For the unit three extended research project I want to choose option one, order/system analysis. For this I am looking at marketing segmentation.  More specifically, what a marketer is, what a market segment is, why marketers segment and how they segment, the different types of market segments marketers use and why, and how marketing segmentation has changed. 

            For basic information for this topic I will be looking at my marketing textbook, for good background and the basics of marketing segmentation.  But when I look into why marketers segment the way they do and how it has changed over the years, I will look at online databases such as RDS Business and Management Practices, Business Insights, and many others that the library provides.  I also will look at business news sites such as Bloomberg.  Another area where I could look for information is on websites of business that specialize in marketing research and segmentation to look how they segment and why they do it the way they do.

            Weinberger’s claims come into this paper in different ways.  First of all Weinberger touches on the topic of market segmentation in chapter 6, but does not go into depth.  He talks about how marketers “act like it’s their job to come up with messages that will appeal to markets segmented by demographics”, which isn’t really the case anymore and I will try to show.  He also talks about how the digital world allows customers to organize themselves in new segments, which could hold potential value to marketers.  In chapter 8, Weinberger also talks about segmentation and how marketers need to be aware of implicit digital data and how far marketers can go without going “to far.”  I think I might use this last topic in my conclusion and discuss if how marketers are now utilizing the internet to learn more and more about their customers and whether or not this invades a person’s privacy.