Target group
Target groups serve for describing stakeholder, counterparts and other people with whom relationships exist. They are created based on the same or similar characteristics, e.g. industry sector, market segment, organization, region or other units. Even if this is mainly about bundling several people, in special cases also individuals can be described as target group. Target groups are needed especially in communications, sales and management. This model offers different basic types of target groups that must be described in practice with the respective specific characteristics, e.g. customers (among other things age, family status, liquidity), employees (among other things hierarchy, specialty, experience).
Four types of target group exist: Individuals, Groups, Organizations or Networks.
Individuals
The Individual is a person with its perception, nature, communication as well as thinking and acting. The personality is characterized by context, actions, abilities and convictions as well as identity and affiliation to a larger whole.
Groups
A group consists of several people that represent one unit based on common goals, values, rules, language or the like. They have mutual cohesion and solidarity to each other.
Organizations
An organization is an abstract entity of individuals and groups with a common structure and defined relationships. There are common group characteristics (e.g. activities, convictions) in an organization as well as a structure based on the division of labor that is defined systematically, exists for a certain period and is held together by a system of formal rules.
Networks
A network is a complex entity of organizations, groups and individuals with aligned relationships. The network consists of legally independent units that on the one hand are in competition to each other and cooperate at the same time. On the other hand, a network is characterized by common goals and structures that are challenged by polycentric, changing power and decision authority.
The present model is used for the fundamental classification of target groups. On this basis, respective aspects can be further specified. In the context of networks, it is a matter of e.g. joint motivation and goals. In case of individuals, the focus is on personal aspects, like abilities, convictions.