Heavy users – definition and meaning
Heavy users are consumers that marketing efforts focus on because they represent a major proportion of a product’s sales. Typically, they make up about one-third of the consumers of a product or service. However, that one-third represents almost two-thirds of all sales revenue.
According to market research, in many products, a small proportion of consumers represent a major proportion of total sales.
We also refer to these consumers as high rollers or big spenders.
MBASkool.com says the following regarding the term:
“The Heavy users generally constitute less than one third of the consumers of goods or services but constitute to more than two third of the sales revenue.”
“Heavy users constitute an important segment where marketing efforts are concentrated.”
In marketing English, the term is derived from ‘heavy half.’ Researcher Dik Warren Twedt coined the term ‘heavy half’ in 1964. He used it to describe the market segment that accounted for a major proportion of a product’s sales.
In many events and situations, about 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. We call this the 8/20 Rule or the Pareto Principle.
Heavy users – online
The term also refers to people who use apps, online media, websites, and other digital services a lot. In other words, they use these offers to a significantly greater extent than other users.
We call regular users of these services medium or light users. Heavy users have usage patterns that go considerably beyond the average use of online media.
Sometimes, the term may also have meanings with negative connotations. For example, when we talk about gaming website usage, we are talking about people with a problem. A heavy user of a social media website may also have a problem.
In the field of e-commerce, however, a heavy user is a big spender online. The term may also refer to large donors.
Are heavy users fickle?
Heavy users are great for sellers because they tend to spend a lot of money on each purchase. They also buy more frequently.
However, they have some shopping patterns which make them challenging for marketing executives.
For example, they are more likely than light and medium users to change providers and brands.
According to RYTE WIKI:
“The analysis reveals that while heavy users buy more frequently and also place more orders, they also change the brand and provider more often.”
Heavy users – drugs
When talking about recreational drug consumption, there are many categories of users. There are, for example, light, occasional, regular, and heavy users.
In the world of alcoholic drink consumption, there are high-functioning alcoholics. A similar term exists when talking about recreational drugs. We call that person a high-functioning heavy user.
A recreational drug is a drug that people use without a prescription for its psychoactive effect. In other words, a drug that people use without medical justification just for fun.
The use of the word ‘recreational’ suggests that those drugs are not habit-forming or addictive. This is not the case. Sadly, millions of people across the world suffer the consequences of this myth.