Segmenting for complexity: persuading people to buy what they don't understand created by Paul Taylor-West ,Jim Saker and Donna Champion

Certain products arouse different levels of interest and enthusiasm between consumers; this interest is likely to have an impact on how they view new products. It is generally accepted that consumer perceptions of new products are based on the perceived relevance of an object to an individual which is represented by an individual's needs, goals, values and existing knowledge of the object and their attitude to the object.

After several meetings and interviews with automotive manufacturers this research established that currently all automotive new car launches send the same marketing message to all customers; they do not take into account how consumers are likely to respond to the new products. If, however, marketing departments were to measure and capture more relevant information, such as the consumer characteristics identified in this research – familiarity, expertise and involvement – it would give them the ability to target more appealing launch campaigns and result in more effective marketing channels.

This research is important as it reveals the limited impact that new innovative products have on consumers in the automotive market and the need to channel relevant information that increases the understanding and appeal to a segmented, rather than whole, market place.