Mass market


The term "mass market" refers to a market for goods produced on a large scale for a significant number of end consumers. The mass market differs from the niche market in that the former focuses on consumers with a wide variety of backgrounds with no identifiable preferences and expectations in a large market segment. Traditionally, businesses reach out to the mass market with advertising messages through a variety of media including radio, TV, newspapers and the Web.

Overview

The mass market is the group of end consumers of common household products who are perceived as "average". This group encompasses such a wide variety of people that their need, uses, and price point for market offerings may vary greatly. The myriad of customers' needs makes it difficult to target each and every customer in the mass market via mass marketing. Therefore, marketers often subdivide the market into smaller groups, or niches, comprising customers with similar wants, and then targeting them with niche marketing. Electric and gas utilities, soap, paper towels and gasoline are typical examples of goods for a mass market.