EMM Group’s proprietary segmentation technique identified an attractive new customer group that enabled a construction finance business to drive significant growth during an industry downturn.
--- [](https://www.emmgroup.net/) [](https://www.emmgroup.net/) # Case Study: A Proprietary Segmentation Technique Produced a 42% Increase in Margin During an Economic Downturn - Topic: [Customer Segmentation](https://www.emmgroup.net/case-studies/topic/customer-segmentation) [back to all case studies](https://www.emmgroup.net/case-studies/) ## Background A construction finance business was struggling to manage the downturn in the industry. They asked EMM Group to develop a strategy that would focus scant resources on the highest potential opportunities in the market and develop a differentiated offering that would command a premium. Achieving both goals would shore up margins and improve return on equity. ## Action Plan EMM Group applied its proprietary segmentation technique and identified an attractive new needs-based segment: “the progressive buyer.” Insights about the targets were developed and a new value proposition crafted. A new customer experience was designed to meet the needs of the segment. ## Results The client’s sales team piloted the segmentation approach in two regions. Despite stagnant results throughout the construction finance industry, the margins in the pilot regions increased by 42%. [](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/472727/2d510060-dbf5-4744-b93d-0c32ec17fcd3) -