Week 5B: Target Market

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My business, Mill Works, making laser crafted business and logo signage and point of purchase displays will be mainly targeted to businesses in the San Diego and Orange Counties.  Other than online sales, this is the general demographic approach to focusing my marketing.  However, I will explain the process of narrowing the target market down more specifically to one of my single products where I will focus a specific strategy in my marketing mix.  I know that not all businesses will purchase my products, so I will assume that home based businesses will less likely need signage.  At this point, while I do not want to exclude a majority of businesses, I know that signage is useful for places that have frequent customers and public traffic.  While I will not exclude industrial located businesses, for this exercise I will assume most customers will be in a retail setting, which may include clothing and accessory stores, hotels, markets and restaurants. 

One product line I will offer in particular is an A-frame café sign that I will target to non large chain restaurants, food markets and salons.  This product will be a high quality, durable wood A frame mobile sign that can close up and be placed in high traffic areas.  The signs can be custom cut and engraved with the business logo, and any message preferred with optional black board and can be stained or painted any desired colors.  A McDonalds would be an unlikely market, so I am looking for more local, trendy, eateries and salons that utilize signage, that look for high quality wood styles.  While I will have several segments to position my products, I will use this example as something that I can more narrowly define.  I do have other products that can be targeted to restaurants as well as a wealth of other businesses, but this sign can be more accurately positioned to this market.  According to A to Z databases from the Mira Costa College Library, updated demographic statistics show me that within just the restaurants and food markets, there are 18,873 food and market establishments in both San Diego and Orange County alone making just this one segment potentially very profitable.    

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