Ontela PicDeck (A) Customer Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Case Solution

1. Based on the three customer personas, which customer segment should Ontela target? 

Target Market

Levy and his team conducted a qualitative research of end user behavior in mobile devices and came out with three different segments. Apparently, all of the segments are potential target markets, but careful analysis reveals that these segments are different in term of targeting and revenue generation. For PicDeck, the middle class, teenager segment will be more preferable. Reason being, this market has many of behavior and attitudes in conformity to the services provided by PicDeck. This segment is more active and techno savvy. This segment is prone to social pressure and so has to be technologically up to date. This is one of the reasons that this segment is mainstream user of the internet and is connected through social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and twitter. Social networks form a bigger social circle for individuals. So, they want to share their moments and experiences of life. So, they want a speed and convenience with full control of displaying whatever they want. This segment, because of being techno savvy, will easily adapt.

This segment can easily be targeted, because of its superior technological capabilities and adaptation. Ontela won’t have to incur extra marketing cost on communication of ways to use this service. In addition to that, this segment will value these services as they won’t have to incur extra costs of cell phones.

2. What are customer personas? Which segment(s) should Ontela target?

Customer Personas

i. The parent

This segment contains married women with children, who is basically a house wife but works part time. In addition to that, this segment is not really technologically up to date and knows the basic usage on internet for sending of emails and instant messages. They are bit reluctant in adapting to new technologies because they have already learned its usage and they are in the habit of it. Moreover, they are bit hesitant in usage of technology and uploading pictures on social network. However, they really like to capture and save happy moments. But at a time, they are short of memory because of over usage and are reluctant in trying out new things to upload pictures on the computer.

ii. Professional

This segment consists of adults and professional who are pursuing a successful business. They know new technologies, but they don’t follow them, as their work didn’t get affected. They are aware of importance of new technologies but are hesitant in upgrading because they are not sure about their workings.

iii. Teens

This segment consists of youngsters, who are well versed with usage of the internet and new technologies. This segment easily confirms to social pressure, so always wants to acquire a new model introduced. As per excessive usage of social sites, they have larger social circle with which they want to share their experiences and moments. In order to share pictures, they need faster, safer and convenient solutions.

3. Create a positioning statement for your chosen target persona and identify the key themes that should be emphasized in the messaging for the PicDeck service to this segment. 

Positioning statement

Share your blissful moment with everyone, at anytime and anywhere you want. Got a gift or new hair style, you are at the party or friends cracking up some fervent idea. PicDesk brings you an opportunity to safely share and relish your moments in fastest and easiest way.

First of all the youth segment is very enthusiastic and socially active and social networks caused their social circle to grow bigger. They want to share their happy moments with friends and show themselves as a zealous and socially active personality. In order to do that, they need technology that allows them to share these moments in fastest and most convenient way. So, positioning statement should highlight these features as primary factors. Within, secondary or optional features, factor such as easy transfers to computer back up for the pictures can be included.

4. Based on feature/benefit analysis, what positing statements are likely to be appropriate for each of the customers?

Positioning statements as per customers

i.Teens

Teens are the ones who are most receptive of new technology. They are sophisticated, energetic, enthusiastic, techno savvy and have big social circle. These friends linked to their lives, and they want share their moments to friends to be more socially acceptable.

ii. Positioning Statement

Share your blissful moment with everyone, at anytime and anywhere you want. Got a gift or new hair style, you are at the party or friends cracking up some fervent idea. PicDesk brings you an opportunity to safely, share and relish your moments in fastest and easiest way.

iii. Parents

This segment is reluctant with usage of technology, not very socially active but wants to save memorable moments of their lives. So they need a service allowing them to store whatever they capture. It would be a great option for them. So we need to highlight its services related to easy and fast storage of data into computer.

iv. Positioning statement

Capture and bank your memorable moments. PicDesk brings you fastest and easiest way to store your memorable moments. Here, you take a picture there it gets stored in the computer.

v. Professional

This segment contains successful professional. They are usually busy, and their business involves lots of travelling. They are not technologically updated, as their business doesn’t require them to be, but they are aware of technological changes. They are late adopters, and prefer to use whatever they are in the habit of using.

vi. Positioning statement

To gain a competitive edge in your business, you have to be technologically up to date. PicDesk provides you with the ability to store and send numerous pictures of sites, whenever and wherever you want, with just a single click. Competitiveness defines professionalism and professionalism leads to success.

5. What are the risks of using qualitative personas to select target customer segments?

Qualitative Personas

If company uses qualitative personas, this increases risk of being wrong. By qualitative personas, company cannot get an overall picture of the results of the research. Qualitative personas have a limitation of a sample size. If we observe the personas used, it will raise concerns for that young professional. He is associated as 27 years old professional but technologically backward. This might not be true. In addition to this, he is considered as a late adopter in technology. Internet being not really this thing as but true is the case that internet era came during his age. Most of the professionals’ or adults of this age are really technologically updated and forms a major portion of users of such technologies. So, it can be said that these personas are created without quantitative evidences and surety.