As marketers increasingly tailor marketing programs to target market segments, some critics have denounced these efforts as exploitive. They see the preponderance of billboards advertising cigarettes and alcohol in low-income urban areas as taking advantage of a vulnerable market segment. Critics can be especially harsh in evaluating marketing programs that target African Americans and other minority groups, claiming they often employ stereotypes and inappropriate depictions. Others counter that targeting and positioning is critical to marketing, and that these marketing programs are an attempt to be relevant to a certain consumer group.
Take a position: Targeting minorities is exploitive versus Targeting minorities is a sound business practice.
Consider some of the consumer behavior topics for business-to-consumer (B-to-C) marketing from Chapter 6. How might you apply them to business-to-business (B-to-B) settings? For example, how might noncompensatory models of choice work? Mental accounting? Others?
Think of three product categories that you purchase. In each, how is the market commonly segmented and to which segment do you feel you belong? How would marketing be more or less effective for you depending on the segment? How would you contrast demographic and behavioral segment schemes? Which one(s) do you think would be most effective for marketers trying to sell to you?
Emotional branding is becoming an important way to connect with customers and create differentiation from competitors. How can companies create emotional branding? What are some examples of companies (other than from the textbook) that have been successful in emotional branding? Are there brands you buy because of emotional branding where you and those brands have connected?
Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning Simulation
What are the two or three most important things you learned from doing the simulation?
Marriott Video and Video Guide
The video describes how Marriott employs multi-branding. This is common branding strategy. Proctor & Gamble has 6 brands of laundry detergent (Tide, Cheer and Dreft among them) and ConAgra has Act II and Orville Redenbacher popcorn. Unlike Marriott, often firms (such as P&G and ConAgra) use multiple brands that have little or no public connection between them or with the company. .
What are the advantages and drawbacks to using multi-branding? Why might Marriott associate some brands with the Marriott name? Why do companies like P&G and ConAgra not generally make those associations?