As readers may have gathered, at BrandQuest we have a particular bias towards segmenting target audiences through motivational segmentation.
Why do we actively encourage this form of segmentation over more traditional forms?
Well for starters demographics and other segmentations based on customer value or spend may provide statistical analysis, but we believe you can’t market to a ‘statistic’ – and herein lies the benefits (and the fun) in breaking your potential market into motivational segments.
Segmenting via understanding (and appealing to) the key motivations of purchasers actually creates a vivid picture of the customer type, their personality, values, attitudes, interests, or lifestyles can all be better understood – and addressed - via their motivational segment.
Then, armed with the understanding of their motivations and characteristics, your marketing can be much more targeted to appeal to certain motivators more than others.
Take the example of the simple pushbike - although a quick glance towards the kerb will provide clear evidence that these days there is no such thing as a simple push bike!
SOME TYPICAL MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES OF THE (NOT SO TYPICAL) AUSTRALIAN CYCLIST.
In his recent article (Prance Amstrong and Sydney’s two wheeled tribes) in the Sydney Morning Herald, Matt Buchanan segmented the Australian cycling market into motivational segments in order to ‘paint a picture’ that readers could relate to – in exactly the same way that we ‘paint a picture’ of our Clients’ customer segments for them to market to!
So here’s where the fun begins.
Picture the following motivational types (and while you’re reading, it may be worthwhile thinking of how this process might work within your own market), and a brief description of their identifying characteristics:
Segment #1. The Leg Shavers (or ‘Prance Armstrongs)
These near-frictionless obsessives have calves as sleek and hard as a skittle and constantly live in a Tour de France of their own minds – racing around city streets, freeways and the like in whirring peletons – stopping only to sip lattes en masse in quaint Darlinghurst cafes – radiant in their eye catching Paugeot spandex and lycra.
Segment #2. The ‘Fixies’ (or ‘The Nutters’)
This group ride fixed-drive bicycles (often without brakes) inspired by those used in velodrome racing. These often bearded loonies need to anticipate all obstacles and when faced with trafiic lights preferred to consider themselves colour blind! Many of these are couriers (or would-be couriers) who will, if stopped for more than a moment, contort themselves and their bikes into all sorts of figure-eights in order to avoid placing a foot on the road.
Segment #3. The Road Warriors (or the A to B-eavers)
This segment is motivated to pedal to work, or the shops, or anywhere for health/economic/green reasons, or simply due to a disillusionment with the public transport system. Characterised by sensible fluoro safety gear, back packs for their work/gym clothes and all sorts of flicking, flashing (and sometimes blinding) lights and assorted flags and other motorist warning extras. Often meander in the middle of traffic lanes just to demonstrate that ‘ the roads their for them also’.
Segment #4. The Basket Cases.
These homely riders are distinguished by their utilitarian approach and are often seen within proximity to inner city suburbs, universities with basket on front and child seat at rear. They proceed to, and from, the corner store, work or Uni with babies and pets on board! They can be further recognized by their ‘One car less’ sticker on the mudguard or rear child-seat.
Segment #5. The Flat/Apartment tyros.
This segment is one of the key reasons that Australians have bought more bikes than cars in the last decade. They buy their gleaming new bike as some kind of status of independence with the intention to ride to work/shops/sport…but never do. There bikes remain a symbol of their independence and sporting prowess suspended in all sorts of ways and means from hallways, bedroom ceilings et al.
Get the picture?
That’s a motivational segmentation of the suburban bike market. And it really is a picture.
Now, if you were a retailer of bikes in the city or suburbs and you drew on these insights and motivations of your total market segments, imagine how you might: a) purchase specific product to meet the needs of these segments b) how you might range and accessorise them in store c) how you might price them and d) best of all, how you might market to potential buyers by ‘tapping in to their motivations’?
This article shows how every market can be segmented by motivations and perhaps the most compelling benefit of this process is, as we have stated earlier, your understanding of the customer moves away from statistics to ‘real people’ types.
Once you have segmented your market and brought them to life, the next task is to decide which of the segments you want to ‘own’ and to develop marketing tactics that appeal to their particular motivations. This is much easier and more effective than trying to market to an AB demographic between the ages of 25 – 45.