–3 marketing strategies or tactics you believe would be effective at reaching this target segment, and briefly explain why they are a good fit. Part 4: Respond to Classmates’ Posts After you have created your own post, look over the discussion forum posts of your classmates and respond to at least two of them. Part 5: Incorporate Feedback Review the feedback you receive from classmates and your instructor. Use this feedback to revise and improve your work before submitting it as part of the “Marketing Plan, Part 2” assignment.

Answer 1

Part 1

Market research is the primary decision maker in knowing the type of segments that exists in the market, what the customers like and their decision making habits as well. Market research refers to the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting data collected from the target audience that can be used for decision making purposes.

Market research is important as it helps in determining the needs and wants of the consumers. Market research involves direct interaction with the customers. Through this the company can be able to know what exactly the customers want from them thus finding ways of better satisfying them.

It enables the company to know the problems that are faced by the customers and possible solutions that can be offered through products and services. Such problems could include, inadequate supply of products in the market, poor quality and value of products or services, high costs of products and services among others. The company will then find the solutions to these problems and thus satisfy the customers.

Part 2

1. Geographical characteristics

This would involve dividing the market based on the geographical locations of the buyers, climatic conditions, population sizes among others. It involves dividing the market broadly and narrowing down to neighborhoods. The following are the example of geographical segmentation;

        i.           Countries such as USA, China, Nigeria among others.

      ii.           Regions such as South, central etc.

    iii.           Climatic zone such as temperate, tropical among others.

This form of segmentation would be considered the best if the services are offered at an international level.

2. Personal and demographic characteristics

This refers to market segmentation that is based on the demographic variables of consumers. Such variables include age, socio economic status, and the level of incomes among others. This type of segmentation assumes that the buyers who share the same demographic variables will also exhibit the same purchasing patterns. Some of the most common demographic factors and their examples are shown below:

        i.           Age. Under 5, 65-8 years, 9-12 years, 20-30 years.

      ii.           Gender: male or female

    iii.           Occupation: student, unemployed, produced etc.

    iv.           Marital status: widowed, married, divorced etc.

      v.           Family size: 1-2, 3-5, etc.

    vi.           Religion: Hindu, Christian, Muslim etc.

   vii.           Ethnicity: American, European, Asian among others.

3. Social and psychological characteristics

This type of segmentation is also called lifestyle segmentation. It is approached by measuring the interests, activities and customer opinions of the buyers. It considers how the buyers spend their free time or leisure time and the influences that the buyers are most responsive to. This type of segmentation allows marketers to come up with clearly defined market segments and understand the buyer motivations for the service offered.

Part 3

1. Differentiation

It refers to the process of distinguishing a product or services from others in the market. This is done to make the product more attractive to the target market and involves differentiating from those of the competitors and other products from the same firm.

Methods of differentiating products include:

i.           Branding

ii.           Labelling packaging

Differentiation is important as it makes your product unique and outstanding from the other competing products in the market.

2. Positioning

It refers to a marketing concept, where which states what a company should do in marketing their products or services to the customers. The marketing department of a company works on creating an image for the products based on the intended audience.

The main objective of this is for the brand to occupy a unique, advantageous and clear position in the minds of the customers.

please please upvote for my answer that i get a small benefit. Thank you soo much