austin texas psychographics
The result of sequential segmentation should be more accurate assessment of market potential and more efficient targeting of marketing strategy. 1, 21 (September), 6-12. 226, University of Illinois at Urbana. Analysts who have preferred the term "lifestyle", on the other hand, have tended to focus either on broad cultural trends or on needs and values thought to be closely associated with consumer behavior (p. 319). An individual's life-style is a large complex symbol in motion. LIFESTYLE AND MARKET SEGMENTATION The persistent conceptual and operational imprecision of the lifestyle construct has not only handicapped lifestyle research, but has undermined its usefulness as a segmentation variable. Markin, Rom J. Jr. (1974), Consumer Behavior: A Cognitive Orientation, New York: MacMillan. It details the logical symmetry and complimentarity between lifestyle and psychographic research, concluding that lifestyle and cognitive style can be usefully employed through sequential segmentation. The paper then contrasts lifestyle and cognitive style conceptually and operationally, underscoring their intuitive, if imperfect, symmetry. Still, the terms psychographics and lifestyle remain largely undefined and indistinguishable in the marketing literature. The conceptual and operational confusion continues. The confusion of the terms lifestyle with psychographics has further compounded these problems. When used in marketing campaigns, psychographics attempts to understand the values and emotions that persuade a potential customer to purchase a certain good or service. It accomplishes this by using data to analyze a consumer's spending habits, passions, ethics and other personal elements that may explain why they make the decisions they do. By defining lifestyle as overt behavior, lifestyle emerges as the characteristic behavioral consequence of the ongoing reconciliation of individual motivations and cognitive style with environmental constraints and opportunities, within the limits of enabling condition operating over time. Psychographics is a form of market segmentation that groups consumers based on psychological traits that influence their consuming behaviors. Bell (1958) stressed the symbolic contextual significance of consumption. The resolution and reconciliation of these two problems built into conventional definitions and operationalization of lifestyle lies in sequential segmentation: Segmenting first on the basis of consistencies in overt behavior, the on the basis of congruence in cognitive style. The emphasis Ansbacher ascribes to the unifying property mirrors his conviction that lifestyle bridges cognitive style and response style. The suggested relationships are depicted in Figure l. Lifestyle is positioned as behavioral, and cognitive style is positioned as psychological and a subset of psychographic research. Festinger, Leon (1964), "Behavioral Support for Opinion Change," Public Opinion Quarterly, vol. A logical and consistent implication of the above definition of lifestyle is that the domain of psychographic research by delimited in terms of cognitive style (cognitive processes or properties, including values, attitudes, beliefs, opinions, interests), that may be systematically linked to characteristic patterns of overt behavior. Perhaps the most noteworthy observation is the preponderance of references purporting to be lifestyle research which provide no explicit definition of lifestyle at all. Udel, Jon G. (1965), "Can Attitude Measurement Predict Consumer Behavior? In short, the lifestyle concept has become the Rorschach of the social sciences, most particularly of consumer analysis. We identified the top two psychographic groups in Austin to be Boomburbs and Up and Coming Families, followed by Metro Renters and Young and Restless (in Esri OPERATIONALIZATIONS OF LIFESTYLE IN MARKETING. Sequential segmentation on the basis of consistencies in cognitive style will permit the precise targeting of marketing strategy. Pessemier, Edgar A. and Douglas J. Tigert (1966), "Personality, Activity, and Attitude Predictors of Consumer Behavior," in New Ideas for Successful Marketing, eds. William D. Wells, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 317-363. Rik Pieters, Tilburg University, The Netherlands. ", Journal of Marketing, vol. Lazer, William (1963), "Life Style Concepts and Marketing, in Toward Scientific Marketing, ed. Professor Joe psychographic segmentation purpose of psychographics is to add attitude and behavior to demographics syndicated service vals offers marketers view Hence, any given lifestyle segment would likely consist of subsegments consisting of consumers with common cognitive processes and properties or cognitive style (see Figure 2). Of particular relevance to the present analysis is Ansbacher's observation that: The concept of style may vary in range from a relatively limited segment to the totality of behavior when it becomes lifestyle. The primary purpose of this paper is to revive and refine lifestyle as a theoretical and research tool and segmentation variable. It first documents the diversity and internal inconsistency of definitions and operationalizations of lifestyle in consumer behavior literature. The almost total absence of any theoretical anchorage for lifestyle research is evidence in Exhibit 1 and also in the superficial and flimsy development of theoretical linkages to lifestyle where a theoretical frame of reference is invoked. Defining Lifestyle in terms of characteristic patterns of overt behavior also suggests an intuitive symmetry between the domains of lifestyle and of psychographic research paralleling Dorny's dichotomy (Dorny 1971, pp. Psychographic Consumer Profiling. Psychographic and lifestyle research should proceed hand-in-glove, but progress in both will be facilitated by conceptual and operational precision and distinction. 900-901). Hawkins, Del J., Kenneth A. Coney, and Roger J. Lifestyle may be defined as unified patterns of behavior that both determine and are determined by consumption. Bell, Wendell (1958), "Social Choice, Life Style, and Suburban Residence," in the The Suburban CommunitY, ed. Because there are a few In the restricted range, in respect to individuals, characteristic perceptual styles, also known as cognitive styles, and response styles, as well as complex response styles have been discerned (Emphasis added, 1967, p. 203). No approach is sacrosanct, yet some distinction in terms would allow for more productive advancement in lifestyle research and, equally importantly, in lifestyle segmentation. The emphasis in market segmentation is on consistencies in overt behavior, irrespective of contrasts in cognitive style, because the marketing practitioner is primarily interested in parallel patterns of search, shopping or consumption behavior. As lifestyle analysis entered its adolescent phase of development in the marketing literature at the dawn of the 1970s, Dorny (1971) sought to distinguish psychographics from lifestyle research by: reserving the term "psychographics" for measures that are truly "mental" -- attitudes, beliefs, opinions, personality traits, etc. A while back I bought some fancy sunscreen in Rice Village and then went to the While Adler stressed the uniqueness of each individual, he nonetheless recognized similarities among individuals and their lifestyles (Ansbacher 1976. p. 192), suggesting the existence of lifestyle typologies (Ansbacher 1967, p. 203). Mills, C. Wright (1953), "Introduction," The Theory of the Leisure Class, New York: New American Library, vi-xix. Segmenting first on the basis of parallel patterns of search, shopping and consumption behavior would result in lifestyle segments encompassing all potential prospects for the firm's products. The most telling observation from Exhibit 1, however, is the paucity of published lifestyle literature addressing the three criteria qualifying the usefulness of any social science construct: (1) definitional consensus, (2) operational clarity, and (3) theoretical context. What are psychographics? Conducting research and reviewing trends and personal statistics, like psychographic data, can help marketers learn what their ideal customer likes and cares Contemporary interpretations in the marketing literature generally define lifestyle to encompass both characteristic patterns of overt behavior and cognitive processes and properties (cognitive style), including such dimensions of personality as values, attitudes, opinions. LaPiere's (1934) classic study of racial prejudice in 1934 inaugurated a series of investigations and reviews reporting negative relationships between attitudes and behavior (Festinger 1966). ", Journal of Marketing, vol. ed. P. 130). Exhibit 1 provides a comprehensive review of definitions, operationalizations, and theoretical anchorages of lifestyle appearing in the marketing literature, along with the major proponents of each. Best (1980), Consumer Behavior-Implications for Marketing Strategy, Dallas, TX: Business Publications. Berkman, Harold W. and Christopher C. Gilson (1978), Consumer Behavior: Concepts and Strategies, Encino, CA:Dickenson Publishing Co. Bernay, Elayn K. (1971), "Life Style Analysis as a Basis for Media Selection," in Attitude Research Reaches New Heights, eds. Unique and creative aspects: Lifestyle implies anoriginal and idiographic property (1967, p. 205). LaPiere, R. T. (1934), "Attitudes vs. #3(Winter), 235-256. Bell (1958), Rainwater, Coleman and Handel (1959), and Havinhurst and Feigenbaum (1959) inaugurated the lifestyle concept in the consumer behavior literature at the close of the 1950s, pointing to its potential significance in understanding, explaining and predicting consumer behavior and, hence, its importance as a focus for marketing strategy. While cognitive style may be reflected in overt behavior, the connection is imperfect and often asymmetrical because of the intervening of moderating influence of situational environmental variables or enabling conditions. J. S. Wright and J. L. Goldstucker. Ultimately Adler came to see stole of life as: the organismic ideas of the individual as an actor rather than a re-actor; the purposiveness, goal-directedness, unity, self-consistency and uniqueness of the individual; andthe ultimately subjective determination of his actions (Ansbacher 1976, p. 191). Substantial evidence points to a consistent positive relationship between cognitive processes and properties (cognitive style) and overt behavior (Lair 1965; Fencrich 1967; Udel 1965; Katona 1960, part II; Axelrod 1968). 205-206). Zimbardo, Phillip and Ebbe B. Ebbesen (1970), Influencing Attitudes and Changing Behavior, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. The resolution and reconciliation of these two problems built into conventional definitions and operationalization of lifestyle lies in sequential segmentation: Segmenting first on the basis of consistencies in overt behavior, the on the basis of congruence in cognitive style. Berkman and Gilson's (1978) definition is only one of several contemporary interpretations of lifestyle but is representative. Wilson, Clark C. (1966), "Homemaker Living Patterns and Marketplace Behavior - A Psychometric Approach," in New Ideas for Successful Marketing, eds. Attitude formation and other types of subjective activity are not readily observable, but are behaviors nonetheless. Those are emotional issues that will Berkman and Gilson's (1978) definition is only one of several contemporary interpretations of lifestyle but is representative. 28, #3(Fall), 404-417. The term "psychographics" [refers to] studies that place comparatively heavy emphasis on generalized personality traits. Deutscher, I. William D. Wells, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 243-266. Effective use of sequential segmentation requires clarification and differentiation of terms, consistent with contemporary consumer research findings on the relationship between cognitive processes and properties and overt behavior. When used in It is rare in the social sciences to cop a plea for simplicity. Cinnaholic is the original, gourmet cinnamon roll bakery. Far and away the most popular of operationalizations of lifestyle is the activities, interests and opinions (AIO) method pioneered by Wilson (1966), Pessemier and Tigert (1966), and Wells (1968). Stephen A. Greyser, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 140-149. Writing at the same time, Levy (1963) proposed a contrasting concept of lifestyle, one reminiscent of Adler's conviction that a fictionalized goal or theme pervades one's life providing structure to both self-concept and behavior. Lazer in 1963 echoed earlier convictions concerning the potential richness and synergistic value of the lifestyle concept for consumer analysis and coined the initial explicit definition of lifestyle appearing in the marketing literature. Both cognitive style and lifestyle are influenced by enabling conditions, which lie in the context of environmental constraints and opportunities. Thus almost accidentally, the lifestyle concept has become operationalized among a certain group of researchers as activity, interest and opinion research conducted for a rather limited set of purposes and employing a rather limited set of techniques (p. 498). Yet there is mounting evidence to the contrary; indeed, evidence that changes in behavior may trigger changes in cognitive processes and properties, rather than the reverse (Zimbardo and Effesen 1970, Ch. Ultimately Adler came to see stole of life as: the organismic ideas of the individual as an actor rather than a re-actor; the purposiveness, goal-directedness, unity, self-consistency and uniqueness of the individual; andthe ultimately subjective determination of his actions (Ansbacher 1976, p. 191). The population density in Austin is 2404% higher than Texas. Dorny, Lester R. (1971), "Observations on Psychographics," in Attitude Research Reaches New Heights, eds. FIGURE 1 Clearly, this is but another perspective on the potential definition and operationalization of the lifestyle concept. H. H. Gerth and C. W. Mills, New York:: Oxford University Press Weber, Max (1947), The Theory of Social and Economic Organization. Marketers are not selling isolated products which can be viewed as symbols; they are selling, or consumers are buying, a style of life or pieces of a larger symbol (p. 168). Beverlee B. Anderson, Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research, 498. Yet, it would appear to be symptomatic of scientific pubescence, if not maturity, that the social sciences, and marketing in particular, periodically seek not only synthesis of findings, but also simplicity for the sake of conceptual and operational claritY. 13. Moore, David G. (1963), "Life Style in Mobile Suburbia," in Toward Scientific Marketing, ed. Our handcrafted cinnamon rolls and desserts are 100% vegan plant-based, and dairy-free. (1966), "Words and Needs: Social Science and Social Policy," Social Problems, vol. Yet there is mounting evidence to the contrary; indeed, evidence that changes in behavior may trigger changes in cognitive processes and properties, rather than the reverse (Zimbardo and Effesen 1970, Ch. W. Thomas Anderson, Jr. and Linda L. Golden (1984) ,"Lifestyle and Psychographics: a Critical Review and Recommendation", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 11, eds. Operational, functional and constancy aspects: Lifestyle connotes consistent operations and actions or behavior over time (1967, pp. Lifestyle is an integrated system of attitudes, values, opinions and interests as well as overt behavior (p 497). 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