Couverture du marché : définition, stratégies, exemples

Once the market segmentation has been completed, the company should be aware of the needs and wants of its selected segments. It is in the interest of the business to identify any untapped needs in the marketplace, as there could be customers who may not be adequately served by competitors. It is then necessary to identify the most profitable segments and to decide which segments will be served. 3 market coverage alternatives can be applied; (1) undifferentiated marketing, (2) differentiated marketing, and (3) concentrated marketing. Which one should be selected? Businesses should only consider those market segments that are profitable. Therefore, they should target profitable customers within those segments and nurture a long-lasting relationship with them.

3 stratégies de couverture du marché sont :

Marketing indifférencié,
Marketing différencié,
Marketing concentré

1. Marketing indifférencié

Adopting an undifferentiated marketing strategy, a company does not consider market segment differences and approaches the whole market with one offer. The offer concentrates on what is common in the needs of consumers, ignoring what is different. The company develops a product and a marketing program that appeal to the majority of the buyers. It depends on mass distribution and mass advertising. Undifferentiated marketing provides the benefits of cost economies. The limited product line keeps the production, inventory, and transportation costs down. Advertising costs are also low because of the undifferentiated advertising program. Costs of marketing research and product management are also low because the company is not engaged in conducting recherche et planification de segmentation de marché. However, some marketers have reservations about this strategy. Developing a product or brand that will satisfy all consumers is a very difficult task. In undifferentiated marketing, companies typically develop an offer for the largest segments in the market. When several companies operate in the largest segments using undifferentiated strategy, competition intensifies—simultaneously, fewer satisfaction results in smaller segments. Ultimately the larger segments may be less profitable because they invite the heavy competition. To avoid this problem, companies become more interested in smaller market segments.

Exemple de marketing indifférencié :

Ici, une entreprise développe un produit adapté à presque tout le marché. Mais le produit a une qualité distincte (saveur, couleur, taille, support, garantie, etc.) qui place le produit à une place unique dans l'esprit des clients.

Le dentifrice en est le meilleur exemple. Vous pouvez utiliser n’importe quel dentifrice. L'ensemble du marché utilise du dentifrice. Il existe quelques exceptions où les entreprises produisent du dentifrice pour enfants (ce qui nécessite un marketing intensif pour le vendre) ou du dentifrice médical spécialisé pour les problèmes dentaires (que les gens n'achètent que sur prescription d'un médecin).
Comme le dentifrice, il existe plusieurs autres catégories de produits qui nécessitent une commercialisation indifférenciée. Eau en bouteille, blé, riz, pratiquement tout ce qui est produit et consommé en masse.

2. Marketing différencié

Adopting a differentiated marketing strategy, a company targets several market segments and approaches each segment with separate offers. General Motors tries to produce a car for every “purse, purpose, and personality.” Nike refreshes athletic shoes for a dozen or more different sports, from running, fencing, and aerobics to bicycling and baseball. And Wal-Mart appeals to the needs of different shopper segments with Wal-Mart discount stores, Wal-Mart supercentres, and Sam’s Warehouse stores.18 By using a differentiated marketing strategy, a company expects to derive certain benefits. It expects that product and marketing variations will fetch higher sales and secure a stronger position within each market segment. The company thinks that a stronger position in several segments will reinforce consumers’ overall identification with the product category. It also expects that differentiated marketing will enhance loyal purchasing because its offer is more compatible with the segment’s needs. Although differentiated marketing brings more sales than undifferentiated marketing, and companies are increasingly adopting this strategy, it has certain demerits. Differentiated marketing leads to increasing costs. Product modification to meet the needs of different market segments calls for additional research and development, engineering, or special tooling costs resulting in an overall increase in costs. Individualizing plans de commercialisation to the needs of separate segments calls for extra marketing research, forecasting, sales analysis, promotion planning, and channel management – all contributing to an increase in costs. Different advertising directed towards different market segments increases promotion costs. Therefore, when choosing a differentiated marketing strategy, a company must be sure that increased sales outweighs increased costs.

Exemple de marketing différencié

Sites Web de commerce électronique offrant une livraison gratuite dans une certaine zone où la concurrence ne peut pas
Les fournisseurs de services cellulaires prétendent qu'ils disposent des meilleurs tarifs de données mobiles ou du meilleur réseau 4G/5G dans votre région.
Un restaurant fait la promotion du fait qu'il sert un plateau de viande spécial ou qu'il propose des offres spéciales distinctes pour les étudiants.

3. Marketing concentré

Concentrated marketing is especially effective when a company has resource constraints. Instead of choosing a small share of a large market, the company chooses a large share of one or a few submarkets. For example, Oshkosh Truck is the world’s largest producer of airport rescue trucks and front-loading concrete mixers. Recycled paper products concentrate on the market for alternative greeting cards. And Soho Natural Sodas concentrates on a narrow segment of the soft-drink market. Small new businesses can place themselves against larger and stronger competitors by using concentrated marketing. Concentrated marketing offers certain benefits. As the company becomes aware of the segments’ needs and acquires a special reputation, it achieves a strong market position. Concentrated marketing provides many operating economies resulting from specialization in production, distribution, and promotion. A well-chosen segment served with concentrated marketing ensures a high rate of return on the company’s investment. Concentrated marketing has a problem of greater than normal risks. The particular market segment might turn to be unprofitable. Stronger competitors may enter the same segment. California Cooler’s success in the wine cooler segment attracted many large competitors, causing the original owners to sell to a larger company with more marketing resources. To avoid these problems, many companies choose to diversify in several market segments. Companies with limited resources will usually target just one or a few sub-markets. If a segment is successfully chosen, there is a possibility that the firm may earn a high rate of return on its investment. However, this form of marketing could also involve a high-risk factor. If the selected segment fails, the company can experience hefty losses. In sum, the appropriate market coverage strategy may be determined by many factors:

Les ressources de l'entreprise. Si les ressources sont limitées, un marketing concentré pourrait être le choix le plus logique.
Le type de service doit être offert. Par exemple, les compagnies aériennes pourraient proposer des services affrétés ou réguliers, des services à bas prix ou complets, des services long-courriers ou court-courriers, des services d'affaires ou de loisirs, etc.
Diversités au sein du marché. Les entreprises doivent comprendre les exigences de leurs clients. Par exemple, les voyageurs d’affaires indépendants peuvent avoir des besoins et des souhaits différents de ceux des voyageurs d’affaires parrainés par leur employeur.
Les stratégies de couverture du marché des concurrents. Par exemple, si les compagnies aériennes concurrentes appliquent avec succès des techniques de segmentation ; il ne serait probablement pas judicieux, d’un point de vue commercial, d’employer une stratégie de marketing indifférenciée.

Exemple de marketing concentré

Presque toutes les petites ou moyennes entreprises suivent une stratégie marketing concentrée.

Un centre de formation en informatique s'adresse uniquement aux étudiants diplômés en informatique, aux informaticiens et aux professionnels des domaines liés aux technologies de l'information.
Avez-vous entendu parler des « claviers mécaniques » ? Plusieurs petites entreprises ciblent les codeurs ou programmeurs, les joueurs sur PC et les passionnés pour fournir des claviers mécaniques et leurs accessoires (commutateurs, touches, cartes de bricolage) qui sont très chers mais ont un petit marché de clientèle.
Votre laitier local, vendeur de légumes, tailleur, etc., pour le marketing, se rend chez vous ou fournit des dépliants aux maisons de la région.
Le marketing super concentré est réalisé sur les réseaux sociaux par de nombreux e-commerces spécialisés et start-up.

Comment choisir une stratégie de couverture du marché

In choosing a market coverage strategy, a marketer should consider some important factors. Company resources deserve serious consideration in choosing a market-coverage strategy. For companies with limited resources, concentrated marketing is most appropriate. The degree of product variability is another important factor. Undifferentiated marketing is more appropriate for uniform products such as sugar and diesel. Differentiated or concentrated marketing is more appropriate for products that can vary in design, such as furniture and apparel. The product’s stage in the life cycle is also important. At the introduction stage, the product should have only one version, and undifferentiated marketing or concentrated marketing is the most pragmatic strategy. In the mature stage of the product life cycle, differentiated marketing is more effective. Market variability is another important consideration. If most buyers have similarities in tastes, purchase size, and reactions to marketing efforts, undifferentiated marketing is the suitable one. Finally, the competitor’s marketing strategies should also be considered. When competitors use segmentation, undifferentiated marketing can be counterproductive. When competitors use undifferentiated marketing, a company can gain a competitive advantage by adopting differentiated or concentrated marketing.

Derniers mots : La stratégie de couverture du marché déterminera le succès des produits

Three market coverage alternatives including; undifferentiated marketing, differentiated marketing, and concentrated marketing. Businesses should consider the most appropriate market coverage strategy according to their resources, the type of service to be offered and the diversities within the market. However, they should also evaluate their competitors’ market coverage strategies. The final stage in marketing ciblé est le positionnement du produit. Les consommateurs ont des perceptions différentes des produits ou services. Therefore, the business should underline its products’ unique attributes, features, and value propositions to differentiate itself from other competitors in the marketplace. Evaluation of different segments is followed by decisions regarding which and how many segments the company will serve. This is called target market selection. A target market refers to buyers who share common needs or characteristics that the company decides to serve.