Final answer:
Daniel should reassess his target market's accessibility, size, profitability, homogeneity, and consistent response to marketing. Careful conversation and understanding customer expectations, similar to Ahmed's strategy, are key while being mindful of potential systemic discrimination effects.
Step-by-step explanation:
Daniel should reconsider his segmentation strategy because he might not be meeting the criteria for successful segmentation. These criteria include ensuring his target market is accessible, which means he can effectively reach and serve the segment. The segment should also be sufficiently large and profitable, showing that there's a true demand for carpets among students in Stellenbosch. Moreover, segmentation must ensure that the consumer needs are homogeneous within the segment and heterogeneous across segments, meaning that students should have similar needs that are distinct from other groups. Lastly, the segment must respond consistently to a particular marketing mix, implying that students would be interested and able to purchase carpets if indeed they are a suitable segment.
Given this information, if Daniel finds that students are not responding to his offerings, it may be indicative that either the students in Stellenbosch do not particularly need or cannot afford carpets or that they are not sufficiently reached by his current marketing efforts. For instance, Ahmed, a carpet salesman, initiates a carefully constructed conversation designed to entice customers by playing into their desires and expectations, which indicates the need for a tailored approach based on customer knowledge and preferences.
It is also important to understand, as highlighted by William A. Darity Jr., that market forces alone may not address underlying discriminatory practices which could also be shaping the market dynamics and influencing customer behavior. Therefore, Daniel should ensure that any segmentation strategy he adopts does not inadvertently contribute to systemic issues like employment and wage discrimination.