Use (Old Brainstorming Pages)

Use steps include all the Final customer's activities to find the appropriate product category at the Intermediary, to choose among the alternatives to the product and to take delivery of the product.

Examples: We offer brief write-ups for each method describing a situation where the idea is used or implied. Use these supporting examples in order to expand your range of ideas. These examples are neither mutually exclusive nor collectively exhaustive.

A Final customer buying from an Intermediary of the product. The Final customer is the one who makes the final decision on what product to buy and from which supplier to buy it. Most consumer products, and many industrial products, reach Final customers through Intermediaries.

Use Steps: Use steps include all the Final customer's activities to find the appropriate product category at the Intermediary, to choose among the alternatives to the product and to take delivery of the product.

1. Physical: Segment customers by physical needs. These segmentations identify the physical needs of individual customers and address the physical situation of the location where the product is purchased or used.

1. Physical state of the individual customer: Segments of the general customer population may have different characteristics of sizes and of their ability or disability.

   1. Size: Segmentation by the size of customers includes grouping customers by their dimensions or weight Examples >>

   2. Ability/Disability: Segment customers according to the customer's ability or difficulty in physically using the product

      1. Strength Examples >>

      2. Mobility Examples >>

      3. Precision of Movement Examples >>

      4. Other Examples >>

2. Physical state of the location where the product is purchased or used.

   1. Physical conditions where product is used Examples >>

   2. Dimensions available at locations where the segment:

      1. Carries product Examples >>

      2. Stores product Examples >>

      3. Uses product Examples >>

2. Emotional: Segment customers according to the personal emotional needs of the segment.

1. Needs for comfort and status

   1. Comfort through the five senses

      1. See

         1. Interest in improved styling Examples >>

         2. Interest in better visual performance Examples >>

      2. Hear Examples >>

      3. Multiple Examples >>

   2. Status in the community

      1. Need for affiliation: Find segments of customers who wish to identify with a particular group in the society. They want to be a part of a group that has:

         1. Distinctive style or appearance

            1. Trendy

               1. On the cutting edge Examples >>

               2. Classy and stylish Examples >>

               3. Independent/defiant/irreverent Examples >>

            2. Quality conscious

               1. About food and meals Examples >>

               2. About home and surroundings Examples >>

               3. About apparel and accessories Examples >>

               4. About personal transportation Examples >>

            3. Demanding of exclusivity. Segment wants a look few others have. Examples >>

         2. Unusual capability or achievement

            1. Economic Examples >>

            2. Emotional Examples >>

            3. Intellectual Examples >>

         3. A particular tie to an aspect of culture

            1. Ethnicity Examples >>

            2. Other parts of culture Examples >>

         4. Other Examples >>

      2. Need for personal achievement

         1. Improvement in leisure pursuits and hobbies Examples >>

         2. Advancement in career and profession Examples >>

         3. Improvement in personal qualities Examples >>

   3. Status through the recognition of customer's individual requirements for product:

      1. Function

         1. Choice among products Examples >>

         2. Ambiance of surroundings Examples >>

      2. Reliability Examples >>

      3. Convenience of:

         1. Purchase Examples >>

         2. Delivery and installation Examples >>

         3. Maintenance and service Examples >>

2. Needs to avoid sources of anxiety

   1. Risks in relationship: The customer segment needs reassurance it can trust:

      1. An individual – a specific person, apart from the company or process Examples >>

      2. A piece of equipment or product – a specific product apart from the company or process

         1. Segment's recognition of third party endorsements Examples >>

         2. Segment that will experiment with product Examples >>

         3. Segment that will accept a guarantee Examples >>

      3. A process or procedure: A specific process apart from the company or product

         1. Segment's recognition of third party endorsements Examples >>

         2. Segment that will accept a guarantee Examples >>

         3. Segment that would prefer a specific limit to its risk Examples >>

      4. Company Capability: Company capability that crosses all products

         1. Function Leader: The company can be counted on to lead the industry in Function innovation

            1. Style Examples >>

            2. Ambiance/physical surroundings Examples >>

            3. Choice of products Examples >>

            4. Information and knowledge Examples >>

         2. Reliability Leader: The company can be counted on to lead the industry in major aspects of Reliability – Segment interested in being assured that:

            1. Product will work Examples >>

            2. Product will be fixed promptly Examples >>

            3. Product will be available and delivered as promised Examples >>

            4. Company will maintain consistent presence in market Examples >>

            5. Company will respond promptly Examples >>

         3. Convenience Leader: The company can be counted on to be the industry leader in convenience innovations – Segment interested in company with leading:

            1. Location of product for segment Examples >>

            2. Service to find, choose and pay for product Examples >>

            3. Installation capabilities Examples >>

         4. Price Leader: The company can be counted on to lead the industry in price related innovation Examples >>

   2. Limitations set by time: Segment customers according to the causes of the limitations set by time.

      1. Delay related to purchase and installation: Segment customers according to delays before the customer receives or can use the product

         1. Segments where delays cause customers to be inactive. Delays caused by time required for:

            1. Product preparation Examples >>

            2. Product delivery Examples >>

            3. Ancillary product delivery Examples >>

         2. Segments where delays are due to steps a customer must take. Segment must:

            1. Order product Examples >>

            2. Find, choose and pay for product Examples >>

            3. Transport customer or product Examples >>

            4. Install, prepare or maintain product Examples >>

         3. Segments where delays create risk for customers Examples >>

         4. Segments exposed to serial delays due to multiple stops Examples >>

         5. Segments where delays are the result of too many benefits Examples >>

         6. Customer segments who have idle time while shopping or using the product

            1. Captive customers who must remain in a specific location

               1. One person Examples >>

               2. More than one person Examples >>

            2. Non-captive customers who need not remain in a specific location

               1. One person Examples >>

               2. More than one person Examples >>

      2. Delays related to location: Identify characteristics related to the location of purchase or use that separate one group of customers from others

         1. Breadth of locations where product is purchased or used

            1. Local Examples >>

            2. National Examples >>

         2. Distance from the company, from the product, from competition or from some other preferred location.

            1. Distance from company or product

               1. Customers in office buildings Examples >>

               2. Customers in retail establishments

                  1. Segments visiting variety stores Examples >>

                  2. Segments visiting grocery stores Examples >>

                  3. Segments visiting office supply stores Examples >>

                  4. Segments visiting convenience stores Examples >>

                  5. Other Examples >>

               3. Customers in residential areas

                  1. Segments shopping in home Examples >>

                  2. Segments shopping within a few miles of home Examples >>

               4. Customers moving from one place to another Examples >>

            2. Distance from competition

               1. Because they are in areas with low population density Examples >>

               2. Because they need unusual Functions Examples >>

            3. Distance from other preferred location

               1. Customers accessing product concurrently from distant locations Examples >>

               2. Customers in distant locations seeking suppliers in other distant locations Examples >>

      3. Time limitations due to the pattern of use: Segment customers by the frequency or timing of purchase or use of the product

         1. Frequency of purchase of the product

            1. Daily Examples >>

            2. Weekly Examples >>

         2. Frequency of use of the product

            1. Weekly Examples >>

            2. Other Examples >>

         3. Calendar or clock time of usage Examples >>

         4. Duration of use Examples >>

      4. Time limitations due to the use with other products: Segment customers by their use or purchase of other products with the product

         1. Final customers who use ancillary products regularly with the main product. The ancillary product is used:

            1. At the same time as the main product Examples >>

            2. Before using the main product Examples >>

         2. Final customers who sometimes use ancillary products with the main product. The ancillary product is sometimes used:

            1. At the same time as the main product Examples >>

            2. After using the main product

               1. To complete a broader transaction Examples >>

               2. To store a finished product Examples >>

               3. To communicate with other products Examples >>

               4. To gather information or content Examples >>

         3. Economic limitations: Segment customers according to the limitations set by their economic interests and concerns

            1. Spending power of current or potential segments

               1. Below average Examples >>

               2. Above average Examples >>

            2. Segment's approaches to limit on spending

               1. Segments with preferences for periodic or one time payment Examples >>

               2. Segments who might face psychological spending limits

                  1. Specific limits on spending Examples >>

                  2. Preferences to include product in package of related products Examples >>

                  3. Preferences for or against rebates, coupons and points Examples >>

                  4. Sensitivity to the price of a component of the product Examples >>

               3. Customer segments with preferences for price point alternatives to the present product

                  1. Higher price point

                     1. For more Function Examples >>

                     2. For more Convenience Examples >>

                     3. For more than one Performance benefit category improvement Examples >>

                  2. Lower price point

                     1. With less function – The lower Price Point would have:

                        1. Less style, speed or power Examples >>

                        2. Other Function Examples >>

                     2. With less Reliability Examples >>

                     3. With less Convenience Examples >>

                     4. With fewer benefits in more than one Performance category Examples >>

            3. Potential improvement in income of current customers

               1. Customer segments whose revenues could increase if the supplier: Examples >>

               2. Customer segments whose costs could decrease if the supplier:

                  1. Created an organization of segment members to save costs Examples >>

                  2. Taught the segment how to reduce costs Examples >>

            4. Savings of potential product vs. current solution

               1. Level of savings over the current product cost system

                  1. Low – product saves 10% or less of current solution cost, including user time Examples >>

                  2. Medium – product saves 25% or less of current solution cost, including user time Examples >>

                  3. High – Product saves more than 25% of current solution cost, including user time Examples >>

               2. Savings on customer building block costs

                  1. People costs Examples >>

                  2. Purchases costs – Segment saves purchase costs:

                     1. Inside the cost system of the product itself Examples >>

                     2. Outside the cost system of the product Examples >>

                  3. Capital costs Examples >>

                  4. Multiple costs Examples >>

               3. Savings from the creation of economies of scale for customer segments who incur costs at levels above those of currently available through economies of scale. Examples >>

         4. Health limitations: Find customer segments with health problems or concerns

            1. Customer groups with health problems

               1. General health and energy Examples >>

               2. Weight Examples >>

            2. Customer groups who might have side effects from product Examples >>

3. Intellectual: Segment customers on the basis of their current knowledge and understanding of the company and its products

1. Knowledge of company and company product

   1. Familiarity with company and brand, crossing all products

      1. Customer knows both company and brand Examples >>

      2. Customer knows the channel brand but not the producer brand – Segment knows channel brand primarily for:

         1. Reliability and Convenience Examples >>

         2. Price Examples >>

      3. Customer knows both the channel and producer brands Examples >>

   2. Familiarity with specific product

      1. Customer knows of product but does not use it – Segment sees the product as:

         1. Missing a Function Examples >>

         2. Not good at Reliability and Convenience Examples >>

      2. Customer segment uses a similar product:

         1. Similar product from a different company Examples >>

         2. Similar product from this company Examples >>

      3. Customer segment uses the product:

         1. For home Examples >>

         2. For shopping Examples >>

      4. Customer segment does not know product because the product is:

         1. New on the market Examples >>

         2. New in the channel of distribution Examples >>

         3. Untried by the segment

            1. Segment is unaware of the product Examples >>

            2. Segment has outdated experience of the product Examples >>

   3. Knowledge of product technology

      1. Little – very limited exposure, may be new to the market Examples >>

      2. Average – some acquaintance, but may not be current customer in the industry Examples >>

      3. Above average – current customer. Members of the segment are:

         1. Regular non-expert users Examples >>

         2. Expert users Examples >>

2. Understanding how product works with other products Examples >>

Basic Strategy Guide Users Go To: Step 12

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