SHOOT HIM!...he is my customer:)!

Traditional marketing classrooms taught marketers to look at the demographic profile of customers for segmentation.

Hands of the clock moved and next level of talks were on 'psychographic segmentation' (putting it simplistically – segment a consumer basis how he ‘thinks’)

With the web technology moving faster than the chain of thought, corridor conversations in business organizations now-a-days, are around - 'behavioural segmentation'. Which is segment a consumer basis how he/she ‘behaves’ on your portal/website etc

A recent report by Compete Survey (content courtesy: emarketer.com) elucidates only 39% of US marketers believing in segment-driven marketing although a full 84% indicate that it will be more important three years from now. (I must confess, Americans never fail to surprise me :))!

The survey also stated that 77% of marketers are having problems demonstrating the positive impact of behavioural segmentation on business performance indicators.

The report has rightly identified one of the essentials of effective behavioural segmentation - identification of ‘right’ segments. But they miss out on another important point. Organizations’ ability to decode the message that is going out to the consumers.

Its like saying - opportunityisnowhere (one can either read it as 'opportunity is now here’, or, ‘opportunity is nowhere’). I believe its very important for organizations to be completely aware of what they are saying and how it can be deciphered. These messages are the first step to intended actions, and therefore its critical for companies to get it right the ‘first time’ itself!

A quick bouncing off the message to folks in the circle (friends / family etc) usually does the trick of understanding how the message is being comprehended (in case the companies cant afford spending on traditional market testings).

Behavioural marketing is here to stay. Its about time for organizations to realize that it will just become an effective reality in times to come. The sooner they can identify way to leverage it, the better it will be. Else…those companies / brands can soon become ‘history’, instead of creating it:)