Week 7 Reading Reflection

·         What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

o   I didn’t realize that customers tastes or preferences changes so much from the past fifty years. I guess with growing technology, consumers taste will change and adapt to new and exciting things.

·         Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

o   I was a little confused about what determined cannibalization of existing products. The example given with the razor wasn’t clear. The old concept can adhere to a different segment of people. Unless the new segment adheres to all consumers. Such as, P&G with several laundry detergents. They segmented different brands to the appropriate consumers.

·          If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

o   While discussing forms of segmentation initiatives, how did marketers get so consumed in customer identities to where they lost their focus? Wouldn’t you then understand your customer? Wouldn’t you know which features mattered most if you were that consumed?

o   How did Yankelovich and Meer come up with the two segmentation exercises? What influenced them? I was wondering about the past experiences to better interpret the exercises.

·         Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

o   There was nothing that struck out at me. I didn’t disagree with too much with the author. I do realize that there are many different people out there with different needs. Therefore, they would have different buying patterns. As our ways of doing things change, so does our buying habits.