Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning pdf ebook

Figure 8.7
Perceptual map 
of leisure centres 
with dimensions 
identified
Theme Fun and games
Educational
For all the
family
Artificial/
synthetic
Big rides
Noisy/rowdy
Good food
American
Adventure
Woburn
Safari
Park 
Alton
Towers
Chatsworth
House
Warwick
Castle
Belton
House
C
W
S
A
T
B
Young
families
Wild young
things
Mature
couples
Sophisticated

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CHAPTER 8 SEGMENTATION AND POSITIONING RESEARCH 
map that was generated. This is inevitable, considering that the picture is now trying to repre-
sent even more information in the same two dimensions. The magnitude of this problem can 
be reduced by resorting to portraying the picture using three or more dimensions, but usually 
the situation becomes less understandable rather than more understandable as the map goes 
beyond our normal experience. It may also be that segments of the market have distinctly dif-
ferent views and therefore it is more appropriate to produce maps that represent their different 
perceptions rather than aggregating the market, as has been done so far.
Identifying market segment locations
A two-stage process was used to add customer positions to the perceptual map of leisure 
centres. First, respondents were asked to rate the leisure centres in terms of their preference. 
Cluster analysis was then used to form segments with similar preferences; this indicated the 
presence of three main clusters. Analysis of their demographic characteristics revealed these 
to be mature couples or young sophisticates who found Chatsworth House and Belton House 
most attractive; young families who preferred American Adventure and Woburn Safari Park; 
and ‘wild young things’ who were most attracted by Alton Towers and American Adventure.
Once again, PREFMAP was used to locate these segments in relation to product position. 
However, in this case the segments were to be expressed as ideal points within the body of 
the map, rather than as vectors in the way that the dimensions were examined. Figure 8.8 
gives the final map. This shows clearly the strategy of American Adventure, the latest of 
the leisure centres to enter the market. Aimed at the family market, it has big rides, good 
food and plenty of opportunity for fun and games, particularly for very young children. 
Although lacking sophistication and being perceived as artificial, it is well positioned for 
young families and for wild young things. Less successful appears to be Belton House, where 
the National Trust has found itself running a country estate, with which it is very familiar, 
and an adventure playground, with which it is unfamiliar. Although the house and gardens 
may provide the sophistication and tranquility desired by mature couples, the existence of 
the adventure playground would make it too rowdy for them. Equally, the direction of so 
many resources into maintaining the house and gardens to National Trust standards pro-
vides facilities that are unlikely to be attractive to the wild young things (which the National 
Trust probably thinks is good) or young families.