Undifferentiated marketing is a type of marketing strategy that seeks to mass market products and services to the widest range of customers possible. The basic concept is that a product with appeal that crosses boundaries of age, gender, culture, and economic status can be marketed without necessarily targeting a specific consumer group. In order to successfully utilize undifferentiated marketing to sell goods and services, it is important to consider the type of advertising employed, the content of that advertising, and how to go about getting that advertising in front of the largest number of consumers.
With undifferentiated marketing, focusing on a core product with wide appeal is essential. Some examples of products that meet this criteria include such varying options as soft drinks and facial tissues. Understanding how many different segments of the market can be reached with the product makes it much easier to determine if this particular approach to marketing will provide the desired results, or if some sort of targeted or differentiated approach would be a better option.
The creation of advertising copy that can be easily translated into several different mediums is also key to the success of using undifferentiated marketing. Ideally, the copy should be suitable as the boilerplate for direct mail pieces, email solicitations, advertising brochures, and even for use in the creation of electronic ads for use online and in television and radio commercials. Since the target audience is the consumer market in general, the text of the copy must touch on aspects of the product that are likely to appeal to just about everyone, allowing the ads to saturate into every conceivable demographic.
Allocating resources to various communication mediums will also make a huge impact on the success of an undifferentiated marketing effort. Typically, several different media will be used, but determining which ones have the most chance of reaching consumers and motivating them to buy the products is a must. Many will find that allocating larger amounts of the advertising budget to television is a sound practice, while in other cases setting aside a greater part of the budget for print media may be the best bet. Arrange media types in a descending order, starting with the one that is likely to reach the most consumers, then allocate funds accordingly.
While undifferentiated marketing is all about reaching the greatest number of consumers possible, it is important to remember that this approach does not mean making the advertising so generic that the benefits to each of those consumers is left in question. Always highlight the characteristics that allow the product to stand apart from similar products and tailor the advertising so that consumers are attracted and entertained enough to want that product. While this process can be somewhat more difficult than an advertising campaign aimed at a particular demographic, the right combination of factors can yield tremendous success.
