Technographic segmentation

Technographic Segmentation

One of the most important concerns of market research is identifying and profiling the characteristics and behaviors of consumers through the process of market segmentation. Traditionally market researchers focused on various demographic, psychographic and lifestyle schemes to categorize and describe homogeneous clusters of consumers that comprise possible target markets.

With the advent of personal computers and home video in the late 1980's and the explosion in internet use, personal digital assistants, BlackBerries, video games, cell phones, etc. in the 1990's-- information and communication technologies have emerged as a central focus and defining force in a wide range of occupations, avocations and life-styles. Accordingly, market researchers realized the need for devising a segmentation scheme based on the role and scope that technology plays in consumers' lives.

Technographic segmentation was the method of consumer analysis that was developed to measure and categorize consumers based on their ownership, use patterns and attitudes toward information, communication and entertainment technologies.

The concept and technique was first introduced in 1985 by Dr. Edward Forrest (http://www.cbpp.uaa.alaska.edu/afef/) in a study of VCR users and later elaborated upon in the article, "Segmenting VCR Owners" published in the "Journal of Advertising Research" (Volume 28, No.2, April/May 1988:pgs 29-39). In the article it was suggested that the profiling of technology consumers "should be based on an amalgam of variables which might best be referred to as "technographic"... which "focuses on the motivations, usage patterns, attitudes about technology... as well as measures of a person's fundamental values and lifestyle perspective."(pg.38) Subsequently, the concept has been adopted by Forrester (http://www.forrester.com) as a research service for IT and marketing professionals, business strategists and technology industry executives.