Abstract:

Market segmentation has during the past few years been an intensively discussed topic. The discussion has, however, caused a clarification of thinking and a more effective utilisation of various methods. Market segmentation has so far proceeded in two directions. With a rough generalisation these two directions could be described as follows: - Segmentation of consumers to mutual exhaustive groups by using some clustering method as for example Belsons or Morgan-Sonnquist's segmentation analysis, typology analysis, Q-type factor analysis, etc . - Segmentation of products or examination of the structure of a market as perceived by consumers. This has mostly been done by using geometric spatial models, so called brand maps . These main directions of market segmentation have in some sense been seen competing with each other. And yet these two ways of thinking should necessarily be regarded as one entity. For, it can be noticed that as soon as we "forget" one of them, our idea of the other also weakens .