Market Mapping

• Market mapping identifies how products/brands are perceived by customers relative to other products/brands in the market
• The theory highlights that there are various criteria used by customers to judge products
• The appropriate criteria will depend on the market and how customers assess these products e.g. modern v traditional, premium v basic
• It can be used to analyse consumer buying habits and preferences, for example, it may compare the price of a good with the quality of that good
• It can be used to identify what segment of the market is underprovided for and look at producing a product to fill that gap
• Typically, products are compared between all competitors within a market
• Gives a firm real insight into the competition within the same market as its own product
• How can market mapping be used in an exam

  • can be used when discussing the positioning of a product/brand
  • marketing managers must analyse a market to understand what segments exist, which to target, and how to best position themselves in the market
• Might want to consider

  • different criteria customers use to assess products
  • what factors might influence the positioning a business chooses
  • the implication for other functional areas of choosing a particular positioning
  • why a business might might want to move from one position to another