Continuing the theme of product marketing frameworks that are good for a project manager to understand, this blog post unpacks how to apply the STP framework using four powerful segmentation bases: Descriptive (demographics), Attitudes (psychographics), Usage Behavior (consumption profile), and Benefits Sought (job-to-be-done profile).
In the age of personalized experiences and data-driven marketing, a generic, one-size-fits-all approach to customer outreach and marketing is obsolete. To drive growth, customer acquisition, and loyalty, companies must identify and speak directly to the right audience with the right message. The STP framework—Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning—is a cornerstone model for defining a clear and differentiated marketing strategy.
1. Segmentation: Dividing the Market Into Meaningful Groups
Segmentation is the process of breaking a broad market into subsets of consumers who share common characteristics. This enables marketers to understand the nuanced needs, behaviors, and motivations of different customer types.
A. Descriptive Segmentation (Demographics & Firmographics)
Who they are.
Examples: age, gender, income, education, marital status, geography, company size, industry.
Useful when demographic variables correlate strongly with buying decisions.
Example: A skincare brand segments by age and gender to tailor anti-aging vs. acne-care lines.
B. Attitudinal Segmentation (Psychographics)
How they think and feel.
Examples: lifestyle, values, personality, interests, aspirations.
Captures the emotional and psychological drivers of behavior.
Example: A travel company segments by attitude: “adventurers,” “luxury seekers,” “cultural explorers.”
C. Behavioral Segmentation (Usage & Engagement)
What they do.
Examples: purchase frequency, brand loyalty, product usage rate, customer journey stage.
Captures actual behavior and reveals high-value vs. low-value users.
Example: A streaming service distinguishes between binge-watchers, casual viewers, and trial users.
D. Benefit Segmentation (Job-to-Be-Done)
Why they buy.
Focuses on the core “job” the customer hires the product to do (from the Jobs-to-be-Done theory).
Example: A drill is bought not for its design, but for the hole it creates—different buyers want tools that drill holes for different reasons: speed, precision, portability.
Combining Segmentation Types
Robust marketing strategies often combine these lenses. For example:
“Professionally ambitious women (descriptive) who value performance and wellness (attitudes), who shop online monthly (behavior), and are looking for clean, high-performing beauty products (benefits sought).”
2. Targeting: Selecting the Right Segment(s) to Pursue
After identifying possible segments, the next step is to evaluate them for strategic fit and business potential.
Consider:
Segment size and growth potential
Profitability
Accessibility (can you reach them through channels?)
Strategic alignment with your brand’s capabilities
Competitive intensity
Targeting Approaches:
Undifferentiated (mass) marketing – one offer for the whole market.
Differentiated marketing – multiple offers for different segments.
Concentrated (niche) marketing – focus on a single, high-value segment.
Micro-marketing – hyper-personalized offers (e.g., by neighborhood or individual behavior).
Example: A SaaS startup may target medium-sized B2B firms in the healthcare industry needing HIPAA-compliant data analytics, rather than going broad across all sectors.
3. Positioning: Owning a Clear Space in the Customer’s Mind
Positioning is about defining how you want your chosen target segment to perceive your brand in relation to competitors. Strong positioning is:
Relevant to the target audience
Differentiated from competitors
Credible and believable
Sustainable over time
Positioning Statement Template:
For [target segment], [brand] is the [category] that [key benefit] because [reasons to believe].
Positioning should be reinforced across the 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) to create a coherent brand experience.
In summary: Strategic Precision Through STP
The STP framework transforms marketing from guesswork to precision. By deeply understanding who your customers are, what they want, and how to position yourself, you can design focused, high-impact strategies that convert and retain.
Use segmentation not just to describe customers, but to empathize with them. Then, let your targeting and positioning align around what truly matters to them: solving their specific problems better than anyone else.
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