Shelly Williams wanted to open a maternity clothing shop in Herald, a town of about 100,000 people. She knew she would have to advertise effectively to let people know that her new firm was open for business.
She asked a professor in the marketing department at a nearby college to serve as a consultant and give her some ideas. Professor Lee stopped by to see Shelly and began asking questions – “Who do you feel you must reach with your mass media advertising?” Shelly answered, “Everyone in Herald!” Professor Lee knew right away that he had a lot to teach Shelly.
“Now, Shelly, don’t tell me that men will be needing your maternity wear.” Shelly laughed and said, “Okay, you win. I want to reach every woman in Herald.” That still was not the answer Professor Lee was looking for, so he said, “Are you talking about women over 50?”
This questioning went on for a while, and it was all in an effort by Professor Lee to get Shelly to see that she had to identify who she wanted to reach before she could go out and get those people to come into her shop. Professor Lee said that there were many other questions that needed to be answered before the maternity shop opened.
Select an everyday product (personal fitness training, CDs, dog food, cell phones, or shoes, for example). We read that the total market is divided into segments so we can target different segments. Show how different versions of your product are aimed toward the different market segments. Explain how each element of the marketing mix will differ for each segment.
