customer segmentation
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customer segmentation



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DEFINITION - Customer segmentation is the practice of dividing a customer base into groups of individuals that are similar in specific ways relevant to marketing, such as age, gender, interests, spending habits, and so on. Using segmentation allows companies to target groups effectively, and allocate marketing resources to best effect. According to an article by Jill Griffin for Cisco Systems, traditional segmentation focuses on identifying customer groups based on demographics and attributes such as attitude and psychological profiles. Value-based segmentation, on the other hand, looks at groups of customers in terms of the revenue they generate and the costs of establishing and maintaining relationships with them.

Customer segmentation procedures include: deciding what data will be collected and how it will be gathered; collecting data and integrating data from various sources; developing methods of data analysis for segmentation; establishing effective communication among relevant business units (such as marketing and customer service) about the segmentation; and implementing applications to effectively deal with the data and respond to the information it provides.

Getting started with customer segmentation
To explore how customer segmentation is used in the enterprise, here are some additional resources:
Podcast: Measuring customer worth and lifetime value with Martha Rogers: Find out how to measure these two important metrics in this podcast.
Using customer intelligence in a service strategy: Improve your customer service strategy.
Podcast: Understanding customer behavior with Don Peppers: Learn how to handle and react to customer behavior in this podcast.
All-in-One Guide: Marketing strategy: Get the tips and best practices you need to create an effective marketing strategy.
Ask the Expert: How can understanding customer value lead to successful marketing?: Increase your marketing success by learning more about customer value.

LAST UPDATED: 24 Sep 2008

Read more about customer segmentation:
- Cisco's Business Solutions has an article called "Customer Segmentation: Divide and Prosper."
- Don Peppers reports on an application of customer segmentation in his SearchCRM.com article, "Delta flies toward value-based relationships."


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