Identify the Target Market
Identifying the target market involves determining the specific group of customers a product should prioritise based on their needs, preferences, and behaviours.
Goal
The primary goal is to ensure product development efforts are focused on meeting the needs of a well-defined customer base, maximising market relevance, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, the success of the product.
Context
While you might want your product to appeal to everyone you need to focus on a specific target market initially to grow market share. This is because different customers have different needs and preferences. By defining the target market, you can identify these differences and tailor your product strategy to better meet the needs of specific customer groups, increasing the likelihood of product success.
Inputs
| Artifact | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Vision | A succinct, inspiring statement that captures the essence of what the product aims to achieve. |
| DIBBs (Data, Insights, Beliefs, Bets) | A decision-making framework that starts with data collection, moves to derive insights, forms beliefs (hypotheses), and makes bets (actionable experiments) based on those beliefs. |
| Customer Segments | A list of the identified customer segments across geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioural dimensions. |
Outputs
| Artifact | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Identified Target Market | A detailed description of the chosen target market segments, including demographic, psychographic, and behavioural characteristics. | Guides product development and marketing efforts, ensuring focus on the most relevant customer needs. |
Anti-patterns
- Over-generalisation: Failing to adequately narrow down the target market, leading to diluted efforts and reduced impact.
- Misalignment with Product Capabilities: Choosing a target market without considering whether the product can effectively meet its needs.
- Ignoring Competitive Dynamics: Defining a target market without a thorough understanding of the competitive landscape, risking positioning in overly saturated or uncontested markets.