Marketeers tend to break up segments of the population into five broad categories and most will tell you they target the affluent AB segment as they tend to be those in the community with the most disposable income to spend on their clients product or service. So what is the ‘AB’ anyway? Haven’t you always wondered what it really meant or have you just noded and acted like you knew…
So here is the five categories explained:
Segment AB
Managers, Administrators and Professionals
Legislators and Government Appointed Officials; General Managers;
Specialist Managers;
Farmers and Farm Managers;
Managing Supervisors (Sales and Service and Other Business);
Natural Scientists;
Building Professionals and Engineers;
Health Diagnosis and Treatment Practitioners;
Tertiary Teachers;
Social Professionals;
Business Professionals;
Artists and Related Professionals
Segment C1
Para-Professionals,
Clerks, Teachers,
Salespeople
Professional Service Workers
Medical and Science Technical Officers and Technicians;
Engineering and Building Associates and Technicians;
Air and Sea Transport Technical Workers;
Registered Nurses;
Stenographers and Typists;
Data Processing and Business Machine Operators;
Numerical Clerks;
Filing, Sorting and Copying Clerks;
Material Recording and Despatching Clerks;
Receptionists; Telephonists and Messengers;
School Teachers;
Investment, Insurance and Real Estate Salespersons;
Sales Representatives;
Sales Assistants; Tellers;
Cashiers and Ticket Salespersons;
Personal Service Workers
Segment C2
Tradespersons
Metal and Machinery Tradespersons;
Electrical and Electronics Tradespersons;
Building Tradespersons;
Printing Tradespersons;
Vehicle Tradespersons;
Food Tradespersons;
Amenity Horticultural Tradespersons
Segment D
Plant and Machine Operators,
Drivers
Police
Road and Rail Transport Drivers;
Mobile Plant Operators;
Stationary Plant Operators;
Machine Operators;
Segment E
Labourers and Related Workers
Trade Assistants and Factory Hands;
Agricultural Labourers and Related Workers;
Cleaners;
Construction and Mining Labourers
These categories haven’t just been made up – market segmentation, especially if you are in fast moving consumer goods or politics, helps target different marketing efforts using different media to the buying segment most profitable for your goods or services. So the question is “are you marketing to everybody or to the market segment most suited to your product or service?”
Till next time!