The case of Pinkberry is a demonstration of a highly loyal target market. The demographic base of segmentation is mostly occupied by younger individuals who enjoy healthy and delicious yogurts. The psychographic base of segmentation is mainly comprised of optimistic people who care about their community since the company actively engages and presents their local farmers by putting them in the spotlight. In regards to the behavioral base of segmentation, one can observe that Pinkberry’s customers are primarily customers with conscious purchasing habits who seek brand interactions and pay attention to the company as much as they do to the product itself. In the case of the geographic base of segmentation, it is evident that the customers are within a certain proximity of the store.
The company specifically satisfies the belongingness and love needs, which is the third layer of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, by providing motivation through group and community engagement through various methods, such as Pinkberry Groupie. It is stated that “customer engagement marketing—is defined as a firm’s deliberate effort to motivate, empower, and measure customer contributions to marketing functions” (Harmeling et al., 2016, p. 312).
In other words, the company utilizes some form of the described strategy, where customers are engaged to the greatest extent, which not only builds a sense of belongingness but also encourages word-of-mouth marketing styles. Therefore, by increasing customer involvement in a wide range of company-related events and processes, customers not only become well informed about Pinkberry but also actively contribute to the company’s performance through brand loyalty and community building. Thus, the case is a unique and intricate illustration of how a business can effectively target the higher layers of needs with the use of unconventional marketing strategies.
Reference
Harmeling, C. M., Moffett, J. W., Arnold, M. J., & Carlson, B. D. (2016). Toward a theory of customer engagement marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(3), 312–335. Web.