• MARKETING PLANNING is like MAKING A GAME PLAN FOR  for how a business will tell people about its products or services. It helps a company decide WHAT TO SELL?, WHO TO SELL IT TO?, and HOW TO ADVERTISE IT?. Just like a coach plans a strategy to win a game, businesses use marketing planning to attract customers and grow.

• The first step in any marketing plan is to IDENTIFY THE SECTION OF SOCIETY that you wish to target your marketing efforts towards.

• As such MARKET SEGMENTATION refers to the process of DIVIDING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS INTO 'BROAD' GROUPS BASED ON SIMILAR INTERESTS AND CHARACTERISTICS. like age, location, behavior, or lifestyle. This helps companies understand their customers better and sell to them more effectively. 

• Let's look at the FOUR BROAD SEGMENTS in turn!

• Now that you are familiar with how consumers are groped download the file above and identify two products that are related to each section from the list below and explain your reason. The first one has been done for you:

  • • • • Subscription boxes (e.g., HelloFresh, Dollar Shave Club)

          • • Answer: Segment = Behavioral (Convenience seekers)

        • Luxury handbag (e.g., Louis Vuitton, Gucci)

        • High-performance running shoes (e.g., Nike Vaporfly)

        • Electric scooters (e.g., Xiaomi, Segway Ninebot)

        • Budget airline tickets (e.g., Ryanair, AirAsia)

        • Vegan leather bags (e.g., Matt & Nat, Stella McCartney)

        • Eco-friendly cleaning products (e.g., Ecover, Method)

        • Premium airline tickets (e.g., Emirates First Class)

        • Four-wheel-drive trucks (e.g., Ford F-150, Toyota Hilux)

        • Spicy instant noodles (e.g., Samyang, Shin Ramyun)

        • Gaming console (e.g., PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X)

        • High-end skincare (e.g., La Mer, SK-II)

        • Surfboards & beachwear (e.g., Billabong, Roxy)

        • Loyalty programs (e.g., Starbucks Rewards, Amazon Prime)

        • Winter jackets (e.g., Canada Goose, The North Face)

        • Baby formula & diapers (e.g., Pampers, Similac)

        • Budget smartphone (e.g., Xiaomi, Realme)

        • Organic food (e.g., Whole Foods, Beyond Meat)

        • Retirement investment plans

        • Luxury sports cars (e.g., Ferrari, Lamborghini)

        • Basketball shoes (e.g., Air Jordan, Nike LeBron)

• Once we have segmented the market the firm will decide to 'TARGET' one of these segments such as:

•  "People who are interested in sports and fitness, including runners, gym-goers, and basketball players".

• This segment can be further broken down into sub-segments, and what they finally choose is termed the 'TARGET MARKET/SEGMENT'. Let's choose the last on the list above. 

• 'Basketball shoes (e.g., Air Jordan, Nike LeBron)'

• If we subdivide we get:

  • • • • Professional/aspiring athletes – High-performance models for elite play (e.g., Nike Kobe Protro, Adidas Harden Vol. 7)

        • Casual basketball players – Mid-range shoes offering good support and durability (e.g., Nike Kyrie, Under Armour Curry)

        • Sneaker collectors – Limited-edition releases and fashion-forward designs (e.g., Air Jordan 1 Retro, Yeezy Basketball)

        • Youth players – Budget-friendly models for aspiring young athletes (e.g., Nike Team Hustle, Adidas Pro Next)

        • Streetwear enthusiasts – Lifestyle basketball shoes worn for fashion rather than performance (e.g., Air Force 1, Puma RS-Dreamer)

        • Lets choose this one!

• E.g. Target Market: "The company decides to focus on young basketball players aged 15-25 who need high-performance shoes".

• Once the target market is decided upon you can get even more specific details by creating a CONSUMER PROFILE which further outlines the typical consumers your marketing will focus on.

• E.g. Consumer Profile: "A 17-year-old Asian male high school basketball player who watches the NBA, follows sneaker trends, and is willing to spend $100–$150 on high-quality shoes".

Product Positioning: "The brand positions itself as "The Ultimate Basketball Sneaker for Speed and Performance," emphasizing its lightweight design, ankle support, and innovative grip technology. Unlike Nike, which focuses on style and athlete endorsements, this brand highlights advanced technology for injury prevention and peak performance. Furthermore, while Adidas promotes comfort and streetwear appeal, your brand focuses purely on maximizing on-court performance and finally unlike Puma which is known for affordability and casual sportswear, your brand targets serious athletes who want cutting-edge performance features so we are definetley in the 'Premium quadrant".

• Download the template above TWICE and create your own target positioning maps. Your first one should be based on price vs quality.

• Now when you head off to University, price is of course important but so are a multitude of other factors so go HERE and chose two of the attributes such as entry tariff vs spend, and position the top 5 against the bottom 5? Any surprises?

• The most successful new products are those that are DIFFERENTIATED FROM COMPETITORS' PRODUCTS and offer something ‘SPECIAL/UNIQUE’. 

• Product differentiation can be an effective way of distancing a business from its rivals – ONE OF THE BEST FORMS OF PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION IS TO CREATE A UNIQUE SELLING POINT (USP) which refers to a SPECIFIC, COMPELLING REASON WHY A PRODUCT IS DIFFERENT AND BETTER THAN ITS COMPETITORS. It’s a clear, unique feature that makes customers choose a product over others.

Create your own slide like the one above for PRIME DRINK'

Screenshot the image above and add 2 more logos for each category.

🏷️ Price (Competing on Cost):

Walmart: "Save Money. Live Better." (Everyday low prices)

Costco: "Wholesale prices for members."

Ryanair: "Lowest fares. No frills."

Dollar Shave Club: "A great shave for a few bucks a month."

🌟 Product (Superior Features/Quality):

Apple: "Think Different." (Premium, innovative technology)

Tesla: "Electric cars that drive themselves."

Dyson: "No loss of suction." (High-performance vacuum cleaners)

LEGO: "Endless possibilities with interlocking bricks."

📍 Place (Convenience/Accessibility):

Amazon: "Everything you need, delivered fast."

Starbucks: "Your third place — between home and work."

7-Eleven: "Open 24/7 for your convenience."

Domino’s Pizza: "Hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less."

📣 Promotion (Memorable Marketing/Branding):

Nike: "Just Do It." (Inspiring personal achievement)

Coca-Cola: "Open Happiness." (Emotional connection)

Red Bull: "Gives You Wings." (Adventure and energy)

Old Spice: "Smell like a man, man." (Humor and masculinity)

• Subscription boxes (e.g., Birchbox, HelloFresh, Dollar Shave Club) – Behavioral (Convenience seekers)

• Luxury handbag (e.g., Louis Vuitton, Gucci) – Demographic (High-income professionals)

• High-performance running shoes (e.g., Nike Vaporfly, Adidas Ultraboost) – Psychographic (Fitness enthusiasts)

• Electric scooters (e.g., Xiaomi, Segway Ninebot) – Geographic (Urban commuters)

• Budget airline tickets (e.g., Ryanair, AirAsia) – Behavioral (Price-sensitive travelers)

• Vegan leather bags (e.g., Matt & Nat, Stella McCartney) – Psychographic (Ethical & sustainability-focused buyers)

• Eco-friendly cleaning products (e.g., Ecover, Method) – Behavioral (Environmentally conscious consumers)

• Premium airline tickets (e.g., Emirates First Class, Singapore Airlines Suites) – Behavioral (Business & luxury travelers)

• Self-improvement books (e.g., Atomic Habits, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) – Psychographic (Success-driven individuals)

• Four-wheel-drive trucks (e.g., Ford F-150, Toyota Hilux) – Geographic (Rural markets)

• Spicy instant noodles (e.g., Samyang, Shin Ramyun) – Geographic (Regions with a preference for spicy food)

• Gaming console (e.g., PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X) – Demographic (Teenagers & young adults)

• High-end skincare (e.g., La Mer, SK-II) – Demographic (Affluent women aged 30+)

• Surfboards & beachwear (e.g., Billabong, Roxy) – Geographic (Coastal areas)

• Loyalty programs (e.g., Starbucks Rewards, Amazon Prime) – Behavioral (Frequent shoppers & brand-loyal customers)

• Winter jackets (e.g., Canada Goose, The North Face) – Geographic (Cold-weather regions)

• Baby formula & diapers (e.g., Pampers, Similac) – Demographic (New parents)

• Budget smartphone (e.g., Xiaomi, Realme) – Demographic (Low-to-middle-income consumers)

• Organic food (e.g., Whole Foods, Beyond Meat) – Psychographic (Health-conscious & environmentally aware consumers)

• Retirement investment plans – Demographic (Middle-aged & older individuals)

• Luxury sports cars (e.g., Ferrari, Lamborghini) – Psychographic (Status-driven consumers)

• Basketball shoes (e.g., Air Jordan, Nike LeBron) – Psychographic (Sports and basketball enthusiasts)