Why Good Segmentations Fail

Segmentations are the crown jewels of market research — they can provide organizations with deep understanding of particular customers' needs and wants, allowing the firms to align themselves to maximize success in the market place. A well-crafted segmentation analysis becomes a strategic blueprint for the entire organization, including product development, marketing, corporate strategy, and sales. However, market researchers tell Forrester that most segmentations do not fulfill this promise. Why? Not because of lack of brilliant analytical insight, but rather due to a lack of lockstep alignment to execute on them across the organization. This document gives five tactical steps for market researchers to use to ensure that segmentation studies result in business gains and don't sit on a shelf gathering dust.