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Pschographics
in Marketing,
Advertisement and Sales
The Crossing. A Place where people meet
A quick how-to on targeting our message to a specific market segment.
Introduction
Many years ago I went to a sales seminar where the speaker at the time was introducing the concept oI psychographics,
which is the study oI breaking up customers into groups according to a certain psychological proIile, and then studying the
behaviour oI each oI those groups. Psychographics is like Demographics and Sociographics, but while Demographics breaks
up people by their age, and Sociographics breaks up people by social status, Psychographics concentrates on a person's
psychological makeup and how it diIIerentiates their actions to people in other groups, in this case in respect to their buying
habits and what types oI marketing and advertisement works best on each group.
The thing to remember is that your advertisement and marketing eIIorts need to be targeted to one group and one group only.
Multi-targeted marketing and advertisement that spans several oI these Psycho-graphic groups is almost ensured to Iail. AIter
reading all the diIIerent groups and their proIiles, I am sure you will quickly understand why. II you want to sell your products
to two diIIerent Psycho-graphic groups, you need to create two advertisements, two diIIerent marketing campaigns, each
targeted towards one speciIic group, and published in such a way that it is Iocused onto this group. So next time a media
representative contacts you to try to sell you an advertisement spot, be sure to ask Ior a Psychographic breakdown oI the
target audience. You might get some strange looks, or you might get somebody who knows what he or she is talking about.
In either case, your image will deIinitely improve by a Iew notches.
This theory breaks people into one oI seven groups. Once you have identiIied your target market and your target audience
Ior your product or service, this will help you choose the approach oI the oIIer. II you are not sure, try to imagine what a
person that would buy your product would look like, try to get a mental image oI somebody you know personally, one single
individual, and start Irom there. It always helps to think oI your customer on very concrete terms, and in great detail. You
need to know everything about this person: what turns them on; what turns them oII; which terms catch their attention; what
holds their attention; and what makes them tune out. Once you are sure what you are dealing with, you will be way ahead oI
most other companies.
Seven Groups of Pschographic Profiles
Belonger:
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Belonger:
The Belonger is the largest group oI people in the USA with about 40 oI the population. The stereotype that Iits this group
best is the person that lives in an average town in the midwest. This group loves community, loves being with Iamily and
Iriends. This person needs to belong to a group, a community. These people Irequently drive US made Pickup trucks or
large US made sedans and station wagons. They are very nationalistic, and don't like change. Their best time is spending time
with their Iriends, talking, having Iun, hanging out. They are hard working, and are extremely conservative in their views, and
most likely religious.
II you want to talk to Belongers, make sure your message includes things that are Iamily or community oriented, made in the
USA (iI that is the country they live in), and does not change things Irom how they are now. They love that. As well, they will
buy because oI personal relationships, so you need to take the time to get to know them. AIter they have bought once,
Belongers are very brand loyal.
II you don't want Belongers to listen to you, start talking about the New thing, the radical change, the new European or Asia
cure to their problems, made in that Ioreign country, that is going to make them all individuals, isolating them, breaking them
apart. Belongers hate that.
Achiever:
The Achiever is a group oI about 5-7 population. This is the serious business person that is constantly looking to become
more, and to make more. Power and physical wealth is the major stimulator that makes this person perIorm day in day out,
12-16 hours a day, 365 days a year. Workaholic is Irequently an apt way oI describing these people. This type will drive the
Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, Hummer, Porsche, high end luxury cars. In total contrast to the belonger, these people hate being
part oI a group. They need to be individuals, to set themselves apart Irom the rest. When the masses get in, these people get
out. When they go shopping, it will be a seek and destroy mission because they hate shopping. They will grab the three things
they want, quickly charge it to their card, and back out, and they will always buy the top oI the line, latest in technological
advancement, anything that their neighbour does not have. Achievers control about 90-95 oI the money in the USA. They
are top investment bankers, Iortune 500 CXOs, Fund Managers, Movers and shakers, and other high Iliers.
II you want to talk to Achievers, make sure you make it quick because you have about 5 to 10 seconds beIore they have
Iorgotten about you. Make sure it talks about individuality, about innovation, and most oI all, about power, money, and
proIit. And quickly. They love that.
II you don't want Achievers to listen to you, talk very slowly and disjointed, about how this is the conservative tried and true
way that is the socially conscious way oI solving the worlds problems, and how it will make them become part oI the group,
part oI the community. They don't hate it, simply because Achievers will already have stopped listening to you in the Iirst Iive
seconds.
Emulator / Wanna be:
The Emulator is a group is about 15 oI the population. This group would love to be an Achiever, but isn't. The emulator
will try to do anything to make him or herselI look like an Achiever with the goal oI attracting the opposite sex or approval
within their peers. They will buy the Ilashy Ioreign imports or local copies because they can't aIIord the true luxury cars, but
these look expensive, look Iast, and will attract attention. Fake Rolex watches, copied Louis Vuitton bags and counterIeit
Armani suits can be spotted on these people, or whatever the current group oI Achievers is wearing that they are trying to
emulate. It might be the top rap artist, the top movie actor, the top sports star they are trying to copy, not the business man.
The point is that the Emulator is trying to be like their idol in the pool oI true achievers. And they motivation is that they
believe this will make them more attractive to a member oI the opposite sex, or to be more popular within their own group.
This group suIIers Irom low selI esteem, needs peer approval, is usually under 30 years old, Irequently not Iinancially stable,
but will spend whatever money they have on anything that will make them look like their ideal: successIul. II you want to talk
to Emulators, you need to make sure that whatever you are trying to sell them will make them seem just like the person they
are emulating: SuccessIul, an Achiever.
II you don't want Emulators to listen to you, just tell them how good they are naturally, and how they should be proud oI
what they are and what they have, and that they don't need anything else. Emulators will not believe you.
Sociall Conscious Tpe A:
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Sociall Conscious Tpe A:
The Socially Conscious comes in two types, A and B. Type A is about 25 oI the population and type B 7. This group is
not concerned with the world oI achievement or the world oI Iamily or community, but rather what eIIects their actions have
on society on a whole. The want to make the world a better place. They are environmentally concerned, they recycle, they
use less, buy things that are environmentally Iriendly, and drive Iuel eIIicient cars. They believe in schooling and teaching the
children, are Irequently highly educated with one or two university degrees, mostly in the liberal arts. They like to help the
homeless and the poor, the socially disadvantaged. They are the ones that want to make a diIIerence in their society, to help
those who need help, and to guide those that need guidance. But they are quite cynical about society and it's downIalls, yet
take a generally positive view oI how the Iuture could be.
II you want to talk to Socially Conscious Type A's, you must sell something that is making a diIIerence to either society or the
environment. Being very educated and able to do research, these people will quickly see through Iake environmentalism and
Iake social conscience; and being cynical, they are unlikely to believe a major oil or chemical multinational giant tout their
social and environmental contribution unless they see prooI oI this actually taking place.
II you don't want socially Conscious Type A's to listen to you, just tell them oI how much power and money they will reap, at
the expense oI both society and the environment, Irom buying whatever you are selling. And even iI you don't point oI the
obvious, this group is both smart and cynical enough to connect the dots and draw the real picture.
Sociall Conscious Tpe B:
Very much like their cousins in Type A, most oI the generalizations oI Type A will apply to Type B, except Ior where Type
A believes that there is hope Ior humanity on a whole, Type B has given up on humanity on a whole, and has moved oII into
their own small communities where they live socially conscious within their socially conscious group, communes. One can Iind
these little islands spread all around the country, but not only in the obvious way that you might be thinking, the hippie
communities in CaliIornia, but also those that have sequestered themselves away in the hills oI Montana, religious
communities in Texas, and communes that can be Iound all over the world that don't believe in personal property.
I am not sure how you can sell these people anything because they are mostly selI suIIicient, and purposely cut themselves oII
Irom the world, so they are unlikely to be open to oIIerings Irom it now. But you are likely to get a lively debate with them
over most topics, especially on governments, large business, world governments, and your general run oI any conspiracy
theories.
Balanced / Totall integrated:
Persons in the Balanced category are the smallest oI all the groups, accounting Ior only 1-2 oI the population. The
Balanced group is basically a mixture oI the Achiever and Socially Conscious types, which in certain respects is a bit oI a
paradox, but works quite well in practice. Basically, these are Achievers with a Social Conscience, a person that achieves
with the purpose oI making the world a better place. There is a well known woman that built an international sales empire,
but Irequently buying the goods Irom poor countries to provide much needed work and environmental Iortune to those that
need it, or buy things that are produced in an environmentally Iriendly Iashion, concentrating on no animal testing, recycling
and other such things. There are many other examples oI people who have grown rich, who have achieved power and
wealth, but still ensured that their labours don't come at the expense oI society, but rather with the co-operation and to the
beneIit oI humanity and nature as a whole.
Departing Irom the original theory, I would like to split the Balanced group into two subgroups, one being what I like to call
the repentant sinner, and the other is the true philanthropist. The diIIerence between the two groups is as Iollows: The
repentant sinner was originally an achiever that stopped at nothing to get his or her way, but later in liIe became aware oI his
or her deeds, and now wants to receive absolution by giving things away and helping people. It is hard to sleep at night when
you are haunted by the ghosts oI those you have hurt along the way, and sometimes people comprehend later in liIe that what
mattered when they were young and ambitious was not worth the price in the end. The true philanthropist on the other hand
starts out with the vision oI helping others while achieving his or her goals in the process, and does not step on others to get
his or her way along the way. I believe it is important to diIIerentiate between these two types because their motivation will
be diIIerent.
II you want to talk to the repentant sinner, then you need to make sure you are meeting their goal on achieving some sort oI
absolution. In their case, making a proIit is no longer the main consequence.
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absolution. In their case, making a proIit is no longer the main consequence.
II on the other hand you are talking to a true philanthropist, as well as demonstrating a business vision, you need to make a
case Ior how this business vision will also beneIit mankind or the environment on a whole.
II you don't want this group to listen to you, don't worry, they are way to busy to listen to you in the Iirst place, and unless
you have something to oIIer them, chances are you will never get close to them in the Iirst place. They will do their research
beIore seeing you, or have staII to do so.
Needs driven:
Finally we end with the needs driven individuals, accounting Ior about 15 oI the population. These are people that buy on
impulse and instinct, depending on what they need at the time. There is little planning and things are bought as they are
required. The interesting part is that, even though this part oI the population is Irequently poor, they will oIten buy goods at a
surcharge because instead oI doing the weekly shopping trip to the supermarket where things are cheaper, they will buy
things last minute at the corner store. Another curious thing about this group is that they will Irequently Ilash large amounts oI
money around, even iI it is only a bundle oI one dollar bills with a twenty on the outside to make it look good. In this way,
there is a bit oI emulator there, but they are not trying to emulate anyone in particular, they only want to prove that they have
money. And to Iollow along the same line, when they do have a bit oI money, they will spend it instantly on something,
throwing a party, inviting their Iriends Ior drinks or dinner. From what I understand, the psychological motivation behind this
is that they believe that iI they do not spend it now, then it won't be there later.
II you want to talk to this group to sell them something, it's quite easy, you simply use Iear. Impulse buying on late night
television that runs along the lines oI "take advantage oI this great oIIer because it will never come again and you and your
Iriends will hate you Iorever Ior being such a looser and you will Iorever be poor and insigniIicant! have your credit card
ready and call 1-800... ".
In conclusion
Now that I have introduced the seven groups oI Psychographic proIiles in this theory, spend a bit oI time and reIlect on the
marketing and advertisements you have seen lately, and try to discern which category they were targeted towards, or iI they
tried to target several categories. Did they do a good job? Did they use all the right terms, push all the hot buttons, avoid all
the cold buttons, or did they commit any errors, minor or grave?
One more thing about media outlets: Should you come upon a publication and the sales representative cannot provide you
with a psychographic survey oI the readership, just look at the Ads in the magazine. Chances are that the people who spend
hundreds, thousands, or millions on Ads know who is reading a certain magazine even iI the publisher does not.
And that is the theory. Now go and turn it into practice, and prosper. Good luck!!!
Disclaimer: As I said in the introduction, this theory is an enhanced version Irom something I once learned Irom a sales
seminar, and the original theory is based on the the research oI ... somebody ... and I have no idea who they are, but iI you
happen to know where this Iirst came Irom, please send me some email and I will make sure to put the necessary reIerences
and credits.
Or more on Pschographics? We can oIIer the Iollowing:
Psychographic Advertising Marketing Online
Psychographic Group Dynamics
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