Author: chris

 

Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning

Learning Outcomes

1. Segmentation.  Students can use the segmentation characteristics to identify and describe market segments
2. Target Market. Students can identify a usable market segment to be a target market
3. Target-market strategy. Students can determine an appropriate target-market strategy.
4. Positioning.  Students can develop and interpret a perceptual map.

Directions

• Thus far you have only been considering the customers of your product or service as one big group, or a mass market.  More astute marketing breaks down this large group into smaller market segments of consumers who have like characteristics.  For any given product or service there could be numerous market segments.  However, company resources may only allow a company to pursue one or two or these market segments, which then become target market(s).  Your job here is to break down the mass market for your product or service into at least two market segments and then pick one target market you think would have the most potential for future growth.  This target market does not have to be the one the company would have actually picked, or is currently pursuing, there is no way for you or your faculty to know based on public information.  So, once again the literature will not give you the ‘right’ answer.  Your brain will help you reason your way through.

• Think outside your own box.  Chances are good you picked a product with which you are familiar.  That is a good starting point, and you may represent one target market.  But you may represent a target market that is saturated and therefore not the best target market to pick for the remainder of the semester.  So be sure your second target market is different enough and represents growth potential.

• If you did not do a thorough analysis of the competition in the prior writing assignments, you may need to go back and figure out the nature of the product or service’s competition.  This will be important when you address the positioning of your product for your newly identified target market inasmuch as positioning is a competition-based concept.

• We understand you are not an employee of the company and do not have access to the data that you feel will allow you to discuss the questions to the degree you would like.  Take your best educated and reasoned guesses whenever you need to do so.

• Otherwise, you do not need to do any external research for this writing assignment. Your job will be to critically examine all of the segmentation bases and arrive at your own description of potential market segments for your product or service.

• You may want to visit http://www.segmentationstudyguide.com/understanding-perceptual-maps/a-step-by-step-guide-to-constructing-a-perceptual-map/ for a step-by-step guide on how to draw a perceptual or positioning map.  Another tool is a video explaining how to develop a perceptual map using EXCL at https://youtu.be/FQ2XGgbNXWY.  Remember to label both axes of your perceptual map.

• Remember, you have a two-page limit so be judicious in your responses, do not report anything the company is or has done. You are now in charge at your company. We (your boss) are only interested in your thoughts at this point.

• Prepare your assignment by answering the following four areas of inquiry related to the learning outcomes noted above.

1. 1. Segmentation.  Using the various criteria of the segmentation bases described in the week’s readings and in Table 4.1, identify at least two distinct market segments for your product or service.  Each market segment description must include at least three (more if needed) of the characteristics from amongst any of the four bases categories, e.g. one from demographic variables, one or two from psychographic variables, and one from behavioral variables, or a similar scheme.  Be sure to explain your choices based on what customer need the product or service offering can fill for each segment.
   2. Target market.  Select one of the market segments you described in (1) above as the one you believe is or can be the most profitable for your product or service offering and explain why you feel they can represent growth for the company.  Refer to the six criteria for an attractive market segment as described in course content under ‘Selecting Target Markets’.  Name your target market so you can use this name throughout all of your remaining writing assignments.  Your name should be descriptive of the segments characteristics like ‘savvy young shoppers’ or ‘educated baby boomers’, or ‘urban hipsters’, or the like.  The goal is for your faculty member to get a mental image of your target market for the remainder of the semester.
   3. Target market strategy.  Should the company focus all their resources on this new target market (concentrated marketing) or should they continue to pursue both the new and the existing target market as well as other market segments (multi-segment marketing)?  Alternatively, is the market so saturated might they be more successful by focusing solely on an even more narrow market segment, perhaps an even narrower version (niche marketing) of your selected target market, as their best chance for growth?  What is your reasoning?
   4. Positioning.  Draw yourself a perceptual map as illustrated in the week’s readings or use the websites noted in the directions. Be sure to pick two criteria that are important to your new target market for your two axes, perhaps two of the criteria you used in Week 1 in your competitive analysis.  Map at least the two major competitors you noted in Week 1 and add any others that you may have discovered since then.  Describe what the perceptual map is telling you regarding how each product is perceived in the minds of the new target market you described above.  You may have to make a series of educated guesses for some of the data points.  Ideally, you want to find uncontested space. If your product overlaps with a competing offering discuss whether or not your product or service should try for an ‘uncontested’ space on the map and ‘reposition’ itself; or if it should keep the same position and compete head on with the other product.   (You will have a chance to make changes to the product, the pricing and the distribution to change the product’s positioning and find uncontested space in the coming weeks).

Be sure to follow all of the submission requirements outlined in the syllabus and provided below again for your easy reference:

• Prepare as a word processed document (such as Microsoft Word).

• Your assignment should be the equivalent of two pages of double spaced text, approximately 1/2 page for each of the four questions.

• Be sure your name, writing assignment number, and the name of your product or service are on the first page of your writing assignment.

• Use a simple 12-point font such as Times New Roman.  Use black ink for majority of your work and only use colors if it enhances your ability to communicate your thoughts.

• If the writing assignment requires external research, be sure to use footnotes and include a bibliography.  You may use MLA or APA style, or any other college-level style guide. More information about using a style guide can be found in the UMUC’s virtual library accessible from your LEO classroom or at umuc.edu/library.

Behavioral Health and Community

The perspective of community in behavioral health services has changed over the last several decades. It has evolved from isolation to being community-operated services.

Read the following articles from the EBSCO host database:

• Ahr, P. (2005, January). Community mental health principles: A 40-year        case

  study. Behavioral Health Management, 25(1), 15–17.

• Bazemore, P. (2005, July). When state hospitals were communities.

  Behavioral Health Management, 25(4), 10–12.

• Oss, M. (2004, May). All roads lead to community-based care.

  Behavioral Health Management, 24(2), 6.

• Edwards, D. J. (2005). The Behavioral Health Industry. Behavioral Health |

  Management, 25(3), 49.

Review the articles to create a synopsis on the perspective of community in behavioral health services. In the synopsis, make sure to include the following pointers:

• Compare and contrast the differences between the isolation principles of institutional care and the present-day community-based services.
• Analyze whether community-based services provide better care and treatment for those diagnosed with persistent mental illness. Provide a rationale for your response.
• Analyze whether there is a purpose behind providing institutional care to individuals diagnosed with persistent mental illness. Provide a rationale for your response.

Primary Discussion Response is due by Wednesday (11:59:59pm Central), Peer Responses are due by Sunday (11:59:59pm Central).

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Library Research Assignment

Technology in health care has made is possible for patients to use devices to access their medical information, monitor vital signs, take tests at home, and carry out a plethora of other tasks that could only previously be conducted inside the doctor’s office (Topol, 2013). This enhanced technology is one of the many reasons that there has been a shift from inpatient to outpatient care. Although patients have benefited greatly from health care technology, there are also downsides to technology, such as how it has affected the cost of care. For this Discussion Board assignment, you should complete the following:

• Provide a definition of outpatient care.
• Discuss 2–3 ways in which technological innovations have impacted, or will impact, the delivery of care in the United States.
• Discuss 2–3 ways in which technology has had, or is expected to have, a detrimental impact on the delivery of care.

Basic Fact Pattern

Evelyn, 35, and Arthur, 36, are married with two children and file a joint tax return for the year 2015. Evelyn has earned income of $15,000 and Arthur has earned income of $106,000. The remaining sources of their adjusted income is unearned and made up of interest and dividend income of $19,000. This adds up to an adjusted gross income of $140,000 for the couple, before incorporating the two fact patterns below. They have deductions from adjusted gross income (itemized deductions) of $25,000, before incorporating the two fact patterns below. They have two dependents and two exemptions.

In addition to this information, neither of the two additional sets of facts below has been included/incoporated in the above information. After you include/incorporate them into Evelyn and Arthur’s tax information, you need to calculate Evelyn and Arthur’s adjusted gross income and taxable income for 2015.

 

 

 

 

First Set of Additional Facts

Evelyn and Arthur own a condominium in Nags Head, North Carolina. They use it for their 2 family vacations for a total of 20 days. They rent it out for a total of 230 days. The information for the condo is as follows:

Rental income $25,000

Mortgage interest $12,000

Property taxes $ 6,000

Utilities $ 1,000

Repairs $ 500

Depreciation $10,500

Calculate the amount of taxable income or loss from the property and any other expenses that effect the taxable income calculation for Evelyn and Arthur. Show all your calculations. Take the result from this property and include/incorporate it into the above Basic Fact Pattern for Evelyn and Arthur’s taxable income calculation.

Second Set of Additional Facts

Evelyn is self employed and not covered by any pension plan. Arthur is an employee of X Corporation and is covered by that company’s pension plan. They both wish to contribute the maximum amount to their conventional IRAs. Determine how much they can each contribute and deduct to their conventional IRAs. Include this result in the base fact pattern at the beginning of this problem. Make sure that you have included the result from the First Set of Additional Facts above when you add the result from this part.

Question Two (10 points)

Wilmer, a single taxpayer, is concerned about how he will fund his life style after he retires. He purchases an annuity for $100,000 that will begin to pay him $500 a month for the rest of his life starting when he reaches the age of 65 and ending upon his death. On January 1, 2015, his 65^th birthday, the annuity begins.

1) How much in taxable income must Wilmer recognize in 2015 from the payments of the annuity?

2) If Wilmer dies on December 31, 2020, what is the effect on his 2020 taxable income?

 

3) If Wilmer dies on December 31, 2040, what is the effect on his 2040 taxable inco

The next writing assignment will be the social science paper. This will be similar to the argument assignment; however, it will be based solely on an aspect of the social sciences, which includes anthropology, economics, history, education, communication, psychology, political science, geography, law, linguistics, social work, and sociology. Social science is a branch of science that deals with human civilization and its surrounding environments.

he topic is Holiday related; choose a creature that you would like to see come alive for Halloween. Write a three paragraph essay about that creature: 1.) describe the creature, 2.) describe in detail some aspect about that creature’s morphology, life style, or habitat, 3.) discuss any personal connection or preference for this creature. No special vocabulary world for this essay.

Part A :
What is the difference between information visualization and visual analytics?

What are the common characteristics of dashboards and other information visuals?

ollowing the atrocities of World War II, world leaders created a legally binding declaration that would act as the foundation of international human rights law. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drafted by committee members from several continents, represents “the universal recognition that basic rights and fundamental freedoms are inherent to all human beings . . . [w]hatever our nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status” (United Nations, n.d.-a, para. 2). The leaders recognized that these rights are “inalienable and equally applicable to everyone, and that every one of us is born free and equal in dignity and rights” (United Nations, n.d.-a, para. 2). Although the United Nations declared these rights to apply

This is NOT a paper. This is a discussion question for Health Service Marketing class. Must be 150-200 works and must cite work!

• Recall a situation in which you sought health care of some type (not including care for an injury or illness). Determine if your situation followed the five steps of the buying decision model and what role marketing may have played in your seeking care. Provide specific examples to support your response. Analyze the stages of the organizational buying process and determine which stage would be impacted the most by effective marketing. Explain your rationale.