Products Positioning on a Heterogeneous Market

114 services that the product realized cannot be found in the offer of a competitor. Customers would become permanent and the market party cannot be big, but constant, maintained firmly. All the strategy of differentiation resides in maintaining customers even in the conditions of price difference required for the offered distinction, as differentiation leads to a supplementary value for the purchaser, a functional or psychological value determining the customer to accepts and pay a higher price in rapport with the price of the products realized by other companies in the same sector. The strategy of product positioning consists in selling the product on a segment of the totally relevant market (the relevant market representing the totally market segment of a product that the company delimited to serve it and which is faced by other competitive companies) [20]. A company desiring to acts on the entire market of a business knows the fact that normally cannot satisfy the entire request. The request is composed of heterogeneous segment even in the conditions of one product. That is why there will always be competitors and products concurrent on the markets able to satisfy better certain segments of the request than own offer of a company. The essence of a positioning strategy is based on detailed knowledge of request and its component segments, even based on knowing competitor products, having success on the market and the offer of other products and services better adapted to these segments of the request [9], [14]. Generally, firms might aim identifying most attractive sectors of the research, no matter if these can be found on the international market [15] as well as common characteristics of some close request segments [19]. This process is seen by Philip Kotler as marketing STP segmentation, targeting, positioning. Companies use more and more the so-called marketing-target as essence of the strategy of business positioning. This helps producing companies to identify, in exact manner, the main segments of request and to establish the most profitable market niche. To this marketing-target it is added a competitive analyze due to strategic management through which is realized the competitive offer for these segments and the intensity of the competition in conditions of entering on these market segments. Conceptions concerning business strategies and marketing have developed so that in the present there is a separation of the positioning concept as a distinctive strategy as part of strategic solutions of the company. The positioning strategy supposes the following of three successive implementation phases: 1. market segmentation, namely the identification and definition of those consumers segments requiring products and distinctive services in respect with other segments; 2. the election of the target market, namely of that or those markets that are most convenient and profitable for company’s business; 3. market positioning by determining and offering the best products and best actions of business support on the request segment, desired. 2. Models and Methods Markets heterogeneity and market structuring solutions Analyses realized on these markets showed in time that these are not amorphous masses of buyers but are formed of different divisions that we can often find under the name of market segments [13], [20], [18], [19], [26], [31]. Even so, we do not speak about the same type of divisions because we take into account different criteria of market division. In the same time, as part of the market we have here request segments as well as categories, classes and consumers groups. But how can we make the difference between these types and to which of them shall we address to? To find the answer we have to take a look on the market to identify two essential coordinates: The degree of homogeneity-heterogeneity of the preferences; the level of diffusion-grouping the consumers. The position on the two coordinates of the entire market can situate it in rapport with the preferences and the consumer’s position (fig. 1). These are defined this way: 1. The homogeneity – heterogeneity axis: Homogenous markets in which consumers have the same preferences in rapport with a certain product or technology and the market is not formed by natural segments. We still find certain standard consumption classes, that specialists name consumers classes. Trademarks desiring to enter on this market would be placed somewhere in the center of the market with an average offer. The heterogeneous markets situated at the other extremity, where there are preferences and different desires at the level of the entire spectrum offered by a certain technology. In this case, on the market exists a great number of consumers segments wanting intensely to be distinguished as position on the market (here arises the necessity of offer positioning). The first trademark entering on the market would be positioned in the center as characteristic of the products and services to have a more comfortable position and the following arrived on that market would have to elect between a central position alongside the first competitor in case possessing a great capacity of competition or a marginal position, in the hope of attracting customers with the greatest dissatisfactions, in rapport with the products of the competitor situated in the center of the market. In time, competition would be unfolded on all positions offered on the market. 115 2. Diffusion-grouping axis: Diffuse markets would be characterized by the existence of a multitude of needs of the individuals. These needs and implicitly their titular are dispersed inside the market, being hardly identified inside some compact groups, situated in the same physical space. However, needs are similar for consumers having the same age, gender, training characteristics, forming demographic structures or consumers categories having a migration space and which can be met at a given moment. Competitors acting on the market would attempt to develop an offer for the average class that ulterior, easily, might extend and for premium class or, on the contrary for the basis class; Markets grouped are formed of homogenous preference groups called buyers groups. These groups are situated in the same physical space of the market, tending to form districts, zones, distinctive areas. The first or the most powerful competitor would have to elect between a focusing on a group of the market denoting the highest opportunities. In time, the first competitor might realize a strategy of multi-focusing through which can be addressed to several groups by a large scale of products and services. Figure 1. Main market types Consumption segments, personal desires and cultural values Market can be divided in more segments of request composed of buyers, instinctively in the search of the same characteristic of the products. The search of these characteristics in products, observed by consumers is influenced by certain specific or personal desires which should be satisfied. The lack of these characteristics makes that most of time the product be unnecessary or at least having a reduced values in rapport with the requested price. Let’s take as an example a market formed of a number „n” of buyers. Each separate buyer represents a segment of the market with unique needs and desires. Also, each buyer wants for first to use technology before having an option for a product. A town inhabitant wants the displacement with a transportation mean. In rapport with the social and personal factors would realize a certain option either as a personal transportation mean or for a paid transportation. In case he would elect a personal transportation means would have to face a new challenge. In this case, he would be on the second level of selection; where in rapport with the personal characteristics would elect a family auto vehicle, off -road vehicle, small class or luxury vehicle. In the last pause of his selection, the buyer would decide on the mark. This selection is the most difficult taking into account that psychological factors and the price-unit rapport that is perceived for each separate mark. In the context of the given example there can be identifies as part of a market, some buyers interested of the transportation capacity, fuel consumption, superior performances, safety in transportation and others. The delimitation of some more and more detailed characteristics of the technologies makes that one with their evolution and that of the offer to be diversifies also the number of buyers segments whose desires are more and more complex, requiring the inclusion in more segments or the definition of a newer segment of the market. A market with numerous market segments attracts generally more competitors at the offer level, being obvious the fact that is difficult for one competitor to satisfy by its products all segments. As the segment is larger and in a reduced manner defined by personal desires, the more it would be “attacked” by several Consumption categories Grouped market Homogenous market Heterogeneous market Diffuse market Consumers groups Business sectors Consumption segments Consumption classes