Lifestyle Notes
Lifestyle Notes
Nike had to pull a TV commercial in China featuring basketball star LeBron James
fighting cartoon characters in martial arts attire after the Chinese government said
the ad was insulting to national dignity.115
Competitiveness
The personality trait of competitiveness has been associated with the desire to
outdo others through conspicuous consumption of material items such as elec-
tronic gadgets. It also plays a role in consumers’ wanting to do better than others in
a direct way (through a sport or by gambling, for instance) or an indirect way (such
as when watching a sporting event).116 Marketers who want to appeal to competi-
tive consumers often use messages emphasizing the opportunity to be among the
first to try or buy a new product or service.
Lifestyles
Lifestyles relate closely to consumers’ values and personality. Whereas values and
Lifestyles People‘s patterns of personality represent internal states or characteristics, lifestyles are manifestations
behavior. or actual patterns of behavior. In particular, they are represented by a consumer’s
Activities, interests, and activities, interests, and opinions (AIOs), as illustrated in Exhibit 14.13. What peo-
opinions (AIOs) The three ple do in their spare time is often a good indicator of their lifestyle. One consumer
components of lifestyles. might like outdoor activities such as skiing, whereas another might prefer to surf
the Web. Political opinions, ideology, and involvement also can affect acquisition,
consumption, and disposition decisions.119
Consumers who engage in different activities and have differing opinions and in-
terests may in fact represent distinct lifestyle segments for marketers. For instance,
one lifestyle segment consists of people with an affinity for nostalgia, or the desire for
old things.120 This segment clearly represents a key market for old movies, books, and
antiques. As another example, consumers who participate in extreme sports such as
snowmobiling are a key market for companies that sell related equipment.121
Lifestyle research can help marketers understand how a product fits into con-
sumers’ general behavior patterns. For example, lifestyles related to cooking in-
clude Speed Scratch Cooking (using time-saving techniques and equipment to
prepare meals) and Investment Cooking (cooking many dishes or a large quantity
of food at once but storing some for later consumption).122
C H A P T E R 14 • Psychographics: Values, Personality, and Lifestyles 379
Source: Joseph T. Plumer, “The Concept and Application of Life Style Segmentation,” Journal of Marketing, January
1974, pp. 33–37. Reprinted with permission.
Consumer lifestyles can have important implications for market segmentation, commu-
nication, and new product ideas.
Market segmentation
Marketers can use lifestyles to identify consumer segments for specific offerings. For
example, targeting wine lovers with busy lifestyles, Francis Ford Coppola has introduced
a single-serve can of sparkling wine, complete with convenient sipping straw.125 Services
such as day-care centers and housecleaning services save time and provide conve-
nience, two benefits that particularly appeal to dual-career couples, working women,
and other consumers with busy lifestyles.126 At the other end of the spectrum, consum-
ers who enjoy the slower pace of gardening are a lucrative target market for local gar-
den centers as well as Home Depot and other retail giants.127
Lifestyle segmentation also has important cross-cultural implications. One study of 12
European countries used demographics, activities, media behavior, political inclinations,
and mood to identify six Eurotype lifestyle segments: Traditionalists (18 percent of the
population), Homebodies (14 percent), Rationalists (23 percent), Pleasurists (17 percent),
Strivers (15 percent), and Trendsetters (13 percent).128 Finally, marketers often monitor
lifestyle changes to identify new opportunities. In Missouri, all branches of Fifth Third Bank
are open extended hours—even on Saturdays and Sundays—so that time-stressed cus-
tomers can handle transactions in person. “It should be just as easy for [customers] to get
a home equity loan as it is to buy a pair of shoes,” says the bank’s president.129
380 PAR T FOUR • The Consumer’s Culture
Communications
Marketers can design ad messages and promotions to appeal to certain lifestyles, fea-
turing products in the context of desired lifestyles.130 Using the Internet can be a very
targeted way to communicate with a variety of lifestyle segments, particularly those
who surf the web most often. This is why JonesSoda.com, MyCoke.com, and other sites
regularly post new features such as music and games to keep younger visitors returning
again and again.
Finally, media usage patterns may be related to lifestyles.131 For example, consumers
who read magazines and newspapers tend to be educated and hold prestige jobs as well as
being involved in the community and politics. Interestingly, consumers who love to surf the
Internet also tend to be heavy TV watchers.132 One national survey found connections be-
tween seemingly unrelated lifestyles and media usage, such as fishing enthusiasts tending
to enjoy listening to Christian rock music and reading Southern Living.133
VALS
One of the most widely known psychographic tools is VALS, formerly known as
Values and Life Style Survey Values and Lifestyle Survey, conducted by SRI Consulting Business Intelligence.
(VALS) A psychographic tool VALS analyzes the behavior of U.S. consumers to create segments based on two
that measures demographic, factors. The first is resources, including income, education, self-confidence, health,
value, attitude, and lifestyle eagerness to buy, intelligence, and energy level. The second is primary motivation.
variables.
Consumers motivated by ideals are guided by intellectual aspects rather than by
feelings or other people’s opinions. Those who are motivated by achievement base
their views on the actions and opinions of others and strive to win their approval.
And those who are motivated by self-expression desire social or physical action,
variety, activity, and personal challenge.135
Combining the resource and motivation variables, VALS has identified eight
consumer segments (see Exhibit 14.14). At the low end of the resource hierarchy are
Survivors, who have the lowest incomes. Their focus is on survival, so they are not
described by a primary motivation. Believers are conservative and motivated by
ideals; they have somewhat modest resources and, because they do not change
easily, tend to prefer familiar, established products and brands. The other group
motivated by ideals is the Thinkers, who are mature and well educated and who
actively conduct information searches when planning purchases. Thinkers have
more resources and are value oriented in their consumption practices.