Overview
MR Assignment 1 – Online Target Marketing (10 points)There are many ways to learn about potential market segments. One way would be to do a survey of the members of that segment; however, this approach may not provide you much useful information. The research design itself may not address the key issues without first establishing some familiarity and understanding of the segment. To address this problem, researchers often use qualitative research such as personal interviews and focus groups to gain insights regarding the market segment and its members. But this requires time and money to do.
Another quick and inexpensive way to gain insights about markets is to look at websites that specifically target your market of interest. These sites contain a great deal of useful information and insights such as the demographics and interests of its members that may assist you in your qualitative and quantitative studies. In this assignment, you will look at a specific consumer segment to gain some insights regarding its members. Visit the ThirdAge website (www.thirdage.com), how does it characterize the demographic and psychographic profiles of its users?
- Based on a review of the website, who is ThirdAge’s target market? (Hint: Look at “about us”)
- Do you think ThirdAge’s website is effective in serving this target market? Why or why not?
- Describe the ThirdAge website in terms of ease of navigation, content, use of color and visuals, article placement and presentation, etc.
- Based on the Primary Headings identified in the site (e.g., Health A-Z, Living Well, etc.), what are some of the issues that ThirdAgers are most concerned about?
- According to the site articles, is popcorn bad for your health? Why or why not? (Hint: Look at the articles in each of the primary headings)
- In terms of Fitness, what are four questions that older adults should ask their doctor before adding exercise to their daily routine?
- Based on what you learned from the ThirdAge site, provide a brief description of the typical member of its target market in terms of age, economic status, interests, values, and lifestyle. (Note: this is based on your overall perception of the issues identified in the ThirdAge website)