We Found a Newsletter Worth Reading
I HAVE A STRICT "NO NEWSLETTERS" RULE to protect my inbox and my brain. But I've found an exception.
For the third time over several months, my friend Ginger Conlon sent me a research company newsletter that is worth subscribing to. It's written by John Dick the CEO of Civic Science and unlike other research company newsletters, it's fun and well-written! I learn interesting things when I read it.
The last issue taught me this:
"Among retailers, Bloomingdale’s and REI shoppers are the second and third most likely, respectively, to say they’re better looking than their peers."
John kept #1 a secret, for mysterious reasons.
And this:
"Carhartt fans are significantly more price sensitive now than they were two years ago, outpacing the shift among other apparel brands. Kanye West fans are way more Republican than they were six years ago because, well, you know."
HERE'S WHAT ALL THIS MAKES ME WANT TO KNOW
It all makes me want to know WHY. Of course. Because that's what our research does. We identify WHY people do things, and how to change what they do next.
If we knew WHY people shop in a particular place or for a particular brand, we'd know how to offer them an alternative and change what they do next.
If we knew WHY they have a certain self-image, we'd know how to reinforce that, or move them off that belief.
If we knew WHY they are predisposed to one media outlet or political party over another, we could predict how to make them switch. Or – you guessed it – how to how to get them to be an even bigger fan.
Because all the behaviors and emotions and decisions that John writes about so engagingly are driven by the same thing: our values.
WHAT WE VALUE DETERMINES EVERYTHING WE DO
If we knew WHY a certain group of consumers were cost-conscious, for example, we'd be able to predict their next cost-conscious move. Is it because they value experiences and are saving up? Or because they value wealth and hate parting with the cash? Or because they feel this will benefit their family?
Think about it as a three-legged stool of audience insights. Demographics describe your target audience, psychographics are a record of what they've done and felt and thought so far. And valuegraphics identify the core values that will motivate them most.
And with the kind of elegant insights that Civic Science provides, you'd have an especially sturdy place to stand.
#valuesdriven #demographics #psychographics #valuegraphics #marketing #values #behavioralscience #consumerbehavior #datadriven
