The problem with segmentation. Let’s talk about status.

Most marketing is intuitive. But, it’s been made complex by business school professors who have overanalyzed it from the sidelines. By throwing away the jargon, we can build a better marketing method.

I’m going to share a new way of thinking about segmentation.

It’s something we intuitively know but rarely talk about. It’ll be obvious if we start with an example.

Say you run a protein shake brand. Who would be a better spokesperson to shift more units:

• Prime Minister of the UK – 1.4m Instagram followers
• Californian competitive powerlifter – 340k Instagram followers.

Clearly, the second.

Lets dissect why:

• A powerlifting competitor has an audience of people who aspire to be as good as them.
• A powerlifting competitor has an audience of people who think what they do is cool but don’t necessarily want to be competitive.
• Powerlifting and powerlifting competitions have a community of people who enjoy it together.
• People who enjoy powerlifting look to high performers for advice and tips: they mimic what top powerlifters do.

Let’s get more detailed.

Powerlifting is an affinity group – it’s a thing that lots of people are interested in. It has standards, codes, and conventions. There are “right ways” and “wrong ways” to powerlift. There are “good” things to wear to powerlift and “bad” things.

Because of those traits: powerlifting is a status group.

Status groups have rules, codes, and conventions. This is so important, I repeated it.

If you turned up to a powerlifting gym in a tuxedo, you’d be laughed at by the group. Not anyone can be an insider.

Status groups are more influential than segments.

Most marketers think in segments. They say, “we make protein for people who care about muscle gain”. Or “we distribute to CrossFit gyms with more than 250 members in NorCal.”

Segments don’t contain an in-built influence structure. Status groups do.

The goal of marketing is not to “appeal to a segment.” It’s to make a product, brand, or service a marker of high-status. It is to become part of the in-members’ uniform.

In this example, that would be to become the protein brand of the highest-status people.

We know, intuitively, the rest will follow.