Lifestyle segmentation is a type of segmentation that involves gathering insight into customer’s potential habits and preferences. Weaknesses of lifestyle-based segmentation schemes include; consumption patterns, buying behavior, and masculine and feminine. Consumption pattern changes depending on the country one is focusing on. For example, those developed countries possess a fast consumption pattern than those countries that are the third world. Different countries have different buying behavior; for example, Singapore and Tibet resist general marketing and use customized marketing strategies. Different countries have a different lifestyle, which is a big weakness; for example, Japan sticks to a hierarchy that makes lifestyle not consistent.
Lifestyle segmentation will be appropriate when positioning a product by using the three types of products: premium, Affordability, and value of money. The three types of products which are being purchased are not the same. It’s also applicable in the product’s life cycle, which has four introductions, Growth, Maturity, and Decline stages.
Reference
Furrer, O., Liu, B. S. C., & Sudharshan, D. (2000). The relationships between culture and service quality perceptions: Basis for cross-cultural market segmentation and resource allocation. Journal of service research, 2(4), 355-371.