Alcohol Abuse Advice

Marketing Psychographics: Which One Are You?

Our collective programming is so powerful an influence that marketers have defined segments of the population based upon their values and beliefs, which we all know are a product of our programming. For decades, advertisers have used demographics as a way of targeting specific age and income groups. In addition to demographics, advertisers now use psychographics as a way of matching products and services they are selling to the lifestyle values of a particular segment.

Why is a marketing strategy included in a series of articles focusing on eliminating self-doubt? Actually, it’s more accurate to say that I am using the millions, if not billions, of dollars the advertising industry has invested in research to help us understand programming and values on a mass level.  In previous articles, we’ve discussed programming on an individual basis. This article is intended to show how large segments of the population share similar programming and belief systems. Frankly, I think this is fascinating and a lot of fun. I hope you do to.

Psychographics include social class, lifestyle, and personality traits. While psychographic segments can be drilled down to over a dozen different groups and sub-groups, I’d like to keep it simple. Here are the six main categories of psychographic segmentation. See if you find yourself in one.

Once you understand these concepts, you will never watch an ad the same way again. You will see how the ads are targeting the pain and pleasure of a specific psychographic group. The strategy in addressing each of these segments is to either get them to move away from pain or move towards pleasure. Each group has their own pain and pleasure triggers.

The Struggler – This is someone who has a mind-set that they are resigned to a hard life. The Socially Conscious – This is someone who takes pride in having an anti-materialistic attitude that may or may not be supported in reality. The Belonger – These are the working men and women who obey the laws, enjoy belonging to groups of like-minded people and place a high value on family.  The Belonger makes up the largest segment of society. The Explorer – these are the children of parents who were teens and twenty-somethings during the cultural revolution of the 1960s and 70s. The Emulator – This group wants the appearance of being successful without investing the risks, work or time to actually create the wealth they try to flaunt. The Achiever – This group is competitive, disciplined and goal oriented.  Essentially, they are everything the Emulator wants to be.

These psychographic groups help us understand the power of programming. It’s interesting that when you look at the Strugglers or Belongers there is a multi-generational dynamic going on. Rarely would the child of an Achiever end up as a Struggler. Most exceptions would be if they lapsed into drug and alcohol abuse.

The family oriented nature of the Belonger keeps that group large and homogeneous. When you look at the Explorer, you sense a rebellion against conventional programming. The Achiever, unless he or she is raised in an Achievers’ home, doesn’t exactly rebel but reprograms him or her self to become more successful.

These psychographic groups help us understand the power of programming. It’s interesting that when you look at the Strugglers or Belongers there is a multi-generational dynamic going on. Rarely would the child of an Achiever end up as a Struggler. Most exceptions would be if they lapsed into drug and alcohol abuse.

The family oriented nature of the Belonger keeps that group large and homogenous. When you look at the Explorer, you sense a rebellion against conventional programming. The Achiever, unless he or she is raised in an Achievers’ home, doesn’t exactly rebel but reprograms him or her self to become more successful.

Of all of the segments, the Achiever is the most connected to short-term pain, long-term pain strategy of life. Achievers associate a lot of pain with being unproductive and wasting time.

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