TOPIC 1: Mass-Marketed Products

If you have a market that is large and homogenous, then you can be a mass marketer. One example might be salt, basically one product for anyone who wants it for the need to season food, which is a universal need. 

Can you think of another mass-marketed product? What is it and why do you think it is mass marketed? 

You might want to comment on classmates’ posts with your opinion as to whether they have selected a mass-marketed product, and if not, why you think their choice is actually a segmented market.

Interact with at least one (1) other classmate and use a minimum of two (2) references associated with mass marketing.

TOPIC 2: Analysis of Market Segments

Segmenting markets is difficult and often requires marketing research to find out how consumers think, behave, and basic information such as age, gender, etc. Therefore, defining market segments is aided with the generic segmentation bases, behaviors, demographics, geographics, and psychographics. Be sure to understand this as it is discussed in the Week 4 readings. Also understand that these are generic categories, not segments themselves. Within each of the generic bases are a number of variables from which marketers can choose which ones are relevant for a usable market segment. 

All of a company’s marketing mix should focus on the market segment, now called a target market. In other words, the offering should be what the target market wants, where it wants it, how much it wants to pay for it, and how the company communicates with the target market. If done right, we can usually determine the characteristics of a target market by analyzing the advertising. 

Your job in this learning activity is to find an advertisement, and tell us who you think is the target market. The hints are in the type of music used, the spokesperson’s persona, the approach to the marketing communications message, the types of people used in the ad, the words chosen for the ad, etc. All this should tell you to whom the marketing communications is intended to influence. 

You can choose your advertisement from one of the following. Or, search youtube.com for your favorite commercial. 

CLIO Awards:

http://clios.com/awards/winners

The 10 Best Ads of 2017

See the year’s most intriguing, inspiring and entertaining work.

By Tim Nudd

December 10, 2017

On the Adweek Podcast: The Year’s Best Ads (So Far)

The Adweek team recaps our picks for the top marketing gems of 2017’s first half.

By David Griner

July 13, 2017

The 10 Best Ads of 2016

It’s been an undeniably rough year, but at least we had some brilliant advertising along the way to inspire, amuse and delight us. Adweek’s picks for the 10 best ads […]

By Tim Nudd

December 11, 2016

If you find your own ad to analyze, be sure to embed or link it when you post it to the Discussion Forum. Then identify at least three of the characteristics you think comprise the target market. Make your choices using Table 4.1 from the main text as your framework. But, don’t merely say demographic/age. Tell us what age, or psychographic/values. Specifically, note the value such as family or thrifty. 

Select and comment on at least one (1) classmate’s post.

TOPIC 3: Repositioning

Mature products sometimes need to be repositioned. Finding a new need for an existing product is usually a reason for repositioning. Many years ago, Arm & Hammer baking soda found a new market by repositioning the product for those wanting a clean-smelling refrigerator. The company did a similar repositioning when offering the product as a teeth whitener. 

Can you think of an existing product that has been repositioned by finding a new market with a different need than the original product? 

Comment on at least one (1) of your classmates’ posts. 

To further your understanding on this topic, listen to this audio clip for some career advice from Apurva Ghelani, a senior sales engineer for Air2Web, a company that helps businesses root their brands and conduct transactions with people via their mobile phone. 

http://app.wistia.com/embed/medias/416c5bb392/