Since business environment is changed rapidly and marketing competetions are getting fierce than ever, the purpose of this study is to take a triangular position to see the consumer market of passenger car tires and to help to set up the marketing strategies. As target marketing is known as one of the best marketing method to the firms nowadays, it is thought that the Korean tire industry may adopt the method effectively.
Through the study of the major tire makers like Michelin and Goodyear, the differences of the marketing strategies of both companies are found. With the implications relating to the market segmentation from the case study and literature review, following questions are derived.
⑴ What are proper marketing strategies according to the types of consumer behaviour ? If the types are defined in Korean domestic tire market, we can find the useful frame to establish marketing stratgies.
⑵ Is it possible to be segmented the Korean tire market by the benefit sought by consumers ?
⑶ In the viewpoint of target marketing, can the target customers are seperated in the market for the case of new product such as color tires.
291 effective data were collected from the consumer market in Korea through questionnaires. In analyzing the data, several statistical methods, factor analysis, cluster analysis, $χ^2$ analysis, are used.
The major findings of this study are as follows.
⑴ Consumers(73.5%) show high involvement when they purchase tires in the market. Product differentiation is the most important strategy among marketing 4P's accordingly.
⑵ Korean passenger car tire market can be segmented with 4 groups such as Price Oriented Market(40.5%), Conservertive Market(36%) taking a serious view of safety, economy, and image, Performance Oriented Market(20%), and Unconcerned Market(3.5%).
⑶ If the color tires are introduced in the market, the market size is estimated approximately 26.46% after considering the price variable. The target customers are seperated successfully.\end{itemize}
In conclusion, we find target marketing is very effective way to approach consumer market. This method provides us several important benefits in establishing and implementing of marketing stratgies as belows.
⑴ Understanding of consumer needs
⑵ Practical using to the new product development
⑶ Catching the competetion structures among brands
⑷ Finding the market opportunity
