What are psychographics?
VALS™
VALS – is an acronym for Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles.
It used as marketing and advertising research tool and was developed by the US consulting firm Stanford Research Institute. By separating the intended audience into categories companies can better market their products and services. This is called Market Segmentation.
So, Market segmentation is designed to guide companies in tailoring their products and services in order to appeal to the people most likely to purchase them.
About VALS™
VALS reflects a real-world pattern that explains the relationship between personality traits and consumer behaviour. VALS uses psychology to analyze the dynamics underlying consumer preferences and choices. VALS not only distinguishes differences in motivation, it also captures the psychological and material constraints on consumer behaviour. VALS is based on current personality research into specific components of social behaviour. VALS asserts that people express their personalities through their behaviours. People with different personalities engage in different behaviours or exhibit similar behaviours for different reasons.
.
The main dimensions of the VALS framework are resources (the vertical dimension) and primary motivation (the horizontal dimension).
The vertical dimension segments people based on the degree to which they are innovative and have resources such as income, education, self-confidence, intelligence, leadership skills, and energy.
The horizontal dimension represents primary motivations and includes three distinct types:
• Consumers driven by knowledge and principles (personal or cultural values) are motivated primarily by ideals. These consumers include groups called Thinkers and Believers.
• Consumers driven by demonstrating success to their peers are motivated primarily by achievement. These consumers include groups referred to as Achievers and Strivers.
• Consumers driven by a desire for social or physical activity, variety, and risk taking are motivated primarily by self-expression. These consumers include the groups known as Experiencers and Makers.
At the top of the rectangle are the Innovators, who have such high resources that they could have any of the three primary motivations. At the bottom of the rectangle are the Survivors, who live complacently and within their means without a strong primary motivation of the types listed above.
VALS classifies people into eight basic lifestyle groups on the basis of two dimensions: resources and self-orientation.
Resource dimension includes;education, income, intelligence, health, energy level, and eagerness to purchase resources that, in general, increase from youth to middle age decline afterwards.
Self-orientation is divided into three parts (1) Principle oriented: having set views. (2) Status oriented: influenced by other’s thinking. (3) Action oriented: seeks activity, adventure, and variety.
The eight basic lifestyle groups are :
• Actualizers (Innovaters)
• Fulfillers (Like Thinker)
• Believers
• Achievers
• Strivers
• Experiencers
• Makers
• Strugglers ( Survivors)
The VALS Framework gives more details about each of the groups.
Click here for more details on each group
Psychologists recommend the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) as the latest version of a tool for assessing the Big Five personality traits, which it labels as Extroversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Negative Emotionality, and Open-Mindedness, as well as facets of each. It is employed in psychological research and can be used for personal assessment.
Take a Personality Test like the BIG 5 or VALS Test below..
https://psytests.org/big5/bfiSen.html
https://personalvalu.es/
https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/IPIP-BFFM/
VALS-2 Segment Characteristics
| Segment | Lifestyle Characteristics | Psychological Characteristics | Consumer Characteristics |
| Innovators(8% of pop.) | Successful, sophisticated Value personal growth Wide intellectual interests Varied leisure activities Well informed, concerned with social issues Highly social Politically very active |
Optimistic Self-confident Involved Outgoing Growth oriented Open to change <established & emerging leaders in business & government> |
Enjoy the “finer things” Receptive to new products, technologies, distribution. Skeptical of advertising Frequent readers of a wide variety of publications Light TV viewers |
| Thinkers(11% of pop.) | Moderately active in community and politics Leisure centers on home Value education & travel Health conscious Politically moderate and tolerant |
Mature Satisfied Reflective Open-minded Intrinsically motivated Value order, knowledge, and responsibility |
Little interest in image or prestige Above average consumers of products for the home Like educational and public affairs programming on TV Read widely and often Look for value & durability |
| Achievers(13% of pop.) | Lives center on career & famly Have formal social relations Avoid excess change or stimulation May emphasize work at the expense of recreation Politically conservative |
Moderate Goal oriented Conventional Deliberate In control |
Attracted to premium products Prime target for a variety of products Average TV watchers Read business, news, and self-help publications |
| Experiencers(12% of pop.) | Like the new, offbeat, and risky Like exercise, socializing, sports, and outdoors Concerned about image Unconforming, but admire wealth, power, and fame Politically apathetic |
Extraverted Unconventional Active Impetuous Energetic Enthusiastic and impulsive |
Follow fashion and fads Spend much of disposable income on socializing Buy on impulse Attend to advertising Listen to rock music |
| Believers(16% of pop.) | Respect rules and trust authority figures Enjoy settled, comfortable, predictable existence Socialize within family and established groups Politically conservative Reasonably well informed |
Traditional Conforming Cautious Moralistic Settled |
Buy American Slow to change habits Look for bargains Watch TV more than average Read retirement, home and garden, and general interest magazines |
| Segment | Lifestyle Characteristics | Psychological Characteristics | Consumer Characteristics |
| Strivers(13% of pop.) | Narrow interests Easily bored Somewhat isolated Look to peer group for motivation and approval Unconcerned about health and nutrition Politically apathetic |
Dissatisfied Unsure Alienated Impulsive Approval seeking |
Image conscious Limited discretionary income, but carry credit balances Spend on clothing and personal care products Prefer TV to reading |
| Makers(13% of pop.) | Enjoy outdoors Prefer “hands on” activities Spend leisure with family and close friends Avoid joining organizations except unions Distrust politicians, foreigners, and big business |
Practical Self-sufficient Constructive Committed Satisfied |
Shop for comfort, durability, value Unimpressed by luxuries Buy the basics Listen to radio Read auto, home mechanics, fishing, outdoors magazines |
| Survivors(14% of pop.) | Limited interests and activities Prime concerns are safety and security Burdened with health problems Conservative and traditional Rely on organized religion |
Powerless Narrowly focused Risk averse Burdened Conservative |
Brand loyal Use coupons and watch for sales Trust advertising Watch TV often Read tabloids and women’s magazines |