| Course | MKT-2010 Introduction to Marketing |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Written assignment 3: target market selection |
| Length | About 889 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Bachelor of Science in Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MKT 2010 Module 3
Finding the Right Buyers for Pine Barrens Crunch: Research, Segmentation, Positioning and Relationships
Student Name
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Thomas Edison State University
MKT-2010: Introduction to Marketing
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Finding the Right Buyers for Pine Barrens Crunch: Research, Segmentation, Positioning and Relationships
Bog Iron Farms, the composite cranberry grower in Burlington County followed through these assignments, now has a product, Pine Barrens Crunch, and a rough idea of who buys it. Before spending money on a launch, the family needs better evidence about its market, a decision about which customers to pursue and a plan for keeping them. The three answers below address those questions using Module 3's concepts.
Question 1: What Marketing Research Does the Farm Need?
Marketing research should begin with a clear problem definition, then move to secondary research, which uses data already collected, before spending on primary research gathered for the specific question (Kurtz & Boone, 2022). The farm's research problem is specific: how many households in New Jersey and the surrounding region would buy a premium unsweetened cranberry snack at about $4 per pouch, and through which stores.
Secondary research comes first because it is cheap. Industry reports on the dried and freeze-dried fruit categories can show their size and growth, Census data can count households with school-age children in the target counties, and retailer category reviews, where available, show which competing products move. Primary research then fills the gaps. The farm will run an online survey of 400 parents in the region, recruited through a panel provider, asking about current snack purchases, the importance of added sugar, price sensitivity and willingness to try the product after seeing its pouch. It will follow the survey with a small test market: two months in six independent grocery stores, tracking weekly sales and reorders. Surveys measure stated intentions, which often exceed actual purchases, so the test market provides a reality check.
The research must also avoid a common trap: surveying only people who already like the product. Tasting-table volunteers are enthusiastic by definition. The panel survey therefore screens for parents who buy any packaged snack at least weekly, regardless of whether they have heard of the farm, and the questions about willingness to buy come after, not before, the questions about current habits, so earlier answers do not color later ones.
Question 2: Which Segment Should the Farm Target, and How Should It Position the Snack?
Smith (1956) distinguished product differentiation, making a product distinct to win a share of a broad market, from market segmentation, adjusting the product and marketing to the needs of distinct groups of buyers. For a small farm with a limited budget, segmentation is the realistic path. The snack market can be segmented demographically, by household type and income; psychographically, by attitudes toward health and food origin; behaviorally, by usage occasion, such as lunch boxes, hiking or office snacking; and geographically.
The farm should target health-conscious families with children ages 5 to 12 in New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and the New York suburbs who read labels and value local farms. This segment is large enough to support the product, reachable through independent and regional grocers and school channels, and poorly served by sweetened national brands. A secondary target, adults who buy snacks for hiking and travel, can be reached through outdoor retailers later. The positioning statement follows: for families who read labels, Pine Barrens Crunch is the fruit snack with one ingredient, whole New Jersey cranberries with nothing added, grown and dried by a farm family for four generations.
The choice of target also rules out some customers on purpose. The farm will not chase price-sensitive families who buy sweetened store-brand fruit snacks in bulk, because winning them would require a price the farm cannot match. Saying no to a segment is part of targeting, and it keeps the limited budget focused on families most likely to value what makes the product different.
Question 3: How Should the Farm Build Relationships With Customers?
Relationship marketing aims to keep customers over time, on the theory that loyal customers are cheaper to serve and more profitable. The evidence is more qualified. Reinartz and Kumar (2000) tested these assumptions with customer data from a catalog retailer, a setting without contracts or memberships, and found that the link between how long customers stayed and how profitable they were was weaker than commonly assumed; some short-term customers were highly profitable and some long-term customers were not, and long-term customers did not reliably cost less to serve or pay higher prices.
That finding suggests the farm should be selective rather than try to keep everyone. Its relationship program will focus on two groups: online subscribers, who buy monthly and whose profitability can be measured directly, and school and office accounts, where one relationship brings steady volume. For subscribers, the farm will offer a modest discount, early access to seasonal flavors and an annual invitation to the bogs at harvest. For institutional accounts, it will assign one family member as the contact and send a quarterly update on supply and new products. The farm will track each subscriber's purchases and service costs, so it can see which relationships actually pay rather than assuming loyalty always does.
The program's success will be judged by a few numbers: subscriber retention after six months, average orders per subscriber and the cost of serving each one, including shipping and the discount. If retention is high but each subscriber costs more to serve than they bring in, the discount will be trimmed.
References
Kurtz, D. L., & Boone, L. E. (2022). Contemporary marketing (19th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Reinartz, W. J., & Kumar, V. (2000). On the profitability of long-life customers in a noncontractual setting: An empirical investigation and implications for marketing. Journal of Marketing, 64(4), 17-35. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.64.4.17.18077
Smith, W. R. (1956). Product differentiation and market segmentation as alternative marketing strategies. Journal of Marketing, 21(1), 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224295602100102
Reading the MKT 2010 Module 3 assignment instructions
Module 3 of MKT-2010, Target Market Selection, brings together marketing research, segmentation, targeting, positioning and relationship marketing, and the midterm exam covers this module along with Modules 1 and 2. The written assignment typically asks you to explain how a company would research its market, how it would segment and choose a target, and how it would build lasting relationships with customers. The syllabus asks for thoughtful, complete answers that convey your understanding of the readings, so connect each concept to a specific business. These questions also feed the target market step of the final marketing plan, so the work does double duty. Check whether the prompt asks for a research plan, a segmentation, or both, and answer each part fully.
How the MKT 2010 Module 3 example is put together
All three answers follow one decision sequence for the same product, so the paper reads as connected steps rather than separate essays. The research answer defines a precise problem, explains why secondary research comes first and designs primary research in two stages, noting the gap between stated intentions and purchases. The segmentation answer uses a classic article to frame the choice, applies four bases, selects a primary and secondary target with reasons and writes a one-sentence positioning statement. The relationship answer summarizes research that qualifies the case for loyalty and builds a selective program with measures. A short opening paragraph links the three answers to the target decision.
Reading the MKT 2010 Module 3 grading rubric
Mentors assess the third written assignment on accurate use of research, segmentation, positioning and relationship concepts, application to a specific product, and support from sources. They look for answers that make decisions, such as choosing a target and writing a positioning statement, rather than listing possibilities. Research plans should be practical and suited to the company's budget, and relationship programs should be justified rather than assumed to work. Clear organization and correct terms matter, since the midterm draws on the same material. Answers that will carry into the final marketing plan show good planning across the course. Plans that fit a small company's budget earn more credit than ambitious ones it could never pay for.
Common MKT 2010 Module 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them
A common weakness in this assignment is a research plan that jumps straight to an expensive survey without defining the problem or checking existing data. Start with the question and secondary sources. Segmentation answers often list the four bases and stop; choose a target and defend it. Positioning statements should name the target, the category, the key benefit and a reason to believe. In relationship marketing answers, avoid assuming all loyal customers are profitable. Because the marketing plan builds on these choices, make them carefully. Our writers can draft MKT 2010 Module 3 answers about the product you have chosen for your plan. Write your positioning statement last, after you have chosen the target.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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MKT 2010 Module 3 questions, answered
Where can I find a free MKT 2010 Module 3 sample paper?
This page contains the complete third written assignment: a two-stage research plan, segmentation with a chosen target and positioning statement, and a relationship program, with references and margin notes.
Why should secondary research come before primary research?
Because existing data are cheaper and faster to obtain and often answer part of the question, so primary research can focus on what remains unknown.
What is a positioning statement?
A short sentence saying who the snack is for, what kind of product it is, why it is better and why buyers should believe that, against which every marketing choice is checked.
Are loyal customers always the most profitable?
Not necessarily. Research in a noncontractual setting found that customer longevity and profitability were less closely linked than commonly assumed.
Does the MKT-2010 midterm cover Module 3?
Yes. The syllabus says the midterm covers chapters 1 through 10, corresponding to Modules 1, 2 and 3.