Sonite customers are adults who purchase the products for personal or professional use. Market research studies show that the Sonite market can be divided into five major groups of customers or segments, having similar needs and purchasing behavior.
•Explorers (Ex) – People in this segment show a high level of interest in Sonites and other similar products. They are extremely knowledgeable about Sonite technology and the different characteristics of the existing brands. Explorers were probably among the first to use Sonite products. They demand high-performance products, i.e. products with high processing power and/or large screens. They are less concerned with the convenience of the products (battery life, design or number of features) however they are quite price-sensitive, since they use Sonite products for their personal use and do not necessarily have high incomes.
•Shoppers (Sh) – As the name of this segment indicates, Shoppers do a lot of shopping. They have a good knowledge of marketed brands and do extensive product comparison. They look for products with a high quality –price ratio and average levels of both performance and convenience. Like Explorers, they use Sonite products for personal purposes and are quite price-sensitive.
•Professionals (Pr) – Individuals in this segment may use Sonite products for both personal and professional reasons. As a consequence, they are looking for high quality, high-performance and easy-to-use products. They can afford expensive products and often view price as an indication of quality.
•High Earners (Hi) – This group is characterized by high incomes, using Sonite products on a private basis. Studies show that they usually buy fairly expensive products which they can afford, and that their purchase is partially motivated by social status. Although they tend to use their Sonites less than the average consumer, they demand performance and convenience from the products.
•Savers (Sa) – This segment includes all consumers who are cautious in the way they spend their money. Although this segment is the largest and is composed of several sub-groups, most customers have similar needs. They are looking for cheap, low-performance products with average convenience. Experts believe that the penetration of this segment is not as high as the other segments. As a consequence, its future growth rate could exceed forecasts.
Each segment has specific needs in terms of physical characteristics and price. Awareness levels and purchase intentions vary significantly for existing products from one group to the other. Market forecast studies show that the sizes and growth rates of the five segments are significantly different. This is explained in part by the development stage of each segment, by the varying product offerings, and by the intensity of marketing effort targeted at each segment.