Editing Market segmentation (section)

== Criticisms ==

The limitations of conventional segmentation have been well documented in the literature.<ref>Hoek, J., Gendall, P. and Esslemont, D., Market segmentation: A search for the Holy Grail?, ''Journal of Marketing Practice Applied Marketing Science,'' Vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 25–34, 1996</ref> 

* That market segmentation does not, in fact, segment markets.<ref name=":0" />
* That it is no better than mass marketing at building [[brand]]s<ref>Addison, T. and O'Donohue, M., "Understanding the Customer’s Relationship With a Brand: The Role of Market Segmentation in Building Stronger Brands," Market Research Society Conference, London, 2001, Online: http://www.warc.com/fulltext/MRS/49705.htm</ref>
* In competitive markets, segments rarely exhibit major differences in the way they use brands<ref>Kennedy, R. and Ehrenberg, A., "What’s in a brand?" ''Research'', April, 2000, pp 30–32</ref>
* That it fails to identify sufficiently narrow clusters<ref>Bardakci, A. and Whitelock, L., "Mass-customisation in Marketing: The Consumer Perspective," ''Journal of Consumer Marketing'' vol. 20, no.5, 2003, pp. 463–479.</ref>
* Geographic/demographic segmentation is overly descriptive and lacks sufficient insights into the motivations necessary to drive communications strategy<ref>Smit, E. G. and Niejens, P. C., 2000. "Segmentation Based on Affinity for Advertising," ''Journal of Advertising Research,'' vol. 40, no. 4, 2000, pp. 35–43.</ref>
* Difficulties with market dynamics, notably the instability of segments over time<ref>Albaum, G. and Hawkins, D. I., "Geographic Mobility and Demographic and Socioeconomic Market Segmentation," ''Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,'' vol. 11, no. 2. 1983, pp. 97–114.</ref><ref>Blocker, C. P. and Flint, D. J., 2007. "Customer Segments as Moving Targets: Integrating Customer Value Dynamism into Segment Instability Logic," ''Industrial Market Management,'' vol. 36, no. 6., 2007, pp. 810–822.</ref> and structural change which leads to segment creep and membership migration as individuals move from one segment to another<ref>Board, T. "Ten Lessons Learned from Cybersegmentation," ''Technology & Communications practice for IIR – The Market Research Event'' IPSOS Insight. 2004 [On-line] http://www.ipsosinsight.com/pdf/IpsosInsight_PD_TenTips.pdf</ref>
* Segments are categories that marketers create for consumers, but consumers do not self-identify with them.<ref name="Feral" />

Market segmentation has many critics. Despite its limitations, market segmentation remains one of the enduring concepts in marketing and continues to be widely used in practice. One American study, for example, suggested that almost 60 percent of senior executives had used market segmentation in the past two years.<ref>Yankelovich, D., Meer, D. "Rediscovering Market Segmentation", ''Harvard Business Review'' vol. 84. no 2, 2006, pp. 122–13</ref>