TABLE OF CONTENTS Segmentation refers to the process of dividing the market of consumers into groups based on one or more shared internal or external characteristics. After the segmentation process is complete, the next step is targeting, which involves the tourism marketer's choosing a segment or segments to which to communicate the promotional message. There are three different targeting strategies that a tourism marketer can implement. The tourism marketer must make the important decision as to whether he or she wishes to use an undifferentiated, concentrated, or differentiated targeting strategy (Table 5.1).
| Strategy | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Undifferentiated | Sending the same promotional message to everyone | Promoting the city as a historic destination by placing ads in widely read newspapers |
| Concentrated | Designing a promotional message that communicates the benefits desired by a single specific segment | Promoting the city as historic by targeting elderly members of historical societies by placing ads in their newsletters |
| Differentiated | Designing more than one promotional message, with each communicating different benefits | Also targeting families by communicating a promotional message about the importance of children learning history |
An undifferentiated targeting strategy is used when a company decides to communicate the benefits of its product by sending the same promotional message to everyone. For an undifferentiated strategy to be successful, the company's product must be readily available and affordable and must provide the same benefits to all consumers. Very few companies with consumer products meet these criteria. However, very large companies...
