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Hilary Collins, Adrian Thomas, Peter Sharp, and Sue Curd

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is intended for learners wanting to know about how the digital era is affecting market segmentation strategies of organisations, their customers and stakeholders. You do not require any previous knowledge or experience of marketing to study this course but you could benefit from having some knowledge of business in general. Find further information about OU registration, the assessment module and MBA in the entry requirements . If you are aiming to use your study of courses in the Digital Economy program to obtain academic credit, please be aware that the final planned presentation of the Open University Assessment Course BXM871 Managing in the Digital Economy starts July 2020. Please ensure that you allow yourself enough time to obtain all four Certificates of Achievement from courses in the program before registering for the Assessment Course. Details of runs of the relevant FutureLearn courses in 2019 and 2020 are available here .

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Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is intended for learners wanting to know about how the digital era is affecting market segmentation strategies of organisations, their customers and stakeholders. You do not require any previous knowledge or experience of marketing to study this course but you could benefit from having some knowledge of business in general. Find further information about OU registration, the assessment module and MBA in the entry requirements . If you are aiming to use your study of courses in the Digital Economy program to obtain academic credit, please be aware that the final planned presentation of the Open University Assessment Course BXM871 Managing in the Digital Economy starts July 2020. Please ensure that you allow yourself enough time to obtain all four Certificates of Achievement from courses in the program before registering for the Assessment Course. Details of runs of the relevant FutureLearn courses in 2019 and 2020 are available here .

Topics Covered

  • What the digital economy means for the function of marketing
  • What market segmentation is and why market segmentation matters
  • The link between business strategy and marketing
  • The process of segmentation, targeting and positioning
  • Ethical issues in market segmentation
  • The explosion of information and data in the digital age

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Reviews summary

Digital market segmentation fundamentals

According to students, this course offers a solid foundation (positive) in market segmentation within the digital economy (neutral). Many found the content to be highly relevant (positive) and practical (positive), with clear explanations (positive) that make complex ideas accessible (positive). Reviewers often highlighted the discussions on ethical issues (neutral) and the explosion of information and data (neutral) as particularly insightful and timely (positive). While it's considered a must for marketing professionals (positive) or those new to the topic, some learners with prior experience felt it could be too basic (warning) or lacked deeper, advanced strategies (warning) and more hands-on exercises (warning).
Content on ethical issues and data is particularly timely.
"I found the sections on ethical issues and data explosion particularly insightful and timely."
"The content is up-to-date and highly relevant to today's business environment. I found the discussions on customer behavior in the digital age particularly useful."
"This course clarified many aspects of digital market segmentation for me... The ethical considerations were a highlight."
Ideal for beginners and those new to digital marketing.
"A solid introduction to digital market segmentation... a very valuable course, especially for those new to the topic."
"Good for absolute beginners though... it provided a good basic overview."
"A useful course for grasping the fundamentals. It's a solid choice for those starting out, though advanced learners might find it too basic."
Provides highly relevant and clearly explained content.
"This course provided an excellent foundation in market segmentation within the digital context. The content was highly relevant and the examples really brought the concepts to life."
"Absolutely brilliant! The course effectively demystified market segmentation in the digital age... made complex ideas accessible."
"Fantastic course! The explanations are incredibly clear, making complex topics like data explosion and ethical issues very digestible."
Learners seek more hands-on activities and real-world cases.
"While it covered the essentials thoroughly, I would have liked more in-depth case studies or hands-on exercises to apply the concepts directly."
"Some parts felt a bit theoretical without enough practical 'how-to's' but overall, it expanded my knowledge."
"My main feedback would be to include more real-world examples and case studies. It's a good starting point for the subject."
May lack advanced strategies for experienced professionals.
"For someone with some marketing background, it might feel a bit slow-paced and superficial in parts. I was hoping for more advanced strategies."
"Disappointed with the lack of advanced content. This course is strictly for beginners and doesn't offer much for those with prior marketing experience."
"I felt it lacked depth in certain areas, particularly regarding advanced data analytics for segmentation... a good starting point, but don't expect to become an expert."

Career center

Learners who complete The Digital Economy: Success through Market Segmentation will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in The Digital Economy: Success through Market Segmentation.
Provides a comprehensive overview of targeting and positioning, covering the latest trends and best practices. It is written by two of the leading experts in the field, Philip Kotler and Kevin Lane Keller.
The third edition of the essential guide to data wrangling with pandas, NumPy, and Jupyter in Python. Updated for newer versions of the libraries, this book remains a core resource for anyone performing data analysis in Python. It widely used textbook and reference for its clear explanations and practical examples.
Rumelt dissects the core of good strategy, distinguishing it from generic goals or buzzwords. is excellent for gaining a broad understanding of what constitutes effective strategy and is highly recommended for students and professionals alike to clarify their strategic thinking. It helps solidify an understanding of the fundamental principles.
Dives into contemporary topics surrounding the digital economy, specifically the collection and use of personal data by corporations. It's crucial for understanding the societal and ethical implications of digital business models. It provides depth to discussions on data and its role in the digital economy. This is considered a must-read for anyone concerned with the power dynamics of the digital age.
Presents a framework for creating new market spaces, known as "blue oceans," rather than competing in existing, crowded "red oceans." It's highly relevant for understanding innovation and differentiation in business strategy. It is valuable for both students and professionals looking to explore new avenues for growth.
Provides a practical guide to customer segmentation and clustering using R. It covers everything from the basics of data analysis to the latest techniques in customer segmentation. It valuable resource for marketers who want to learn more about how to use R to segment their markets and target their marketing campaigns more effectively.
Provides a foundational understanding of the fundamental principles of data science and the data-analytic thinking necessary for extracting value from data in a business context. It is highly relevant for undergraduate business analytics programs and working professionals. It serves as a useful reference for understanding the business applications of data analysis and is commonly used as a textbook.
This collection compiles some of the most influential articles on strategy published in the Harvard Business Review. It offers a diverse range of perspectives on key strategic concepts from various thought leaders in the field. It serves as an excellent overview of essential strategic thinking and is valuable for both broad understanding and deeper dives.
Examines how companies can compete and thrive when artificial intelligence is at the core of their operations. It's highly relevant to understanding contemporary business strategy in the digital economy. It adds depth to the understanding of AI's impact on business models and competition.
This playbook offers a practical guide for established businesses seeking to adapt and thrive in the digital age. It covers key areas of digital transformation, providing frameworks and tools. It useful reference tool and commonly used in executive education programs.
Focuses on the crucial skill of communicating insights from data effectively through compelling visualizations. is highly relevant for all levels, emphasizing the importance of clear and impactful data presentation. It is valuable additional reading that complements technical data analysis skills.
A key book for understanding the business models prevalent in the digital economy. It explains the dynamics of platforms and how they create value, which is highly relevant to digital business growth and market segmentation. is often used as a reference tool for strategists and entrepreneurs.
Explores the global race for dominance in artificial intelligence, a technology with profound implications for the future of the digital economy and the nature of work. It's valuable for understanding the geopolitical and technological forces shaping the digital future. It provides breadth by examining the international landscape of AI development.
Focuses specifically on the strategies behind building and managing successful platforms, a dominant model in the digital economy. valuable resource for those looking to understand the intricacies of platform businesses. It adds depth to the understanding of platform economics and strategy.
Bridges the gap between statistical theory and its practical application in data science using R and Python. It focuses on the statistical concepts most relevant to data scientists and provides code examples. It's a useful reference and learning resource for those applying statistics in their work.
Based on the strategic approach used at Procter & Gamble, this book offers a practical guide to developing and implementing strategy. It's a valuable resource for understanding how strategy is put into action within an organization. is useful for both students and working professionals seeking actionable strategic frameworks.
Explores the rapid convergence of various exponential technologies and their profound impact on industries and daily life. It provides a forward-looking perspective on the future of the digital economy. It is valuable for understanding contemporary and future trends.
Offers a new way of thinking about data science and ethics informed by intersectional feminist thought. It challenges existing power structures within data and explores how data can be used to work towards justice. It's highly relevant for contemporary discussions around fairness and bias in data analysis.
Hamel and Prahalad introduce the concept of 'core competence' and argue that companies should focus on building and leveraging these core capabilities to shape their future and the future of their industries. provides a forward-looking perspective on strategy and innovation. It valuable read for those thinking about long-term strategic vision.
Galloway analyzes the strategies and impact of the dominant tech companies in the digital economy. is useful for understanding the competitive landscape and the power of major platforms. It provides insights into the business strategies driving a large part of the digital economy.
This highly visual handbook introduces the Business Model Canvas, a widely used tool for designing, understanding, and innovating business models. It is particularly useful for students and entrepreneurs in providing a framework for analyzing how businesses create, deliver, and capture value. is often used as a practical guide and reference.
Lanier offers a critical perspective on the digital economy, questioning the concentration of wealth and data in the hands of a few platforms. is valuable for exploring contemporary debates and ethical considerations within the digital economy. It adds breadth by presenting an alternative viewpoint on the distribution of value.
Provides a guide to creating effective and aesthetically pleasing data visualizations. It delves into the principles behind good visualization design, helping readers make informed choices about how to represent their data. It valuable reference for anyone creating visualizations, from students to professionals.
Is an excellent starting point for anyone new to data analysis or statistics. It demystifies core statistical concepts without relying heavily on mathematical formulas, making it highly accessible for high school and undergraduate students. It provides a strong foundation in the intuition behind statistical analysis and helps readers understand how data can be used and misused. This is valuable background reading that builds prerequisite knowledge.
The authors argue that there is no single best approach to strategy and provide a framework for choosing the right strategic approach based on the environment. is relevant for understanding the contingent nature of strategy in today's dynamic world. It's suitable for students and professionals dealing with complex business environments.
Teaches probability and statistics using a computational approach with Python. It's ideal for students and professionals with programming experience who want to understand statistical concepts by doing. It helps solidify understanding through hands-on application.
Ford examines the potential impact of automation and artificial intelligence on employment, a critical consideration in the context of the digital economy and the future of work. It's relevant for understanding the societal challenges posed by technological advancements. It adds depth to the discussion on the future of work in the digital age.
Treacy and Wiersema propose three distinct value disciplines that companies can pursue to achieve market leadership: operational excellence, customer intimacy, and product leadership. offers a framework for understanding different strategic positioning options. It is useful for identifying and focusing on a core competitive advantage.
Delves into the potential of blockchain technology, a key component of the evolving digital economy, particularly in finance and distributed systems. It's relevant for understanding contemporary technological advancements and their economic implications. It adds depth to the understanding of underlying digital infrastructure.
Focuses on the critical challenge of bridging the gap between strategy formulation and successful execution. Based on a study of leading companies, it identifies five key principles for making strategy work. It practical guide for professionals seeking to improve their organization's ability to execute its strategy.
Provides a unique perspective on how legal frameworks shape the creation and distribution of wealth in modern capitalism, with significant implications for understanding power dynamics in the digital economy. It's valuable for graduate-level study and professionals interested in the intersection of law, technology, and economics. It adds a critical and foundational layer to understanding the structures underlying the digital economy.
Provides a timeless perspective on the laws of marketing. It covers everything from the importance of focus to the power of branding. It great resource for marketers who want to learn more about the fundamental principles of marketing.
Provides an in-depth look at advanced market segmentation techniques. It covers everything from the latest research on segmentation to the latest trends in segmentation software. It valuable resource for marketers who want to learn more about how to segment their markets and target their marketing campaigns more effectively.
SQL fundamental skill for data analysis, and this book delves into advanced techniques for working with data in databases. It's essential for anyone who needs to retrieve and manipulate data stored in relational databases. It serves as a valuable reference for more complex data extraction and transformation tasks.
A timeless classic that remains highly relevant today. exposes common ways statistics can be manipulated or misinterpreted, fostering a critical eye essential for anyone working with data. It's valuable for all levels, from high school to professional, as it highlights the importance of data integrity and ethical considerations. This serves as crucial additional reading to develop data literacy.
Bossidy and Charan emphasize the critical importance of execution in realizing strategic goals. highlights the link between strategy formulation and successful implementation, a crucial aspect often overlooked. It is highly practical and relevant for managers and professionals responsible for turning strategy into results.
This ancient Chinese military treatise offers timeless principles on strategy, competition, and leadership that are highly applicable to business. While not a modern business book, its lessons on planning, positioning, and understanding your对手 are considered classic strategic thinking. It provides a unique historical perspective on strategy.
Provides a practical guide to getting customers for your startup. It covers everything from the basics of customer acquisition to the latest trends in marketing. It valuable resource for marketers who want to learn more about how to attract and retain customers.
Harnish provides a practical framework and set of tools for scaling up a business successfully. While focused on growth, it addresses key strategic challenges faced by growing companies, including aligning strategy, execution, people, and cash. is particularly relevant for entrepreneurs and leaders of scaling businesses.
While not exclusively about the digital economy, this book highlights the crucial issue of data bias, which is highly relevant to the fairness and equity of digital products, services, and algorithms. It's important for understanding the societal impact of data in the digital age. It adds a critical perspective on the data-driven aspects of the digital economy.
Explores the world of prediction and forecasting across various fields, demonstrating how data analysis and statistical modeling are used in practice. It's particularly engaging for undergraduate and graduate students interested in the application of data analysis in real-world scenarios. It adds breadth by showcasing diverse applications and the challenges involved in making accurate predictions.
This historical analysis examines the relationship between organizational structure and strategy in the growth of large American companies. It's a classic text for understanding the evolution of strategic management and the importance of aligning structure with strategy. is more valuable as background reading for advanced students.
Provides practical knowledge on digital marketing strategies, a crucial component of succeeding in the digital economy. It's particularly useful for those interested in the business and marketing aspects highlighted in some of the course names. It can serve as a useful reference tool for practical applications.

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