Week 7 Reading Reflection

This week's reading assignment was by Daniel Yankelovich and David Meer.  The subject was market segmentation.

The biggest surprise to me in this reading was how narrow market segmentation has become.  I think of that as a rather broad term.  However, Yankelovich and Meer point out that it has become narrowly focused on advertising over the past several years.  Instead of accurately segmenting the market, we have become hyper-focused on commercials.  We try to find something likable, relatable, or funny, instead of focusing on market segmentation.  
Yankelovich and Meer made the assertion that if companies used more informational tactics towards a segment of the population, they would have more success.  They then cited an example of Miller Light.  With the Super Bowl just past us, we have just seen the biggest commercials of the year.  It is less than 2 weeks later, and I can only remember a handful of the dozens I watched that night.  I was a bit confused as to how someone would alert companies to the more successful approach, but that wasn't exactly made clear.  Just that facts would be more effective than humor or "making an impression."
I would have asked the authors about how to know when a factual ad is more effective.  I would have also asked how these companies are supposed to fin the data that says their current way isn't working as well.
The only thing I really disagreed on was that facts are more effective.  I am always skeptical when I see an ad that promises something or states a "fact."  I am usually swayed more by emotion and humor than "facts" which may or may not be accurate.  Other than that, I loved this article.  It was very well written, and I believe I learned a lot from it.