Sorooshsima Podcast #17

What is a mass market?

What are its features? Can we use this marketing approach to grow our business?

Mass in English means pile, bulk or lump, perhaps we can introduce mass market as a bulk market, and so it seems this to be the correct definition of mass marketing: a method of marketing that meets the needs of a broad population without focusing on their distinctive features.

The mass market refers to a broad market of non-desirable customers with diverse backgrounds. The products or services that every member of society demands are entrenched in the concepts of mass marketing. Products like tissue or dishwashing liquids, is used by almost anyone, hence marketing to them is referred to as mass marketing.

Mass marketing is an advertising strategy in which a company has decided to ignore the differences in different market segments and presents and offers its products and services without regard to those differences.

In the past, the production and supply of products was done by local factories and companies, and due to lack of competitors, people were also content using these products, but when television commercials became the norm, business owners found out that they could attract more customers, thus igniting the creation of mass marketing, but what kind of businesses are suitable for mass marketing? Businesses that produce generic products, and of course are looking for branding, should they take into account the needs of a specific sector of society? Mass marketing is really the opposite of niche marketing, and unlike corner marketing that focuses on meeting the needs of a particular group, it targets a large segment of the market and mass needs of the people.

Examples of Mass Marketing

Telecommunication Companies: most operators offer their product such as cellphone SIM cards to the public, and encourage people to buy their products and services, because these day remote communications is a popular service today.

Detergents: detergents are products that are used by the general public for personal, companies and organizations and so on use.

Hygiene Products: Hygiene products like tissues don’t have a specific target audience and most people need them. So suppliers of these products usually use this marketing method.

Features of Mass Marketing:

1. This marketing approach reaches a large group of people and does not divide the market into different segments. For example, all people use the use of services of telephone operators and do not need to focus on the characteristics of a particular group.
2. Mass marketing advertising is often done using mass media such as radio and television, but particular message are not used in them. On one hand, the advertising message in this type of marketing is general. For example, I the promotion of a book, we see that from the beginning a certain group of people like first graders are targeted. (Niche Marketing), but in another advertisement, the only benefits of a particular detergent are shown simply by showing the overall cleanliness of a building; in fact all people are targeted in the ad, because most people use detergents.
3. Mass marketing method is often used for branding, brand reminder, or the introduction of new products and new services. Because the message is clear in this marketing and by repeating a fixed message without relying on a particular feature, the image of the brand is easily engraved in the audience’s mind.

Benefits of Mass marketing

The most important benefit of mass marketing is product distribution in a very large scale, you are delivering your message to millions of audiences through mass media; at a much lower cost than other method, such as telemarketing, you can turn your temporary customers to your product’s main ones. In a fraction of a second, the advertising message reaches millions of people and operating in such commercial dimensions make distribution cheaper than local dealers.

The main advantage of mass marketing is that, this way the largest potential market is formed at the lowest cost which leads to lower prices or higher profit margins. However, critics believe that because of increased corner marketing, mass marketing has become more difficult. Growth in advertising media has made it increasingly difficult to reach a mass audience. Some claim that mass marketing is on the verge of collapse. It is not surprising that most companies are turning to corner marketing.

Why has the use of mass marketing decreased?

1. Increasing Competition: with increasing number of businesses, competition between has increased and these companies are trying to use corner marketing or niche marketing instead of mass marketing. Because choosing a small segment of the target market has reduced competitors in a particular area and you can focus on that.

2. More Profit in Corner Marketing: because of the focus and a smaller target market, using corner marketing will benefit you more. If you use mass marketing, but your competitors has chosen corner marketing, it may seem that his business has a smaller target market but will definitely make more profit.

3. Easier Market Research: Market Research is one of the most important steps in the success of business. If the target market is small, it is easier to do the job, and if mass marketing is used, market research will be more difficult for a large target market.

4. Cost Reduction: Various costs such as marketing, advertising, market research, etc. and for mass marketing and a market with no segmentations are very high for mass marketing. But in corner marketing, because of the small target market, marketing activities can be done at lower costs.