Session Syllabus
EMBA 512 – Assessing Business Opportunities
Session Session Session
Date
#
Time
Fri.
Nov. 16,
14
PM
2012
Primary Instructor Name
Jason B. MacDonald
Session Title
Instructor(s)
Jobs Based Segmentation and Targeting
Jason B. MacDonald
Phone
208.426.2392
Email
jmacdona@boisestate.edu
Learning Objective:
Segmentation and targeting are crucial processes in marketing. Traditional and
mainstream marketing tends to focus on using demographics to identify potential
markets. In this session, you will be introduced to the concept of jobs-based
segmentation. Jobs, in this context, refer to what we want to get done with the products
we buy. The fact that different people want to do different things with the products they
buy gives us an opportunity to segment markets based on why they want it vs. who wants
it.
Advanced Preparation:
Reading(s):
 Christensen, Clayton, Anthony, Scott, Berstell, Gerald and Denise Nitterhouse
(2007), “Finding the Right Job for your Product,” MIT Sloan Management
Review, Volume 8, No. 3, 38-47.
Day of Session:
During the session, we will apply the idea of jobs-to-be done to the concept of market
segmentation. Working in groups, you will investigate the different jobs that can be done
with an assigned product and then create a market grid to illustrate the different potential
markets segments.
In class assignment (not graded):
Drawing upon your group’s analysis of the market, you will give a short presentation on
the possible market segments based on the jobs that could be done with the product. We
will discuss each group’s findings and market segmentation suggestions to show that
different people can have very different perceptions of the same market.
Post Session:
Assignment(s): None!