Psychographics

Psychographics

Psychographics Jonathan Poland

Psychographics is the study of personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles. It is a research method used to identify and understand the underlying motivations and behaviors of consumers, and to develop marketing strategies that target specific groups of consumers.

Psychographics is often used in conjunction with demographics, which is the study of characteristics such as age, gender, income, and education. While demographics provide information about who consumers are, psychographics helps to understand why they make the purchasing decisions they do.

There are several key aspects of psychographics that are relevant to marketing research. The first is personality, which refers to the unique characteristics that make up an individual’s identity. Personality traits can influence consumer behavior, such as whether someone is adventurous or risk-averse, or whether they are extroverted or introverted.

The second aspect of psychographics is values, which refer to the beliefs and principles that guide an individual’s behavior. Values can influence consumer behavior by shaping an individual’s priorities and preferences. For example, someone who values sustainability may be more likely to purchase environmentally-friendly products.

The third aspect of psychographics is attitudes, which refer to an individual’s opinions and feelings about a particular topic or issue. Attitudes can influence consumer behavior by shaping an individual’s preferences and decision-making processes. For example, someone with a positive attitude towards a particular brand may be more likely to purchase products from that brand.

Psychographics can be useful for marketers because it allows them to develop more targeted and effective marketing strategies. By understanding the underlying motivations and behaviors of consumers, marketers can create messages and offers that are more likely to resonate with specific groups of consumers. This can help to improve the effectiveness of marketing efforts and increase the likelihood of success.

Motivation

A customer’s motivation for a purchase. For example, a gym that targets customers motivated by self-improvement and a desire for social status. In practice, psychographics are often far more specific than the general list above. For example, “a motivation to solve the problem of ocean plastic” as opposed to “doing good.”

  • Comfort
  • Connectedness
  • Convenience
  • Curiosity
  • Doing Good
  • Escapism
  • Fear of Missing Out
  • Health
  • Practical Need
  • Privacy
  • Publicity
  • Safety
  • Satisfaction
  • Self-Fulfillment
  • Self-Improvement
  • Self-indulgence
  • Social Status

Interests & Activities

Things that customers find interesting and how they spend their time. For example, a cafe for people who are interested in social interaction and are devoted to their pets.

  • Activism
  • Adventure
  • Animals Art
  • Business
  • Culture
  • Do-it-yourself
  • Entertainment
  • Fashion
  • Film
  • Fitness
  • Food
  • History
  • Low Technology
  • Luxury
  • Media
  • Music
  • Nature
  • Nostalgia
  • People
  • Pets
  • Politics
  • Quiet Time
  • Social Life
  • Social Media
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Tradition
  • Travel
  • Volunteerism

Values, Opinions & Attitudes

Elements of an individual’s worldview. For example, a car targeting individuals who are strongly protective of family and risk avoiding.

  • Civil
  • Collectivist
  • Conservationist
  • Conservative
  • Disengaged
  • Emotional
  • Environmentalist
  • Idealistic
  • Individualist
  • Liberal
  • Logical
  • Naturalistic
  • Optimistic
  • Pessimistic
  • Progressive
  • Reactionary
  • Realistic
  • Rebellious
  • Religious
  • Risk Avoiding
  • Risk Taking
  • Secular
  • Social Activist
  • Traditional

Behavior

Behavior is a common type of market segment that often overlaps with psychographics. For example, a product with low environmental impact that targets conspicuous conservation whereby consumers purchase products that they view as good for the world.

  • Brand Loyal
  • Bulk Buyer
  • Channel Preference
  • Comparison Shopper
  • Competitive Shopper
  • Compulsive Shopper
  • Conspicuous Conservation
  • Conspicuous Consumption
  • Cynical
  • Diligent
  • Early Adopter
  • Expert User
  • Extroverted
  • Frequent Shopper
  • Impulsive Shopper
  • Influencer
  • Introverted
  • Late Adopter
  • Novice User
  • Open to Experience
  • Preference for Certainty
  • Price Insensitive
  • Price Sensitive
  • Quality Seeker
  • Research Shopper
  • Reserved
  • Resistant to Change
  • Social
  • Status Seeker
  • Tolerance for Uncertainty
  • Value Seeker

Conflicts of Interest Jonathan Poland

Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when an individual or organization has incentives that contradict their responsibilities. This can occur when…

Management Principles Jonathan Poland

Management Principles

Management principles are fundamental guidelines or ideas that are adopted by an organization or team to guide their actions and…

Business Optimization Jonathan Poland

Business Optimization

Business optimization is the ongoing process of evaluating the efficiency, productivity, and performance of a business and identifying ways to…

Brand Vision Jonathan Poland

Brand Vision

A brand vision is a statement that paints a picture of the future your brand. Brand vision is the long-term…

Operational Risk Jonathan Poland

Operational Risk

Operations risk is the risk of financial loss or other negative consequences that may arise from the operation of a…

Employee Development Jonathan Poland

Employee Development

Employee development is the process of providing employees with learning and experience opportunities that support their career aspirations and the…

Micromarketing Jonathan Poland

Micromarketing

Micromarketing is a marketing strategy that involves targeting a small, highly specific group of customers with tailored products, prices, and…

Business Impact Risk Jonathan Poland

Business Impact Risk

Business impact risk refers to the potential negative consequences that a business may face as a result of certain events…

What is Fandom? Jonathan Poland

What is Fandom?

Fandom refers to the subculture that develops around particular popular culture series or formats, such as films, television shows, characters,…

Learn More

IT Governance Jonathan Poland

IT Governance

IT Governance refers to the way in which an organization’s executive leadership manages and directs information technology. It is a…

Strategic Partnership Jonathan Poland

Strategic Partnership

A strategic partnership is a relationship between two or more organizations that is characterized by mutual cooperation and the sharing…

Customary Pricing Jonathan Poland

Customary Pricing

Customary pricing refers to the pricing practices that are considered typical or normal in a particular industry or market. This…

Quality Metrics Jonathan Poland

Quality Metrics

Quality metrics are measurements that are used to evaluate the value and performance of products, services, and processes. These metrics…

What is a Lifestyle Brand? Jonathan Poland

What is a Lifestyle Brand?

A lifestyle brand is a type of brand that is designed to appeal to a particular way of life or…

Strategic Goals Jonathan Poland

Strategic Goals

Strategic goals are the specific outcomes that an organization or individual hopes to achieve through their strategy. The strategic planning…

Economic Change Jonathan Poland

Economic Change

Economic change refers to shifts in economic conditions, such as changes in GDP, employment rates, and prices. These shifts can…

What is Throughput? Jonathan Poland

What is Throughput?

Throughput is a term used in business and engineering to refer to the rate at which a system or process…

Product Rationalization Jonathan Poland

Product Rationalization

Product rationalization is the process of reviewing and optimizing a company’s product portfolio in order to streamline operations and reduce…