Sample Target Market People

Lesson Description

If your students have ever seen a commercial or made a purchase, they have already seen target markets in action.

The concept itself is not hard to understand, but it is nonetheless one of the most important concepts in marketing. The better a company is at identifying their potential customers; the more successful they will be in delivering products and services that are in demand.

In this activity, students get hands-on with target markets by creating a fictional person that is representative of a given target market.

The activity begins with a PowerPoint discussion of how target markets are used to identify the needs of specific groups of consumers and how this information is used to develop/market products.

Students are then shown a document listing sample market segmentations.

The students use this information to identify a target market (single male, ages 18 – 24, income < $25,000 for example).

Once the students have identified a target market, they cut the form of a person out of a large sheet of art paper and decorate it using photos of products that are marketed to that particular group.

After each group has created their “Target Market” person (I usually allot 45 minutes to 1 hour for this portion), they are presented to the class. Often times, the presentations lead to a discussion of how and where the products depicted on the Target Market person are advertised, as well as which target markets are most attractive (from a business sense).

Not only is this activity a good, cheap way to introduce students to target markets, it also provides your classroom with some conversation-starting decorations. After taping this year’s crop to my walls, I had a number of students from other classes ask about them…so, in a way, the target market people are marketing my marketing classes for me!

Lesson Resources
PowerPoint Notes: Target Markets
Instructions: Target Market Person
Resource: Market Segment Listings

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