What is customer orientation?

Customer orientation is an important part of any branding effort. Here I define customer orientation and demonstrate its place in an overall branding campaign.

A definition of customer orientation:

Customer segmentation, Or simply targeting, refers to the seller of a product or service who goes through the steps of specifically and clearly profiling the types of customers who are likely to want to buy that product or service.

A comprehensive profile of the target customer group could include factors such as geographic location, income level, comfort level with high-tech, whether they drive a car, what kind of music they listen to, and / or many, many others. It is important for the seller to identify which qualities are most relevant about the product or service in terms of how those qualities can affect the buyer. At that point, the salesperson can proceed to build a solid profile of the target customer group, or segment.

Marketers can realize three important benefits if they take the time to profile their target customers. First, they can tailor their product or service features even more precisely to the needs of the target customer segment.

Second, they can call or speak more specifically with their target customers in their advertising campaigns, allowing the seller to more directly get the attention of people who actually want to make a purchase.

Third, customer targeting can save the marketer an enormous amount of money by allowing them to develop more targeted and efficient advertising campaigns. By only contacting people within the target customer segment, the marketer can afford not to buy expensive TV or newspaper ads and can instead put their advertising budget on more specific parts, such as direct mail, pay-per-click advertising ( PPC) with geographic orientation. and subscription email campaigns.

Segmentation is an important step in an overall brand campaign. In terms of sequence, it should occur after the seller has developed a brand identity but before formulating tangible image associations, creating messages and logos, determining advertising channels, etc. If carried out early enough in the product development cycle, the results of customer orientation can be used to fine-tune product or service features, influence marketing efforts, and inform other customer-facing materials.