By Kelly Pellico
There are a few things in life—like gum or glue—that are guaranteed to stick. Everything else takes a bit more planning. Making your segmentation stick? That may require a lot of planning.
The benefits of segmenting your market for more effective targeting have been proven—less wasted spend and maximized sales. That’s why segmentation studies are so critical, and why most companies have done one.
Yet many of the companies we work with have experienced challenges embedding a segmentation into their organization and really making it stick.
Though the challenge is common, we work with some amazing brands who have had success. A few of them, including Deckers Brands and Dexcom, shared the steps they took internally to engage their stakeholders and make their segmentations an integral part of company strategy.
Here’s what worked:
- Create a plan before you start your segmentation. Formalizing a plan up-front for how the segmentation will move through the organization is critical.
- Once you have a plan, be flexible with it. Segmentations take time and live for years. Your company will shift over that time – be prepared to shift with it.
- Don’t be afraid to involve your stakeholders throughout the process. This can sound scary because it brings more cooks into the kitchen, but making them feel invested in the research is paramount. For one brand we work with, the endorsement and enthusiasm of the President made a huge impact on the ease of adoption within the organization.
- As the study nears completion, start building anticipation around the unveiling of the segments. This can include a designed invitation or a short video teaser.
- When it’s time to share the results, keep it HIGH-LEVEL for the big reveal. Diving too deep too fast can create a feeling of overwhelm. Wade in the shallow end first, creating a sense of familiarity and building enthusiasm.
- Explore different paths for deeper sharing. What teams need to know the details first? Start with them and facilitate sessions that afford space for conversation and questions.
- Remember that the roll-out is the beginning, not the end. Continual conversations are critical. One brand joins existing milestone meetings, such as marketing monthlies, to remind people who the segments are and what matters to them most. For these engagements, brevity is key. Keep it fresh and simple.
- Make it a golden rule to always include the typing tool in future research so new insights can be seen through the lens of the segments.
At Vital Findings, we support our clients through ideation workshops and immersions (more on that later), but these are critical steps you can take internally to weave your segmentation into your organization’s strategic planning and daily decision-making.
