Market Segmentation Strategies from Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldun

• Published in: İbn Haldun çalışmaları dergisi (Online) Vol. 2; no. 1; pp. 55 - 67
• Main Author: Baran, Tamer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: İbn Haldun Üniversitesi 17-01-2017
• Subjects: Edebiyat; Felsefe & Psikoloji & Sosyoloji; Kültür & Sanat; Mimarlık ve Tasarım; Tarih; İstanbul; Türkiye; İbn Haldun; Ibn Khaldun; Mukaddime; Muqaddimah; Pazar Bölümlendirme Stratejileri; Market Segmentation Strategies
• ISSN: 2651-379X; 2651-379X
• DOI: 10.36657/ihcd.2017.20

The concept of market segmentation strategies was firstly used by Wendell R. Smith
(1956) in marketing literature. However, if we look carefully at the work of Ibn Khaldun, it is
possible to see these strategies already in his Muqaddimah. Ibn Khaldun discussed these strategies
nearly 650 years ago but because he didn’t conceptualize them, his analysis has not been given
an adequate attention. The purpose of this study about market segmentation strategies is to
present marketing literature and compare it to the Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldun. For implementing
this purpose, in the first section market segmentation strategies which are mentioned in marketing
literature are determined and some of them are explained in detail. In the second section
statements about market segmentation strategies are included from Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldun
and in the third section a comparison is done followed by a conclusion.
In his work Ibn Khaldun argues that the world can be segmented into two main parts, the north
and the south. The northern part of the world is further segmented into seven climate areas. He
indicates that for example people who live in the first, second, sixth and seventh areas have
different requirements as those people from the third, fourth and fifth areas. He argues for the
first group “Their houses are from mud and bamboo. They acquire their nutrients, millet and grass.
Their clothes are from tree leaves or pelt.” For the second group, he also argues that “People of
these areas are richer than the first group because of the climate condition. Their houses are from
stone and their clothes, foods are more sufficient than the first group”. These terms show clearly
that people who live in different areas have different requirements because of the climate
conditions. This situation explains marketing literature as geographic segmentation. At the end
of this study a conclusion is made that geographic segmentation, psychographic segmentation,
geo-demographic and socio-economic segmentation strategies were already found in the
Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldun.