Lifestyles Essay examples

One of the most successful and well-known tools used to determine market segmentation is VALS, which is developed by Strategic Business Insights. VALS stands for “values and lifestyles,” which places U.S. consumers into one of the eight profiles based on their level of resources and one of the three primary consumption motives of either ideals, achievement, or self-expression (Ferrell & Hartline, 2014, p. 138-139). VALS is primarily used by companies to market new product development, brand development, promotional strategy, and media placement (Ferrell & Hartline, 2014).

It is desirable to develop demographic and psychographic profiles of these likely consumers (the target audience).

Large advertising agencies have evolved pseudo-scientific methods through experience, research and intuition that yield a demographic profile of the target audience, who are the most important predictors of purchasing behavior.

The potential consumer target markets fall into two categories; the segments will be referred to as “Suburban Select” and “Young & Active”.

Introduction: Marketing has become an art form in today’s society, analyzing specifics and how the consumers react to certain goods and services. The needs of consumers are constantly changing, so marketers must study every detail and be able to recognize the changes in wants and needs. Marketers use this data to become “sensitive” to the needs of each group of individuals, appealing to the minorities with said products. Below is a slight insight to what questions and data marketers analyze to make their goods and services appealing to the individual groups.

Psychographic looks at the psychological/personality traits, lifestyle or values of people in the demographic segmentation. It helps to breakdown the data from the demographics and break into even more detail about the segment to give you a better idea of how to market to that segment. It gives information on the targets behavior and attitudes by looking at their lifestyles and values. There are ways for Mattel to gather this information. Mattel can perform a survey, use web tools, analysis subscribers, and outsource to a marketing firm. Conducting a survey will be good for Mattel, but since the target market is mostly kids Mattel would have to survey the parents. The parents are the ones who buy the toys and are influencing the children’s behavior and values. The survey can help Mattel find out what the parents will purchase for their kids. In addition, it will help Mattel find out if the family is active and likes to do outdoor

In this reading, I will be discussing the different categories in which advertisers have placed consumers to distinguish them from one another using their values, attitudes, and life-style. According to the writer of American culture and advertisement James B. Twitchell, “the object of much consumer research is not to try to twist their feathers so that they will flock to your product, but to position your product in such a place that they will have to fly by it and perhaps stop to roost. After roosting, they will eventually think that this is part of their flyway and return to it again and again” (p. 178). The proposition of stereotyping consumer lifestyles is a very effective way of marketing goods and services. The VALS2 strategy of marketing segment, target, and position used by advertisers is based on research; which means, marketers know more about consumer behaviors than what we think. This is an important issue because it’s necessary to raise awareness in society about the advantages and disadvantages that this can bring. After having evaluated all given points; this article is an eye opener for those who have any doubts about what consumers mean to large companies and advertisers.

In the article “Commodify Your Dissent”, Thomas Frank argues about his point that is based on the American cultural ideas in the 1950s. There are a lot of differences between two lifestyles, such as education, technology, and fashion. I strongly agree with Thomas Frank that marketing no longer promotes conformity, but, rather, promotes “never-ending self-fulfillment” and “constantly updated individualism”. Because humans’ interest and trend are changing over time, humans’ needs gradually increase. Back then, people only use magazines and TV to advertise their products. Nowadays, the technology is developed significantly, so advertisers have to change to match the society’s trends to get customers attention. Moreover, they have a lot of good

The target market was segmented by understanding the demographics and psychographics.

8. Describe the difference between target groups, market segmentation, and psychographics. Give one specific example of a business that is using each of these techniques.

H&M used both Demographics and psychographic segmentation in reaching their customers. Based on the company’s outreach globally, it must understand various cultures, attitudes, beliefs, religion, age groups etc. (Delirium, 2015)

Demographics play a large role in aiding businesses with the adequate information to convince the viewers. The main demographics include gender, age, culture, race, and

Relying purely on socio-economic and demographic data only provides a partial glimpse into the needs, preferences and wants of a given target market. Psychographic-based segmentation research is often used for determining how potential customers' self-assignment to groups, unique interests and preferences for retail products and services influence and often predict their purchasing behavior and long-term loyalty (Bearden, Teel, Durand, 1978). Psychographics is the study of how customers assign

Institutionalized ideas of a successful lifestyle have been perpetuated in society throughout time. Each generation faces newly refined perimeters of righteous behaviors that have been affected by progressive ideas, technological advancements, and traditional beliefs. These components and more, play a role in creating a public image of a family structure. Essentially, families are key representatives of society. The posterchild family structure of society depicts values held by a generation, and promoted throughout the means of mass marketing during that time. Every citizen is considered to be held accountable to the societal standards of correct human behavior and ideology. These standards have an impact on freedom, marriage, work, education and children. My family structure is grass rooted in Punjab, India. The dominant religion, political structure, public institution, and societal ideology have differences and similarities with those of America’s.

To understand the consumers in the target market, marketing managers rely on the 7 O’s framework of consumer research.