Alec Saunders SquawkBox

Wendy has just published two excellent pieces on market segmentation. 

• Market Segmentation is NOT a Marketing Issue.  Right on!  It’s a whole company issue, and right at the core of which products and business strategies you will pursue.
• First Things First — What is a Market Segment?.   Confusing segments and markets is a common mistake. What can I say? GUILTY. Wendy tells you how not to make that mistake. 

Some time ago, at the behest of my friend Wendy Kennedy, I started out to write a series of articles on marketing lessons learned at Microsoft. It’s been over two years since the last, but a couple of weeks back I wrote the latest while sitting on a four hour train ride from Toronto.  Without further ado:  Rule #4: Segment, segment, segment. 

Wendy Kennedy’s So What, Who Cares, Why You? really is a must read blog.  For example, her post on fishbone diagrams is an excellent tool for helping any company with a product that could be targeted at multiple markets and segments.  I use it in two ways — one is to gain clarity around what markets our products fit into, and the other is to facilitate brainstorming on markets where our products might fit.