Market Segmentation from the consumer's perspective using ANN and identification of their key characteristics based on the Taguchi technique (A case study in a shampoo industry)

The critical success factor for companies in competitive markets is focusing on the customers. Market segmentation into different categories and providing goods and services to each segment according to their unique characteristics is the most important activity that can lead to a greater focus on customers. In this study, using artificial neural market techniques, shampoo market in the 8th region of Tehran was classified. Therefore, after reviewing the research literature, 26 indicators have been identified and using the self- organizing neural networks, the segmentation was performed and among the various models of clustering, this model in which, the members within each market segment has the maximum similarity, and the significant differences were between different market segments, was selected. The results showed that the best model is classification with 9 clusters. This approach was compared with K-means and the superiority of artificial neural network approach was demonstrated. Finally key characteristics of each segment were identified by a proposed approach base on the Taguchi technique.