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JAM 37 - Segmentation

An issue that greatly appealed to me as I believe that segmentation is the key to good marketing. What made this edition particularly interesting was that it is the second time that JAM has covered this topic - the last was in the very first issue of JAM back in 2001, so this was an excellent snapshot to see how things had changed.

Andrea Perseu (editor) highlights the changes in the environment since the first edition: Google was 3 years old and MySpace, Facebook and YouTube just didn't exist, but  the principles remain the same even if some of the techniques do not.

Heather Maitland, kicks off the issue by taking us on a tour of the tools available to cultural organisations in their quest for new audiences. starting with the usual suspects (Acorn, Mosaic, TGI) with their limitations of using socio-demographic descriptors, she takes into some of the more recent developments that have been initiated specifically for the cultural sector: Alan Brown's work with orchestras and the Arts Council's Arts Audiences: Insight programme in particular.

Heather was one of the contributors to the first JAM Segmentation with an extract from her book "The Marketing Manual". This is a very good (and brief) intro to segmentation - go back and read it. What is interesting is that she uses the same example to illustrate why basic demographics just aren't enough: "...there is a world of difference between a married 16 year old in their first job and a 16 year old looking forward to University and plays Grade VIII violin" - it was true in 2001 and is just as true today.

Katy Raines introduces us to the principles of segmentation - in a way picking up the baton from Maitland's earlier article - and very succinctly covers the whats and  whys leading naturally into the process of segmentation and how to use it. I particularly liked the fact that she covers the "how often?" question. This is critical as your segments are continually changing as people become involved, age and the environment changes. It is a moving feast and your marketing has to flow with it.

The great thing about this article is that it is followed by one that shows her help put this into  practice. Together with Joanna Sigworth of The Town Hall and Symphony Hall Birmingham, they describe a very pragmatic "how to do this" approach. The message is very much that segmentation will bring benefits - and you may be surprised how quickly.

Andrew McIntyre, another of the contributor to the 2001 issue (Using Psychographics to develop audiences), after describing the difficulties with existing systems introduces a new project to build the Culture Segments system. A partnership of over 30 arts, culture and heritage organisations it aims to undertake a major, fully representative UK population survey with a serious cultural bias. McIntyre claims it "...will answer both the fundamental segmentation questions: How can we find more audiences? And how can engage existing audienes more deeply?". The Holy Grail? Definately one to watch!

In today's market place things have got more complicated on the segmentation front. We now have new groups of people that weren't even on the horizon back in 2001. Friends, fans and followers by Millicent Jones of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, takes us through the new social media experience and how the RLP has adapted to this. This represents an important change - actually one that is still evolving - as more and more people look to other consumers for advice and reviews rather than rely on traditional marketing output.

Of course all this segmentation is fascinating stuff, but not mush use if you don't do anything with it. Penny Mills and Bryony Duncan of Audiences London outline five steps to put your segmentation into action.

Segmentation is a big subject in many ways, but can be simple if you take a pragmatic approach. JAM 37 provides a great introduction to subject and will hopefully inspire you to take a more systematic approach to your marketing.