The standard approach to market segmentation in Europe is country first, and then industry. It is a perfectly logical approach, according to segmentation specialist Paul Fifield, but marketers too often fail to take a more strategic view. Fifield, a leading segmentation consultant and international board trustee of the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the United Kingdom, argues for a more strategic approach that begins with customer needs.
This ITSMA Europe Viewpoint provides an interview with Fifield on the importance of segmentation as a marketing discipline, current trends in segmentation, issues particularly important for services businesses, and the challenges of developing a more strategic approach to needs-based segmentation.