Week 7 Reading Reflection

Rediscovering Market Segmentation
Daniel Yankelovich & David Meer

1. I was surprised that a very low percentage--only 14%--of senior executives at large companies actually believe market segmentation increased value
2. Since taking marketing, whenever I watch these commercials that advertise a product or service, I always analyze them and ask myself if I would actually buy that product. Normally it's NO. The few commercials that do stick with me are for services, mostly new movies or TV shows, but very few products I see advertised would I actually buy. This is typically because I have already found a product that satisfies that need or I would ask people I know about what they use before I believe a commercial. So it confuses me as to how companies would segment me. Another example, all the wireless providers with their commercials with the balls rolling down the ramp: I would not change my service plan based off of what they claim, the last time I convinced my family to change our plan we did so to a company that many of our friends were happy with. 
3. Question 1: With how expensive market segmentation research can be, how often should it be done? Question 2: How can companies make market segmentation more valuable?
4. In the introductory paragraph the authors state that market segmentation has become narrowly focused on the needs of advertising and isn't' used to guide the creation of their product/service, but I think that companies also let market segmentation guide the creation of their product/service--it's just more evident and more clearly spotted in advertising.