Market Orientation – What Is It, And How Does It Work?
Most companies look to convince their target customers of the value of their products and services so as to sell the product. However, many companies use the Market Orientation technique. It is a process through which a business identifies the needs of its target customers and uses that data to create products and develop services. Learning this marketing approach can help you decide whether it suits your business or not.
In this article, you will learn about the market orientation approach, how it works for businesses, and how businesses use this technique to market their products and services. In addition to that, we will discuss the major stages of the market orientation approach. Finally, we will share with you some of the major advantages and disadvantages of market orientation. Hence, to find out more, read on through to the end of the article.
What Is Market Orientation?
According to Investopedia,
“Market orientation is an approach to business that prioritizes identifying the needs and desires of consumers and creating products and services that satisfy them. Companies that have a market orientation consider the opinions and needs of their target market as a critical component of their research and development (R&D) for new products.”
In this concept, the company’s focus is on identifying the needs and preferences of its customers. With those needs and preferences, the company designs and develops its products and services with the primary objective of earning profits.
In this marketing and product development strategy, the job of the business is to interact more with its customers and observe their needs and requirements. To become profitable, the business turns its focus to the preferences of the customers. The business makes use of its variety of resources to fulfill the needs of its target customers.
The businesses that use this method are also aware of their competition in the marketplace. They make use of different techniques to identify different threats. The enterprises that follow the market orientation strategy invest a lot in innovation and product development so that they keep up with the changing demands of their customers.
Read More: What Is A Venture Capitalist, And What Are Their Functions?
How Does Market Orientation Work?
Market orientation is a strategy for marketing that businesses use to focus on their customer base, and create and sell products on the needs of the customers.
According to the Wall Street Mojo,
“The strategy involves analyzing and researching the customers’ requirements, concerns, and suggestions concerning the particular product or service the enterprise deals with. This way, the enterprise will be aware of the trends in customer preferences. It will enable the company to modify or design its product or services according to customer preferences.”
A company that follows this strategy first does market research to find out its customer preferences. They make use of data analysis techniques to predict the desires of their customers. However, businesses that are already established and have good sales of their products use this strategy to improve their products or expand their product line.
Apart from that, using this strategy helps businesses to address issues associated with customer retention. Today, most companies follow the market orientation approach, as it helps them understand the needs and demands of their target customers better.
What Are The Stages Of Market Orientation?
The following are the stages of the market orientation strategy:
1. Initiation
In this stage, the business identifies all the potential threats for its business which might affect it. Apart from that, the business also researches what steps to take to handle the threats.
2. Reconstitution
Here, the researchers present the plans for the initiation stage to the employees of the business. With the managers point out to the employees about what steps to follow. Here, the organization also needs to ensure that all employees are ready for the change to happen.
3. Institutionalization
Here, the organization puts the plan into action. Here, they train employees and provide them with instructions on what steps to follow. This helps the employees to follow a pattern so that the business is able to cater to the needs and demands of the customers. Here, the plank is basically executed.
4. Maintenance
In this stage, the business continues the process and meets the customer requirements and demands, as per the initial plan. Here, the business tries to ensure that the plan is effective and everyone follows it to meet the business’s goal.
What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Market Orientation?
According to Indeed.com,
“A market-oriented approach to business can help a company earn the trust and loyalty of its customers by showing them they’re a priority and that the business exists to serve them. It contrasts with conventional marketing, which attempts to convince customers of a product’s value while not necessarily prioritizing consumer preferences during product development.”
The following are the major advantages and disadvantages of market orientation:
Advantages Of Market Orientation
Here are the advantages of market orientation:
- It helps to increase the overall revenue.
- The business sees an increase in the market.
- The customers are well-connected to the company.
- Helps in innovation and product development.
- It helps the business to enhance its market reputation, as the customers are happy with the products and services of the company.
Disadvantages Of Market Orientation
Here are the disadvantages of market orientation:
- Continuous change is required, as the needs of customers change with time.
- The company invests a lot in investment.
- Research gets difficult as it is difficult to predict the preferences of the market.
Read More: Private Equity Vs. Venture Capital: Key Differences
Final Thought
Hope this article was helpful for you to get a better idea of the market orientation approach. You can see that it is really helpful for different companies to identify the needs and demands of their target customers. This helps them in developing new products and eventually sell them. Many top businesses use these principles to expand their products and services.
Even some of the major impractical demands from consumers help businesses make decisions in the long term. Hence, market orientation helps businesses to plan for the long term. What do you think of the market orientation approach’s importance for business? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
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