Stage 1 Segmentation Variables
Stage 1 segmentation consists of variables that can be easily identified through demographics (i.e., statistics that describe a population), geographics (i.e., location issues) and financial information. For both consumer and business segmentation this information focuses mostly on easy to obtain data from such sources as government data (e.g., census information), examining secondary data sources (e.g., news media), trade associations and financial reporting services. While Stage 1 segmentation does not offer the segmentation benefits available with higher-level stages, the marketer benefits from accomplishing the segmentation task in a short time frame and at lower cost.
| Segmentation Variables Consumer Markets | Segmentation Variables Business Markets |
|---|---|
| Demographics age group (e.g., teens, retirees, young adults), gender, education level, ethnicity, income, occupation, social class, marital status Geographics location (e.g., national, regional, urban/suburban/rural, international), climate |
Demographics type (e.g., manufacturer, retailer, wholesaler), industry, size (e.g., sales volume; number of retail outlets), age (e.g., new; young growth, established growth, mature) Geographics location (e.g., national, regional, urban/suburban/rural, international), climate Business Arrangement ownership (e.g,. private versus public, independent versus chain), financial condition (e.g., credit rating, income growth, stock price, cash flow) |