“Segmentation, Cognitive Biases, and Effective Communication”
(Personal/Professional Branding Assignment – 10% of Grade)
As marketers, we need to understand our prospective buyers and recognize that not all buyers are the same, think the same, or respond the same way to our marketing efforts. Thus, an important skill we must master is our ability to segment markets, create accurate customer personas, and understand the cognitive biases that may come into play when communicating with each of those segments/personas.
To help you develop and demonstrate these skills, this assignment will focus on customer segments and personas that you should know extremely well: the people to whom you market your personal/professional brand (i.e., YOU).
In your previous courses, you examined your personal raw materials (MAR 6805), created a current and 5-year bio (MAR 6336), performed a deep content analysis that reflected how you wanted to develop your personal/professional brand (MAR 6646), and worked jointly with others to create content by writing a co-branding article (MAR 6722).
For this assignment, please do the following:
Target Segments – Identify five different groups (target segments) of individuals to whom you plan to market (or are currently marketing) your personal/professional brand. These can include professional groups such as types of prospective employers, venture capitalists, management in your current or target company, people who report to you, current or future co‑workers, clients or potential clients, social media followers, connections on LinkedIn, media professionals, etc.
Simple Customer Personas – Create a simple customer persona for each segment, including what they may desire from you (or a person like you) in particular.
Identify Relevant Cognitive Biases – Considering what you know about each segment, identify various cognitive biases that may hinder or help your communication efforts with respect to these segments.
Formulate Persuasion Tactics – Use your knowledge of cognitive biases and persuasion techniques to formulate appropriate persuasion tactics to communicate to each group effectively. Note that you may have multiple cognitive biases to consider for each group, as well as multiple persuasion techniques.
Cognitive Biases Resources
“What Is Cognitive Bias? Links to an external site.”
“List of Cognitive Biases Links to an external site.” (yes, this is Wikipedia):
“The Cognitive Biases Tricking Your Brain Links to an external site.”
“50 Cognitive Biases in the Modern World Links to an external site.”
“12 Cognitive Biases Explained Links to an external site.” (video)
“Ultimate List of Cognitive Biases Links to an external site.”
“Cognitive Biases Links to an external site.” (from behavioral economics)
“61 Cognitive Biases the Screw-Up Everything We Do Links to an external site.”
Influence/Persuasion Resources
“Science of Persuasion Links to an external site.” (the classic Cialdini video)
“How to Use Power, Influence, and Persuasion for Good Links to an external site.”
“The Uses (and Abuses) of Influence Links to an external site.” (HBR article)
“5 Subtle Ways to Persuade and Influence Others” Links to an external site.
“23 Persuasion Techniques to Boost Marketing.. Links to an external site.”
CRITERIA FOR GRADING
Each submission will be scored out of 10 points possible (10% of course grade) using the following grading criteria:
You may use paragraph or bullet-point format, but in each case appropriate headings and
subheadings must identify each segment, persona, cognitive bias(es), and persuasion/influence technique(s).
Provide rationale for your listed cognitive biases (why you believe that these would be present in your segment) as well as your influence/persuasion techniques (why you think that these would work for you).
Use 12-point Times New Roman font, single spacing, and spaces between
Be organized in your thinking and
All material must be your original work. Plagiarism of any kind can result in a zero grade for the assignment, potential failure for the course, and/or potential expulsion from the program and university.
There should be no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation
Grades of “A” are reserved for outstanding work. Work that meets or only somewhat exceeds standard requirements does not constitute outstanding work
Rubric