Development of dental services markets segmentation and strategy by use of conjoint analysis

Objectives : This study is purposed to segment dental service markets with reflecting customer`s preference and to suggest some marketing strategies applied to each segmented market. Methods : The customer`s data collected from a series of online survey comprise such factors as expertise of dentist, courtesy, clinic size, equipment, price and distance, including some socio-demographics. A conjoint analysis and a clustering analysis with estimated coefficients were performed to find out some dental market segments for three dental service types such as dental caries, esthetic treatments and dental implants. Results : Three or four market segments for each dental service type are derived from the analysis, and subsequently market characteristics for each derived segment are explored. Furthermore, some dental marketing strategies for each segment are suggested for better management. Conclusion : A conventional way of developing dental marketing strategies can be improved, while specific customer`s preference are responded.