Ways to Reach Market Targets

Reaching Target Segments 
There are two ways by which markets can be reached: controlled coverage and customer self-selection.2o
In the controlled-coverage approach, the objective is to reach desired-target segments and to avoid reaching those who are not in the target segments. Suppose that a segment is defined as "better golfers," and it is determined that they usually read Golf Digest. Suppose, further, that there are few readers of Golf Digest who are not in the target segment. Then an advertising campaign in Golf Digest would be an efficient way to communicate with the target segment. Another way might be to use direct marketing techniques to mail a message to people who are subscribers of Golf Digest, renting their names from the magazine or a list broker. Many companies are now creating immense computerized databases on their actual and potential customers, enabling them to execute extremely targeted direct marketing programs. This technique is often called database marketing.
Customer self-selection is an alternative approach. Here the advertising pro­gram is directed to a mass audience of which the target segment may be only a small part. Those in the target segment are attracted to the marketing effort since it is tailored to them. Those not in the target group will probably avoid exposure, not because the program is unavailable to them, but because they either con­sciously or unconsciously choose to avoid it. For example, although ski equipment has a rather narrow appeal, afirm may run an advertisement about it in a mass cir­culation magazine. The target segment, all skiers, will be attracted to the adver­tisement if it is well done, but nonskiers will probably not be tempted to read it.

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