Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bases for Market Segmentation
Behavior
Patterns
Consumption
Patterns
Consumer
Predispositions
Geographic
Demographic
Socioeconomic
Psychographic
Figure 19.2
Typical
bases for market
segmentation.
Source:W. Zikmund and
M. D'Amico, Marketing,
3rded.,copyright
#
1984,
New York: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.; adapted by permission of
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs,
N.J., from Philip Kotler,
PrinciplesofMarketing,
copyright
Political
boundaries
Climate
Population
boundaries
Sex
Age
Marital status
Family size
Family life
cycle
Occupation
Education
Income
Social class
Lifestyle
Activities
Type of
store
shopped
Time of
purchases,
impulse or
brand request
Number of
units
purchased
Shopping
frequency
Media habits
Frequency of
use-heavy vs.
light usage,
unit size
Occasion
Loyalty to
brand
Ownership of
other
products
Product
knowledge
Benefits
sought
Consumer
problems
#
1980, p. 297.
(age, income, education, race, nationality, family size, family life cycle, gender, religion, occupation), or
psychographically (values, motivations, interests, attitudes, desires) (see Figure 19.2).
Once target markets have been determined, appropriate media are chosen to reach these markets.
For example, if tennis players are a target market, advertising in tennis magazines would give
comprehensive coverage of this market. This ''ri
e approach'' allows one to zero in exactly on the
market of interest. In contrast, a ''shotgun approach'' would be to advertise in Time magazine, which
would reach only a small number of the target market and result in large waste circulation.
Market segmentation must be employed in the marketing programs if a shotgun approach is to be
avoided. Every tourism attraction can appeal to a multitude of market segments, and market segments
can overlap a great deal. The marketing manager must look at market segments and determine which
ones offer the most promising potential for his or her services. An excellent example of target
marketing to a particular segment is provided by Courtyard by Marriott. The moderate price and
attractive rooms were designed to appeal to the business traveler. Marriott has been very successful in
attracting this market segment.
Tourist resorts typically segment in a variety of ways. One of the most common is geographic.
Here, the segments tend to be destination visitors (those visitors traveling long distances to vacation
at the resort), regional visitors (those who live within the region of the resort and can arrive within four
hours
driving time), and local residents.
Proximity of the destination area to the market is an important factor. Generally, the nearer the
tourist destination is to its major market, the more likely it is to attract large numbers of visitors. For
example, Bob-Lo Island is just a fewmiles fromDetroit and can be reached by excursion boat. As might
be expected, this vacation destination receives many times the number of visitors from the greater
Detroit area than does Bermuda or the Bahamas.
It follows, then, that the prime target area for promotion of any given tourist destination area will
be that area of greatest population density nearest the vacation area. In the United States, the best
concentration of markets for tourism promotion is in the metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs),
formerly called standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSAs). These are de
ned by the U.S. Bureau
of the Census as a county or group of contiguous counties containing at least one city of 50,000
inhabitants or more. An authoritative source of market data concerning these areas is found in the
Survey of Buying Power
'
published by Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, 770 Broadway,
New York, NY 10003.
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