INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………..2
1. Theoretical foundations of marketing research on the psychographic profile of consumers……………….………………………………….………..4
1.1 Psychography as a method of consumer research in
marketing………………………………………………………………………………….….4
1.2 Methods for studying the lifestyle of consumers and
market segmentation based on psychographic types…………...….6
1.3 Features of determining the psychographic types of Russian consumers………………………………………………………………………………….....24
2. Marketing research of the psychographic portrait of buyers of Vester Group products………………….…………………………………………...37
2.1 General characteristics of the Vester Group of Companies………….……………………………………………………...…37
2.2 Description of the marketing research problem and search for ways to solve it. Drawing up a marketing research plan…………......41
2.3 Conducting marketing research on the psychographic profile of consumers of soft drinks of the Vester Group of Companies.................................................... ........................................................ ....................43
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………...………………..55
List of references…………………………………...………57
APPENDIX 1……………………………………………………………………………….58
INTRODUCTION
All company activities are aimed at interacting with consumers. The consumer, the client, is the key figure around whom the company’s activities are built. Without them, any efforts of the company are meaningless - there is no point in developing a development strategy, inventing new products, or improving the sales system if all these efforts are directed “to nowhere.”
Relationships with consumers are becoming increasingly complex. He is no longer just a buyer ready to buy something new or, on the contrary, useful, but an expert in the consumer market. With the growing level of competition in most consumer markets, marketing, advertising and sales departments are faced with increasingly complex challenges in retaining and attracting new consumers.
Most companies operating in the Russian market, promoting their products, brands, and services, rely on the results of market and consumer segmentation. There are several main ways to clearly and reasonably define target groups (segments). Typically, demographic segmentation is the most commonly used segmentation. However, the marketing practice of recent years and, above all, the experience of our foreign colleagues indicate that simple segmentation of consumers of a product or service by demographic and regional characteristics, or by income level, is usually not enough. A product or service is used not just by people of a certain age and place of residence, but by consumers of a certain brand, choosing it in accordance with their taste and lifestyle.
In modern conditions, due to the development of the market and increasing competition, psychographic portrait research is becoming increasingly relevant, as it gives a broad picture of customers, a real picture of what is hidden behind faceless socio-demographic data, and helps to understand the real behavior of consumers. Companies need to know their consumers by sight, feel their behavior, and predict their actions. Psychographic dimensions are much more extensive than demographic, behavioral and socio-economic dimensions. Psychographics are the most effective and most important characteristic of consumer segmentation because they take into account relatively intangible phenomena - motivation, perception, interests, personality, learning, learning, beliefs and attitudes.
The purpose of the course work is to study the psychographic characteristics of consumers of soft drinks and methods for segmenting consumers according to psychographic profiles.
In accordance with the goal, the following tasks are solved:
Study the theoretical foundations of marketing research into the psychographic profile of consumers;
Explore methods of market segmentation based on psychographic types;
Conduct a cluster analysis of soft drink consumers based on psychographic data.
The object of the study is consumers of soft drinks of the Vester Group of Companies (Vester supermarket).
1. Theoretical foundations of marketing research on the psychographic profile of consumers.
1.1 Psychography as a method of consumer research in marketing.
Psychographic marketing research is based on a science called psychography.
Psychography is the psychological study of groups or individuals regarding their characteristics, values, beliefs, preferences, and behavior patterns.
Life style – one of the main concepts used in the study of consumer behavior.
The concept of lifestyle is more modern than the concept of personality and more comprehensive than the theory of values. Using the concept of lifestyle, marketers try, through advertising, to connect the product with the daily, everyday life of the target market.
Lifestyle is a general concept that defines both the way a person lives in general and how he spends his time and money. With the help of this concept, people interpret the events taking place around them, comprehend and predict them, and coordinate their values with the events.
Psychography is one of the most common methods for measuring lifestyle. It can be used to obtain quantitative data and can be applied to large samples that need to be divided into market segments. “Soft” qualitative methods (focus groups and “in-depth” interviews), although they do not provide quantitative results, still allow a deeper look at strategy development and provide interesting ideas. The general psychographic approach is based on taking into account the personal characteristics of each consumer in the group being studied, the motives of his behavior as a consumer, his life values, behavioral attitudes and even beliefs.
Demographic and psychographic measures complement each other and should be used together. Demography represents objective quantitative indicators such as age, gender, education, marital status. Psychography takes into account relatively intangible phenomena - motives, interests, social status and life values of people. This information complements demographic data and further characterizes the consumer.
Psychographic dimensions are much more extensive than demographic, behavioral and socioeconomic dimensions.
Psychographic analysis allows sellers to understand what lifestyles the buyers of their products adhere to, and this in turn makes it possible to communicate more effectively with representatives of different segments. At the same time, you can figure out how to position a new or existing product, how best to “convey” it to consumers who adhere to a certain lifestyle. The main idea of the method is to look beyond the standard variables, to present the product in accordance with the actions, hopes, fears and dreams of the target audience.
The goal of psychographic market segmentation is to develop a marketing program that has all elements relevant to the majority of the target market. Advertising here relies mainly on lifestyle elements rather than product characteristics. It may use models and celebrities associated with specific lifestyles.
Psychographic research is most often carried out for four main purposes: 1) to identify target markets; 2) to obtain better explanations of consumer behavior; 3) to improve the company’s strategic marketing; 4) to minimize risks when introducing new products and new enterprises.
1.2 Methods for studying the lifestyle of consumers and segmenting the market based on psychographic types.
This topic has been little studied by Russian specialists, so the basic concepts and methods presented are based on foreign research, mainly by American authors. Along with the recognized research methods VALS1 and VALS2, we will consider the system of psychographic types of Internet users (iVALS), which is still little known in Russia, as well as some of the alternative models.
One of the most common approaches to lifestyle marketing is the VALS (Values and Lifestyle) method, developed in 1978 by the Stanford Research Institute in California. It is based largely on Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. At the base of the pyramid of human needs are physiological needs, without the satisfaction of which physical existence itself is impossible, followed by security, love, respect. The highest level in the hierarchy is self-realization, in which the set of needs of an individual is determined by himself.
The VALS system divided American consumers into 4 main groups: need-driven (11%), externally driven (67%) and internally driven (22%), and “integrated”, the number of which is small (Table 1.1).
Table 1.1
Main consumer groups according to the VALS system
| Consumer group |
Characteristic |
| Need-Driven Consumers |
They spend money based on their needs, not their preferences. These are the poorest segments of the population, without education. |
| Consumers driven by external factors |
When making purchases, these people care about what others think about it. |
| Consumers driven by internal factors |
For them, their own needs and desires are most important. |
| "Integrated" |
These consumers constitute the smallest group. They represent individuals who combine the qualities of the two previous groups. Although their numbers are small, this group can play an important role as trendsetters. |
Each group is characterized by its own values and lifestyle, demographic characteristics and purchasing behavior patterns. The listed groups are divided into 4 segments, presented in Figure 1.
High level of resources
Focused on:
Principles Status Action
Rice. 2. Segmentation of consumers by lifestyle based on the VALS 2 method
Consumer groups are formed depending on a person’s orientation to a principle, status or action:
Principle-oriented consumers base their selection of certain products on personal beliefs rather than on the opinions of others.
Status-oriented consumers value the approval of others.
Action-oriented consumers are driven by a desire for social and physical activity, variety, and a sense of risk.
In addition to orientation, consumers also differ in the availability (level) of resources. Resources are psychological, physical, socio-economic factors that influence the choice and purchase decision of each consumer.
Each type of consumer in the VALS-2 model has its own characteristics.
1st type. “Actualizers” are successful, modern, active, with high self-esteem and abundant resources. Interested in growth and strive to develop, realize and express themselves in various ways - sometimes driven by principles, desires for positive emotions or change. Image is significant to them not as evidence of status or power, but as an expression of their taste, regardless of character. These people are among the established and emerging leaders in business and government, yet continue to seek challenging challenges. They have a wide range of interests, are not indifferent to social problems and are open to change. Their possessions and amusements reflect a cultivated taste for the finer and finer things in life.
Principle-oriented consumers—“self-actualized” (2) and “believing” (3)—seek to align their behavior with their views of how the world should be.
2nd type. “Self-actualized” (fulfilled) - mature, satisfied with life, comfortable, thoughtful people who value order, knowledge and responsibility. A high level of resources is combined with a principled orientation. Most are well educated and hold professional positions. Well informed about world and national events and do not miss the opportunity to expand their knowledge. Leisure is built around the home. They have moderate respect for social self-portraits and institutions, but are open to new ideas and social change. They are calm, self-confident, conservative, practical - they look for functionality, value, and durability in their purchases.
3rd type. Believers are conservative, ordinary people with specific beliefs based on traditional values - family, church, local community, nation. Low level of resources and orientation to principles. Bearers of moral principles, deeply rooted and interpreted literally. These consumers follow established rules of everyday life, relating primarily to home, family, and their social and religious organizations. These are conservative and predictable consumers who prefer domestic products and established brands.
Status-oriented consumers – “achievers” (4) and “striving” (5) – have or are looking for a safe and other place in the social order they value. The consumer choices of these groups are aimed at improving their position or ensuring their movement towards another, more desirable group.
4th type. “Achievers” are successful people, career- or work-oriented, who manage their own lives. A high level of resources is combined with a taste orientation. They value agreement, predictability and stability more than risk, close relationships and self-disclosure. Deeply committed to work and family. Work provides them with a sense of duty, material reward or prestige. Social life is built around family, church, and career. “Achievers” are politically conservative and respect authority. Image is important to them - therefore they prefer established and well-known, prestigious products or services that demonstrate success to others.
5th type. “Striving” (strivers) - seek motivation, self-determination and approval from the world around them. They strive to find a safe place in life. They are unsure of themselves and have a low level of economic, social and psychological resources. Concerned with the opinions and approval of others. Money determines success for aspirants, but it is in short supply and life seems impoverished to them. Aspiring people are easily bored and impulsive. Many people strive to be stylish, to imitate those who have more impressive things. However, what they want is usually not available to them.
Action-oriented consumers – “Experimenters” (6) and “Makers” (7) – want to influence their environment in a clear way. Makers do this primarily at home and constructively. Experimentalists seek adventure and lived experience in the wider world.
6th type. “Experimenters” or “experiencers” are young, energetic, enthusiastic, impulsive and rebellious. They seek variety and vivid impressions, strive for something new, unusual, and risky. They are still in the process of formulating life values and patterns of behavior, they perceive new opportunities with enthusiasm, but quickly cool down. Politically neutral, uninformed and ambivalent in their beliefs. An abstract contempt for comfort is combined with an outsider's awe of wealth and power. Energy finds outlet in sports, entertainment outside the home and social activity. Greedy consumers spend the vast majority of their income on clothing, fast food, music, movies, and videos.
7th type. “Makers” are practical people with constructive skills who value independence. They live in the traditional context of family, practical work, physical entertainment, and have little interest in what lies outside this context. They express themselves and experience the world - building a house, raising children, fixing a car, or canning - and have enough skill and energy to complete these projects successfully.
They are suspicious of new ideas and big opportunities, such as big capital. They are respectful of government authority, but are against government intrusion into personal life. They are not fascinated by material possessions unless they are purchased for a practical or functional purpose. Because they value value over luxury, they buy staples.
8th type. “Strugglers” are the chronically poor, poorly educated, have few skills, lack strong social networks, are elderly and health-conscious, resigned and passive. They are limited in their need to satisfy basic current needs and do not strive for self-realization. Their main concern is safety and security; they are careful consumers. A modest market for most products and services, but a loyal one for favorite brands [see 20].
The researchers note that this model has disadvantages and limitations of use. Limitations of VALS-2 include the closedness of the toolkit for public use, which was imposed by the Stanford Institute as a developer; the individual nature of the meter (most consumer decisions are made by the household, not the individual), non-absolute relevance to products and use situations - consumers often belong to more than one life style.
An alternative to VALS is the LOV (List of Values) model, developed in 1983 at the University of Michigan. Contains 9 values that respondents rank by importance:
1. self-realization
2. excitement
3. sense of movement
4. self-esteem
5. sense of belonging
6. be respected
7. safety
8. fun and pleasure
9. warm relationships with others
Marketers use meaningful value to assign consumers to segments. As experts note, supplemented with demographic information, the LOV method is quite effective and allows you to identify market segments instead of using a priori defined segments.
The method is used to differentiate consumers along three dimensions:
Internal focus (values 1, 2, 3, 4);
Interpersonal focus (values 8 and 9);
External focus (values 5, 6, 7).
Consumers with an emphasis on intrinsically oriented values seek to control their lives by making independent decisions. People with an external orientation are more likely to align their purchasing behavior with the majority in society.
Considering the essence of life style, it is also necessary to present methods and models for its description.
Quantitative description, analysis and modeling of consumer lifestyles for marketing purposes is often associated with psychographics. Psychographics is a quantitative study of the lifestyle and personality characteristics of consumers. The original psychographic tool was the AIO model (activities, interests, opinions).
The AIO model describes the consumer’s lifestyle according to parameters grouped into three groups: activities, interests and opinions (Table 1.2).
Table 1.2 examines a fragment of the model that can be used to describe the consumer’s lifestyle. To identify parameter values, a set of questions and statements are used, in relation to which the respondent must express agreement/disagreement. For example, to assess activity, questions can be used: “How many books have you read in a year?”, “How often do you visit large shopping centers?” An example of assessing interests are the questions: “Which of the following are you more interested in - sports, church or work?”, “How important is it for you to advance in life?” Opinions can be revealed by expressing agreement/disagreement with statements, for example: “We must be prepared for nuclear war.”
The goals of consumer lifestyle analysis determine the content of AIO questions. To determine the profile, or overall lifestyle, of a consumer segment, questions are more general in nature. Based on the identified profile of the consumer segment, advertisers develop ideas for advertising topics and options for the form, place and time of its placement.
To gather information about the product and the relevance of the product to the consumer, AIO questions or statements may be more specific. Such information is used to develop or modify a product to formulate a unique selling proposition. This sentence is a short but impressive phrase that captures the main characteristic of the product. For example: “Breakfast of Champions”, “President’s Choice”. This offer is generated based on consumer descriptions of a specific product using AIO forms.
Psychographic analysis allows sellers to understand what lifestyles the buyers of their products adhere to, and this in turn makes it possible to communicate more effectively with representatives of different segments. At the same time, you can figure out how to position a new or existing product, how best to “convey” it to consumers who adhere to a certain lifestyle. The main idea of the method is to look beyond standard variables, presenting the product in accordance with the actions, hopes, fears and dreams of target buyers.
Relatively recently (in 1997), another direction for studying the lifestyles of consumers, this time of Internet users, appeared - iVALS (Internet VALS). This technique was also developed by SRI International. SRI developed iVALS to improve the efficiency and quality of the online environment for users and to help providers.
Let us briefly characterize the psychographic types of Internet users identified using this technique (Figure 3).
 |
Rice. 3. Segmentation of psychographic types using the iVALS method
· Gurus (Wizard) are the most active and professional Internet users. Computers are a key part of their lifestyle and knowledge of technology makes them outstanding personalities. More than 80% of Gurus have been using the Internet for more than three years. Although the Gurus have met many people on the Internet over the years, most likely these acquaintances remain only virtual. Gurus do not specifically seek friends (people) in the traditional sense.
About half of them take part in MUD (Multi-Users Dungeon/Dimension - multiplayer role-playing games) or MOO (Multiple User Dungeon - Object Oriented - a type of MUD with more features). Many have their own web pages and all have many games or multimedia programs, especially for adults. Almost all Gurus are men, and relatively young ones, they are less than 30 years old. Despite their age, many work as middle managers, consultants, and analysts, and therefore their income is not very high. Wizard is the target group for specialized technical information, beta software product testing, computer and software conferences, and other professional topics. They like programs with more features.
· Pioneers - users of this type make up approximately 10% of respondents. Pioneers are a generally positive and active segment of users. They spend a lot of time on the Internet and often attend conferences such as Usenet. So far, most of the “pioneers” feel confident in the technical aspect of the Internet. In general, they feel superior to other Internet users. Like Surfers, they are moderately interested in the Internet. Considering this group, it can be noted that the majority are men of different ages and with low incomes. Pioneers include technical staff and students.
· Surfers are a fast-learning, but not very technically educated segment; they feel confident in the Internet. Moreover, the Internet for them is entertainment and a place for leisure. Although they have a positive attitude towards the World Wide Web and are willing to spend more money on Internet services than any other type of user (Wanderers have more than two email accounts), they have a somewhat negative attitude towards chat rooms and conferences. This type constitutes the oldest age group, and with above-average household income. “Wanderers” are mainly middle managers, scientists, specialists, and consultants. These are active users of mail catalogs and online stores. They have watched less TV since they started using the Internet. This type of Internet user spends a lot of time traveling and surfing the Internet. They strive to learn as much as possible about the “Network”. They are passionate not only about information, but also about communicating with people or working.
· Mainstreamers. Such users turn to the Internet to work or solve personal issues, but nothing more. Most often, they use the Internet from their place of work and are focused only on obtaining information that is useful to them. They spend a significant part of their time simply wandering around the World Wide Web. At the same time, they feel quite confident on the Internet, so they do not have the desire to make great efforts to master certain professional skills in this area. Users of this type have above average income, higher education, these are computer specialists, scientists, senior managers, and students. This is one of the most intelligent segments in iVALS. It should be noted that their professional interests do not include computer software and therefore their activity on the Internet is due to more personal interests than official ones. Therefore, they are the target group for the “consumer” Internet.
· Experienced users (Upstreamers). They make up about 14% of those surveyed in the study. The closest psychographic type to them is Mainstreamers. For them, as for most users, the Internet is an opportunity to satisfy both personal needs and resolve issues related to work or professional activities. Although Upstreamers differ from Mainstreamers in that they approach the Internet more creatively (they experiment and try more). They also spend more time online than the mainstream, have more email addresses, and subscribe to more news. They are confident with a computer, although they do not have a technical education. Users of this type are men. scientists, consultants, marketers and sales managers. For Upstreamers, the Internet is a kind of bridge for gaining the knowledge they lack in any area.
· Workers are people who use the Internet solely for utilitarian purposes. Most of them have more than two email addresses, and they participate and attend conferences such as Usenet several times a week. Workers carefully plan their visits to the Internet; they clearly limit the time they spend on the Internet to resolve work issues and search for information. They may not feel comfortable enough on the Internet, but are intolerant of the frivolities allowed there. The interests of “Workhorses” are concentrated around special, specific information and finding solutions to certain issues. They may, however, take part in some conferences and communicate with people if it will bring them some benefit or solve their problems. Workers are overwhelmingly men with average and above average income. Consultants, students, technical staff, teachers. This target segment is for information (eg delivered via email).
· Sociables - for this type of Internet user, the social aspects of the Internet are most important. Compared to the closest type in terms of their characteristics - Socialites, Sociables gravitate towards less structured meetings in cyberspace - such as, for example, chats, conferences. This type meets online and meets a large number of people, and they communicate with men and women differently. One of the most pleasant sounds for them in the morning is the e-mail signal that they have received letters from friends. Sociables rate the Internet more favorably than other types, especially regarding entertainment and value for children. Entertainment is a key aspect of personal interest on the Internet. “Sociable” people love movies and cable TV, and they have a lot of games and multimedia programs. When technical problems arise, they rely primarily on friends or online message boards. The socio-demographic characteristics of this type of user mainly reflect the overall picture of the Internet. 70% of them are men, mostly young with varying incomes. These are teachers, lawyers, managers, students and employees. Sociables is primarily a target group for personal selling, entertainment or gossip related news, home pages and specific news that connects people with the same interests and similar lifestyles.
· Socially active, “social activists” (Socialites) are users strictly focused on the social aspects of the Internet; they can often be found at conferences where social issues and current problems are discussed, for example, the possibility of introducing time-based payment for telephone conversations, listening, reading all messages on the Internet by intelligence services, etc. They have many mailing addresses and often receive and send mail at conferences. They enjoy participating in various discussions. For them, the Internet is, first of all, a game, an entertainment, so they have a lot of games and multimedia programs. This type of user is the youngest - less than 30 years old with low to middle income. These are mainly students and technical (computer staff). Since their income is low, this is not a promising segment for traditional online sales. However, they are excellent candidates for entertainment like MUDs and MOOs, as they combine many aspects - creative and social.
· Seekers are a group focused on obtaining information of a working nature. They use computers mainly to work more efficiently and quickly and solve problems. Therefore, for them the Internet is also primarily a tool for obtaining very specific and professional information. However, after they finish work, they can surf the Internet in search of entertainment and relaxation. Since they are primarily interested in business topics, business information, they are promising consumers of this kind of information, they are willing to pay for it. This is the oldest segment. They have a higher level of education than the Internet average and an above average income. These are teachers, top and middle managers, sales managers, and marketers.
· Immigrants - they are relatively new to using the Internet, so they are familiar with only a limited number of areas of the Internet. These users won't pay their money for the Internet unless they have free access at work or school. They usually have one email address. They believe that they have more important things to do than learn about cyberspace through trial and error, and they do not want to become experts in the field. They devote little time to entertainment on the Internet, communicate little in chat rooms, conferences, or correspond with people by e-mail. They are skeptical about the Internet, but at the same time they understand the usefulness of this tool for their work and problem solving, and clearly understand the progressive advantages of its use. “Immigrants” are men and women of different ages: from 12-year-old children to students.
There are also alternative methods such as “Scan” and PRIZM, presented in Table 1.3.
Table 1.3
Alternative Lifestyle Research Methodologies
| Methodology |
Description |
| Developed by the French university RISC (International Research Institute of Social Change). This is a kind of lifestyle typology in order to obtain a “scan”, a “cloud of points” corresponding to the respondents’ answers, divided into 10 parts of 10% each: survival-based, caregivers, careerists, etc. |
|
| PRIZM (Potential Rating Index by Zip Markets - potential rating index of markets by postal zones) |
The model divides residents of more than 500 thousand US areas into sixty-two groups, called PRIZM clusters. The clusters take into account 39 factors, grouped into five main criteria: education and wealth, family life cycle, urbanization, race and ethics, and mobility. The model includes 40 types of lifestyle, divided into 12 clusters according to the criteria of the type of area of residence. the name of the clusters reflects the nature of the segment: “Blue Blood Estate”, “American Dream”, “Cashmere and Country Club for the Elite”, etc. |
Thus, to date, several general psychographic systems have been developed abroad. They differ in their theoretical basis, the sociocultural characteristics of the country in which they were developed, and the number of categories included in them. However, none of them is based on Russian empirical material.
It should also be noted that psychographic techniques common abroad have not been tested in Russia, therefore they contain a set of statements and descriptive characteristics exclusively for the population of the countries where they were developed. Therefore, psychographic systems like VALS can only be used as a sample, which requires serious modifications.
1.3 Features of determining the psychographic types of Russian consumers.
R-TGI - (Russian Target Group Index) is a certified study of target groups of consumers of goods, services and media, which fully complies with the international requirements of TGI technology.
R-TGI is an analogue of the British study TGI - Target Group Index, adapted to Russian conditions, which has more than 30 years of history of monitoring lifestyle and consumption. Currently, TGI is one of the main sources of information in the marketing practices of the world's largest companies. By 2002, TGI is the quality standard for advertisers and advertising agencies in 41 countries around the world.
Scope of application of R-TGI research:
R-TGI is focused on information requests from manufacturers of goods and services, as well as wholesale and retail trade firms at different stages of their marketing decision-making. Manufacturers receive information about the state of the market, knowledge, loyalty and level of brand consumption, regional and socio-demographic differences in consumption.
R-TGI is focused on the information requests of advertising agencies, media planning services and advertising placement in the media at the stages of development, planning and advertising placement. Advertising agencies are able to effectively plan advertising campaigns, while significantly reducing costs and achieving maximum coverage of the target group.
R-TGI is focused on the information requests of media editors at different stages of their decision-making based on an analysis of the characteristics and interests of their audience and the audience of competing media. R-TGI users have the opportunity to prove to the advertiser their effectiveness as an advertising medium.
The annual sample size of R-TGI is more than 16,000 households (36,000 respondents), evenly distributed across 4 survey waves in each year.
The R-TGI study is being conducted in 60 cities of the Russian Federation with a population of more than 100 thousand people
The general population is 60 million people.
The sample was stratified by 12 economic regions and 3 levels of urban population (>1 million, 0.5-1 million, 0.5 million – 0.1 million).
Stage 1: Taking into account the geographical location, 8 economic-geographical regions of the European part of Russia and 4 regions of the Asian part were identified. Stratification of cities based on population (>1 million, 1 million - 0.5 million, 0.5 million - 0.1 million).
Stage 2: In each city, the distribution of the sample is proportional to the population in the administrative districts.
Stage 3: Random selection of households from the address database. The complete list of addresses is 1/6 of the households in the general population.
A significant sample size, its representativeness, quarterly measurement, wide geography and a constant composition of cities participating in each wave of measurements are the undeniable advantages of R-TGI, ensuring high data reliability.
The following technology is used to collect data:
1. Face-to-face interview on issues of family consumption, composition and other family parameters with a housewife/householder (the family member who most often makes decisions regarding purchases of goods for the whole family).
2. Self-completion by all family members aged 10 years and older of questionnaires on individual consumption, attitude towards the media and lifestyle.
The R-TGI database combines data on the consumption of goods and services, use of the media, living conditions and lifestyle, socio-demographic characteristics of the family as a whole and its members (aged 10 years and older):
Consumption data
· Market segmentation based on the following criteria:
Share of consumers of the product/service, frequency of consumption;
Socio-demographic characteristics of consumers (buyers) of the product/service;
Knowledge and preferences in consuming brands;
Brand loyalty and brand consumption repertoire;
Socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle of consumers of various brands;
Regional characteristics of consumption.
· Press:
Average Issue Readership
Reading frequency: more than 30 daily, 110 weekly, 170 monthly publications, more than 2000 local publications;
Attitude to topics of publications in newspapers and magazines;
Method of obtaining periodicals.
· A television:
Possibility of reception and dynamics of television viewing on 16 central and more than 200 main local television channels;
Daily dynamics of television viewing on weekdays and weekends;
Viewing activity of more than 400 regular programs of central and more than 2000 regular programs of local channels;
Frequency of listening to all-Russian, interregional and main local radio stations;
Dynamics and duration of radio listening on weekdays and weekends;
Listening range;
Listening location;
Attitude to radio broadcast genres and musical genres.
· Socio-demographic information:
Gender, age, education, field of activity and form of ownership of the enterprise or type of educational institution, social status of the main occupation, family composition, size and structure of family income, living conditions, residence and more.
· Life style:
More than 200 situational statements characterizing the habits, interests and opinions of respondents, primarily as consumers of goods, services and mass information;
Sports hobbies;
Visiting cinemas, theaters, concerts, video libraries, discos, art exhibitions, libraries, interest clubs;
Information about trips across Russia and the CIS, trips abroad.
R-TGI allows:
1. Conduct an analysis of segmentation of the product (service) market;
2. Identify and describe target groups of consumers of various goods (products), services and media: numbers, proportions of groups among the population, gender, age, education, income level, field of activity, official status, etc.
3. Determine the marketing strategy for promoting the product (service);
4. Optimize the complex of marketing communications;
5. Position the brand;
In 1998, the international advertising agency Leo Burnet conducted a study of changing life values, psychological and behavioral stereotypes in Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Germany. In Russia, 2 thousand people aged 16 to 70 years were surveyed in 12 largest millionaire cities.
In accordance with the results obtained, Russia, as well as other countries of the socialist camp that experienced the transition from a socialist model to a market economy, was characterized by the presence of three groups of consumers: mobilizers, optimists and disillusioned. Clearly, this study has provided very valuable empirical material for advertising agencies. However, the geography of the sample and the scale naturally did not allow for a detailed analysis to identify the typology of consumers. The data obtained are of a very general nature.
However, research in Russia continued based on the analysis of the data array of the Russian Index of Target Groups for 1999-2001. (more than 100 thousand respondents) a typology was created called RULS (Russian Life Style - an analogue of the American model VALS-2).
The procedure for constructing a typology of consumers and their preferences was carried out in stages. First, a factor analysis of 230 situational statements was carried out and factors influencing purchasing behavior were identified. These factors are:
Focus on price (expensive-cheap);
Focus on quality (buy less, but of better quality, or buy more in reserve);
Brand orientation (purchasing a product as a category or choosing a competitive brand);
Spontaneity/calculation (purchases, including food, are carefully planned or made impulsively);
Innovation/traditionality (willingness to try, experiment, buy out of curiosity or conservatism, attachment to proven products);
Focus on imported or domestic products.
A more in-depth analysis of all the factors identified three main ones: focus on price, quality, and fame. When projected onto each of the three axes, each respondent receives the corresponding coordinates in the three-dimensional space of factors influencing purchasing behavior.
The final result of the study was the formation of psychographic types, which consisted of creating 9 possible combinations from the resulting groups of variables (similar to VALS-2). Based on a sample survey (33,942 people aged 10 to 70 years), eight non-overlapping psychographic groups were identified, which differ significantly from each other in the main categories. The names of these types were chosen taking into account their correspondence to international psychographic typologies:
1st type. “Survivors” – 17%. The main thing for this group when choosing goods is price. Chronically poor, resigned and passive. They barely make ends meet and have difficulty meeting their daily needs. Costs for purchasing food, clothing, shoes and durable goods (consumer activity) are below average. The main thing for them when choosing goods is price. They look for cheaper goods and spend almost all their money on food. There are practically no complex household appliances on the farm. The selection of furniture and other durable items is limited to older models. Active TV viewers and radio listeners (more than 3 hours a day). They are irritated by advertising, prefer traditional products, and do a lot of housework. Women are characterized by sewing, knitting, and caring for indoor flowers. The main consumers of cheap products, groceries, second-hand goods. They often buy food in reserve. They usually go to stores located near their home. Leisure is limited to reading newspapers and television series. The press prefers to read, along with local news, publications on medicine, gardening, and correspondence with readers. Books are rarely bought, mostly detective stories and textbooks. Concerned about rising prices and the performance of utilities. They are often sad and worried. Tend to moralize. They are religious and try to observe norms and rituals. Religious holidays are regularly celebrated. Education is predominantly secondary and incomplete secondary.
2nd type. “Traditionalists” – 9%. When choosing goods, they are primarily guided by price, but they tend to buy familiar products, the quality of which they have seen from their own experience. Consumers of local unbranded products prefer domestic products and goods. They buy cheaper products and love sales. They are preoccupied with material and family problems, which they spend most of their time solving. Mostly homebodies. They take care of their garden plot, which significantly meets their food needs. The most active summer residents. Adherents of conservative moral values are prone to moralizing. They strive to express their opinion, despite the objections of others. Advertising is treated with irritation. They strive to buy products whose quality they have seen from their own experience. They plan purchases in advance, counting every ruble. Save money for large purchases. They give their preference to dramatic and opera performances. However, leisure time is not organized, they rarely even go to the cinema. Along with detective stories, they prefer books on housekeeping and recipes. From publications in the press, local city and regional news, topics about health, medicine, cooking, and TV program announcements are specially selected for reading. The focus is on the consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the situation of Russian speakers in the near abroad, interethnic and religious conflicts. We would like everything to be accurate and predictable.
3rd type. “Striving” (Strivers) – 13%. When choosing goods, they are mainly guided by price and brand recognition. They are trying to adapt to market conditions. The material level allows you to satisfy your current needs for food and clothing, but you have to save money to buy quality goods. They are gradually updating household appliances, clothing and shoes. They have a good understanding of food and product brands. They strive to find the best value for money. They make family decisions about purchasing food and household goods, medicines, confectionery, jewelry and budget items. They try not to buy unfamiliar brands of goods and products. They treat advertising with understanding. They are impressionable and susceptible to outside influence. Before making serious purchases, they try to find out the opinions of others. Spontaneous and fickle in actions and assessments. They represent a reserve of innovators. They declare a love for classical music and jazz, however, they often limit themselves to reading literature rather than going to a concert. Medicine, health, child care are their main topics in the press, in addition to the traditional city chronicles, crosswords and horoscopes. They show particular interest in publications about new products and services. It is distinguished by the purchase of children's literature, poetry, detective stories and romance novels. They are concerned about health problems, gender relations, and interethnic conflicts. A garden plot or cottage is the main vacation spot.
4th type. “Mainstreamers” - 18%. Passive purchasing behavior without expressed attitudes. They declare detachment from solving everyday problems. Independent purchases are made situationally, more often on a list compiled by a housewife. They usually go to stores located near their home. They are practical and self-sufficient, focusing more on the functional purpose of the goods. They live mainly for today, not always worrying about tomorrow. They try not to borrow money and spend it carefully. They buy only the essentials. They trust those brands whose quality they themselves have seen. Plan important purchases in advance. Leisure activities are poorly organized. In the summer, they spend time at their dacha or garden plot, which not only significantly helps meet the need for vegetables and fruits, but also provides additional income from the sale of what they grow. They rarely read, mostly professional literature, science fiction, and detective stories. The press pays attention to local news, crime chronicles, and television program announcements. Among the current socio-political problems are military conflicts and the situation in the army.
5th type. “Careless” – 6%. Passive purchasing behavior without expressed attitudes. They do not take part in housework and are reluctant to go shopping. They are interested in modern music and fashionable sports. Interests: computers, computer games, Internet. They have a good understanding of product brands, although they treat advertising with some distrust. Somewhat self-confident. They consider themselves experts in audio and video equipment, computers and cars. Few people read periodicals. Active TV viewers and radio listeners (more than 3 hours a day). They don’t like to stand out; they live in “their own world.” They go to the library more often than to a concert, but they don’t deprive themselves of the pleasure of “hanging out” at a disco or in a club of similar interests. They prefer fantastic literature and buy dictionaries and reference books. They are engaged in collecting and playing musical instruments. They love jokes, jokes, crosswords, and horoscopes. The focus is on studies, environmental problems, and family relationships.
6th type. “Innovators” – 14%. When choosing products, they are mainly guided by brand recognition. Energetic and full of enthusiasm. Active imitators, fashionistas. They seek variety and are prone to risks and the unusual. They may declare contempt for comfort, but strive for prestige and success in life. They buy foreign literature, textbooks, reference books and science fiction. Actively use the computer and the Internet. The press, first of all, pays attention to publications related to leisure activities, computer technologies, and travel. They love jokes and crosswords, secular news, and horoscopes. Active consumers of imported brands. Are independent in choosing soft and alcoholic drinks, household appliances, cosmetics and toiletries. A significant part of the expenses consists of purchasing fashionable clothes, visiting fast foods, and entertainment. Focused on purchasing well-known brands, mostly imported. They may overpay, but buy a product from a well-known company. They love cinema, rock and pop music concerts, and satirical performances. They are happy to spend money and make spontaneous purchases. They are gambling and actively take part in lotteries and drawings. They strive to keep themselves in sports shape. "Eaters" of advertising. Earnings and exchange rates, sex, study are the most pressing problems for them.
7th type. “Successful” – 10%. When choosing products, they mainly focus on the quality of the product. Mature, satisfied with their material level. They love comfort, value order and responsibility. They take care of the family. Well versed in the assortment. They try to choose convenient and comfortable things. “Hunters for quality” are prone to a demonstrative, “Veblenian” style of consumption. If they choose a brand, they try to buy it. Active buyers of fiction of various genres, professional literature. They have varied hobbies: from playing music and training pets to drawing and wood carving. They are willing to pay for high quality, as they understand it. Moderately conservative, loyal buyers of branded products, including domestic ones. To a lesser extent they influence decision-making on food purchases in the family; they are independent in choosing brands of cosmetics, men's and women's perfumes, automobile accessories, computer equipment, construction and finishing materials. They tend to give old, but good, things to others. Active TV viewers and radio listeners (more than 3 hours a day). A dacha is a good place to take a break from city life, but people tend to spend their holidays in new places, incl. Abroad. Advertising is tolerated. They prefer museums, exhibitions, and classical art. They demonstrate concern for general social problems: the state of science, culture and education; they are concerned about the situation regarding the independence of the media, environmental problems, and the fight against AIDS. Active readers of periodicals, “eaters” of information. Energetic and purposeful.
8th type. “Achievers” – 13%. When choosing products, they are mainly guided by the quality and reputation of the brand. The majority are highly wealthy and prosperous. "Hunters" for prestige. We are ready to pay any money to match the image of a successful person. Visitors to expensive stores, antique salons, boutiques. They lead an active lifestyle. Adaptive and goal-oriented. Demonstrate high loyalty to selected brands. They prefer to overpay, but buy a product from a well-known company. If you like something, you are ready to make a purchase right away. Old things tend to be thrown away or given to those in need. They independently make decisions about the purchase of complex household appliances, audio and video equipment, cars and accessories. Actively use the computer and the Internet. The impact on purchases of household goods, medicines, and kitchen utensils is insignificant. They love pop music concerts and often go to the movies and theaters. They prefer encyclopedias, dictionaries, professional and classical literature of various genres. Concentrated on work. The focus is on general economic problems, exchange rates, relationships at work and in the family, and personal safety. The press is interested in analytical materials on economic topics, modern technologies, cars, and tourism. They love videos, prefer comedies, action films and light erotica. A dacha is a good place to take a break from city life, but people tend to spend their holidays in new places, incl. Abroad. They value their freedom and are sociable. Focused on success in life and career. They believe that money is the best indicator of success. They admire those who earn a lot and want to look the same in the eyes of others.
This lifestyle typology is the first study of this type. The results obtained were confirmed by relevant statistical indicators; in particular, the presence and nature of the relationship between the identified psychographic types and the consumption of a wide range of goods and services were confirmed. They can provide sociologists and marketers with a universal tool that allows them to meaningfully complement traditional types of socio-demographic analysis of consumers and social groups. It is obvious that research in this direction must be continued and deepened.
It is important to introduce modern marketing technologies into Russian business, primarily in order to increase the competitive ability and efficiency of the company. And, one of the most important goals here is to study your consumers, because when you know who your client is and what he wants, it will be much easier to create what he wants to buy. Life style is a very important psychographic criterion, which to a greater extent allows us to reveal the motivation of consumer behavior, which means that it helps to understand what guides a potential consumer when choosing a product. Based on this data, you can easily improve your product and create an effective advertising campaign.
Based on the experience of foreign companies, we can confidently say that studying the lifestyle of their consumers is not only relevant, but also quite profitable. In itself, knowing your consumers from this side greatly helps to understand their psychology and build an advertising campaign or improve a product with greater efficiency.
2. Marketing research of the psychographic portrait of buyers of Vester Group of Companies products.
2.1 General characteristics of the Vester Group of Companies.
The Vester Group has been successfully operating in the retail sector for almost 20 years. Today the Vester Group is one of the leading Russian retail operators whose priority is the development of the hypermarket format.
The Vester Group unites several main business areas that make it possible to implement the regional expansion strategy as efficiently as possible and contribute to the achievement of the main strategic goal - becoming one of the top five leaders in Russian retail.
At the end of 2007, the Group's turnover amounted to about $750 million. Investments in the development of the company in 2007 amounted to $150 million. The number of personnel reached 10 thousand people.
The main activities of the Vester Group are:
1. Development of the Federal Network “Vester”.
2. Development of development projects by the WestRusDevelopment company.
1990 - Year of formation of the Vester company. The company began its activities by supplying office equipment to the Kaliningrad region. The company's goal is to achieve a leading position in the retail market of the Kaliningrad region in the field of trade in electronics, household appliances, and computers in 1995.
1993 - A network of household appliances and electronics stores was created. The Vester group of companies has begun to develop new areas, including trade in food products and industrial goods. The company's goal for the period 1993–1998 is the development of 17 successful business areas (creation of a multi-format network of retail stores).
2005 - Vester is the leader in the Kaliningrad region in the number of shopping centers and self-service stores. The company is forming a new strategic goal: creating a Federal chain and entering the Russian retail market with hypermarket and supermarket formats.
2006 - The Vester Federal Chain was created, the first hypermarkets and supermarkets successfully operate in five regions of Russia. The new strategic goal is to become one of the top five leaders in Russian retail by 2010.
2007 - The Vester federal network unites more than 50 thousand objects. sq. m The Company has the right to engage in the following activities aimed at achieving its main goal:
· carrying out wholesale and retail trade in goods, raw materials, including in own stores;
· implementation of foreign economic, commodity-purchasing activities, authorized export-import, commodity exchange and leasing operations;
· creation of warehouses, responsible storage of goods, warehousing services;
· creation of own production, including food production and their sale;
· organization of a network of cafes, bars, restaurants;
· transport services for freight and passenger transportation, including air, rail, sea, road and horse-drawn transport both in Russia and abroad;
· construction, landscaping, repair, construction and restoration work, industrial and civil construction;
· operations with securities;
· carrying out transactions related to real estate;
· organization of exhibitions, fairs and auctions;
· activities in the field of marketing, intermediary operations in commodity, stock and financial markets;
· expert information and reference information activities;
· organizing the production of an intellectual product, on the principles of the full cycle of its creation (development - implementation - production - sales) or participation in any stage of this cycle;
· provision of household services.
The suppliers of Vester Group of Companies are:
Enterprises of Kaliningrad and the region - LLC “Moloko”, LLC “Gusev-Moloko”, LLC “First Bakery”, LLC “Myasnaya Lavka”, LLC “Vichunai Rus”, etc.
Foreign enterprises - “Atlanta”, “Inter”, etc.
The main competitors of the enterprise in the market of the Kaliningrad region are the retail chains “X5”, LLC “Victoria Baltia”, “Sedmoy Continent”, “Kopeyka”.
The main competitiveness factors of Vester Group of Companies are:
Ability to work with perishable product range, which forms 40-45% of the Group’s turnover;
Various store formats aimed at meeting the needs of different categories of consumers;
Successful operation in various regional markets;
An effective marketing strategy focused on a group of consumers specific to each format;
Emphasis on the development of the “Bomb” “convenience store” and “Vester” supermarket formats.
The marketing strategy of the Vester Trade House varies depending on the store format:
· For Vester supermarkets it is differentiation, a unique range of goods and services; as well as a balanced range of goods and services at affordable prices;
· For the hypermarket “Bomb” is focused differentiation.
And also for the entire Vester network:
· regular monitoring of customer preferences;
· active use of marketing activities;
· targeting consumers with different models of consumer behavior.
2.2 Description of the marketing research problem and search for ways to solve it. Marketing research plan.
As the summer season approaches, the management of Vester Group of Companies considers it expedient to expand the range of non-alcoholic soft drinks. To launch new assortment lines of soft drinks, it is necessary to conduct marketing research on the psychographic profile of consumers of an existing assortment of drinks (Pepsi cola, Lipton Ice tea, Cido, Mirinda, 7up).
The object of the study is visitors to the Vester supermarket.
The subject of the study is the profile of buyers of the Vester supermarket, which contains psychographic and demographic variables.
The purpose of the study is to compile a complex profile of buyers of soft drinks at the Vester supermarket in order to decide on the introduction of a new assortment of soft drinks.
Research objectives:
1. Conduct a survey of consumers of the Victoria supermarket.
2. To measure the psychographic profile variables of energy drink consumers.
4. Conduct cluster analysis.
Research methodology – R-TGI was chosen as the methodology used to conduct the research, since it most accurately reflects the characteristics of the Russian consumer market.
The method of collecting data is a personal survey, by asking questions to respondents, the answers to which are recorded by the interviewer himself. This is the most suitable method of data collection for this study, because it allows you to interview a large number of people, at relatively low cost, and with a fairly high quality of information obtained.
The location of the study is Sovetsk, st. Iskra, 1, Vester supermarket. This supermarket is a place of uniform concentration of respondents from different market segments in accordance with the sample profile.
Time of research: May, 2010
Time division: the survey is conducted in the morning (9.00 – 12.00), afternoon (13.00 – 16.00) and evening (16.30 – 21.00), since consumers often have different preferences at different times of the day.
Sample Size – A sample size of 500 people will be used in this study.
2.3 Conducting marketing research on the psychographic profile of consumers of energy drinks at the Victoria supermarket.
To conduct the study through personal interviews, a data collection form (questionnaire) was developed. A sample questionnaire is shown in Figure 4.
This questionnaire contains a block of psychographic questions to determine the behavioral types of buyers: innovators, early adopters, late adopters and conservatives. The questions used in the questionnaire are a set of affirmative statements. The respondent must indicate the degree of their agreement with this statement on a Likert scale (“completely agree”, “rather agree”, “rather disagree”, “completely disagree”).
For each of the 4 answer options, the respondent can receive 3, 2, 1 or 0 points (the highest score was for a clear manifestation of innovation). The assessment of respondents' answers to psychographic questions is presented in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1
Evaluation of different respondents' answers
| Question no. |
Question formulation |
Answer option score (ki) |
|||
| I completely agree |
I rather agree |
rather disagree |
completely disagree |
||
| I don’t like to take risks and try drinks from other brands, because I’m afraid of being disappointed in them |
|||||
Next, all statements were ranked according to the degree of importance for determining the respondent’s purchasing behavior (rank 1 was assigned to the statement that most clearly characterizes the type of purchasing behavior, rank 10 - least clearly). In accordance with these ranks, each statement is assigned an additional significance coefficient. (The ranking and assessment of issues by degree of importance are presented in Table 2.2).
Table 2.2
Ranking and evaluation of issues by degree of importance
| Question formulation |
Question rank |
Issue importance coefficient (wi) |
|
| I drink the same flavor of drink all the time |
|||
| I would try a new brand of drink if a friend recommended it to me |
|||
| I would try a new brand of drink if the store clerk recommended it |
|||
| I would try a new brand of drink if I saw an advertisement for this drink in the media |
|||
| I am able to buy a new brand of drink unknown to me simply by seeing it on sale |
|||
| I will continue to drink my favorite brand of drink, even if others have a negative attitude towards it |
|||
| If a drink of the brand I need is not on sale, I will buy a drink of a different brand |
|||
| I don’t like to take risks when trying drinks from other brands, because I’m afraid of being disappointed in them |
|||
| I try to try different brands and flavors of drinks to find the best one for me |
|||
| In a restaurant/cafe I always order the same dish, because I know for sure that I like it |
The final score of the respondent’s answers to all 10 psychographic questions was calculated using the formula:
I = ∑ ki * wi,
where i is the question number, ki is the assessment of the respondent’s answer in the i-th question, and wi is the significance coefficient of the i-th question.
According to the final assessment of answers I, the respondent fell into one of four intervals: from 3 to 2.5 points (innovator), from 2.4 to 1.4 (early majority), from 1.4 to 0.4 (late majority) or from 0.3 to 0 (conservatives). The intervals for determining the purchasing behavior of respondents are discussed in Table 2.3.
Table 2.3
Intervals for assessing the purchasing behavior of respondents
As a result of the research using the R-TGI method, the types of consumer behavior of each of the brands of soft drinks selected for analysis (Pepsi Cola, Lipton Ice tea, Cido, Mirinda, 7up) were determined. The data is summarized in table 2.4.
Table 2.4
Distribution of types of purchasing behavior among consumers of energy drinks of various brands
1. Let's bring Table 2.4 to a form convenient for calculations, replacing drink brands with the letters X1, X2, etc., and types of consumer behavior with numbers from 1 to 4 similarly.
Let's calculate:
The average value for each brand (Xi) according to the formula:
where n is the number of types of purchasing behavior.
Standard deviation (σi) according to the formula:
σi = ∑(Xi – Х)/n
We will consider the resulting table with calculations in Figure 2.5.
Table 2.5
Initial data for analysis
The data in the resulting table is normalized, that is, measured on the same scale, so there is no need to normalize the data.
2. Let's carry out segmentation using hierarchical conglomerate cluster analysis. Let us summarize the previously obtained results into a matrix of initial data (Table 2.5).
Table 2.5
Matrix with initial data
5. From the transposed matrix, calculate the matrix of Euclidean distances (matrix of similarity measures) between objects (D) using the formula:
Dij = ∑ (Zij – Zik)²
Let's enter the results into the Euclidean distance matrix (Table 2.7).
Table 2.7
Euclidean distance matrix
Using the resulting matrix, we find a pair of objects that are closest to each other: the closest objects are N4 and N2. Let's unite them into cluster S4 (N4;N2).
Let's recalculate the distances between objects and cluster S4 using the “distant neighbor” method and form a new matrix of Euclidean distances (Table 2.8).
Table 2.8
Euclidean distance matrix
According to Table 2.9, the closest objects are N5 and cluster S4, since the distance between them is minimal and equal to 107.2. Let's attach object N5 to cluster S4 and recalculate the Euclidean distances between objects and cluster S4 (Table 2.10).
Table 2.10
Euclidean distance matrix
According to Table 2.10, the closest objects are N3 and cluster S4, since the distance between them is minimal and equal to 108.1.
The table shows that as a result of clustering we have one cluster
S4 (n1, n2, n3, n5).
The clustering results are presented graphically in the form of a dendrogram in Figure 5.
Rice. 5. Dendrogram of object clustering
The dendrogram clearly illustrates the step-by-step process of clustering, displaying objects on the horizontal axis, and on the horizontal axis the distances at which objects were combined into clusters.
According to the clustering results, it is clear that cluster S4 is completely homogeneous and consists of consumers belonging to the type of consumer behavior - the early majority. The Early Majority are those consumers who think carefully about purchasing a new product, but adopt the new product earlier than the majority of the target population. Status - average and above average; wait for the reaction of quick-takers before making a decision themselves; a large gap between the trial purchase phase and product acceptance. Most are also media-oriented, but they also look to salespeople and their group and are heavily influenced by opinion leaders.
Based on the information obtained during the analysis, we conclude that it is advisable for the management of Vester Group of Companies to make a decision to expand the range of soft drinks for the summer season, since consumers of this product belong to the type of consumer behavior - the early majority, which says that these people have a positive attitude towards innovation. In other words, demand for the new range of drinks will be positive.
CONCLUSION
Having considered the theoretical foundations of marketing research into the psychographic profile of consumers and having studied methods of market segmentation based on psychographic types, we can conclude that psychographic analysis is the most relevant today, since it provides the most complete characteristics of consumers who, when choosing a product (service), ) are guided precisely by psychographic criteria (life style, motives, emotions).
As consumers' lifestyles change, researchers must continually update and improve scientific methods and marketing strategies. Some of the most successful advertisers owe their success to the fact that their marketers tracked the lifestyle trends of their target consumers and reflected them in their messages.
Psychographics are one of the most common methods for measuring lifestyle. With its help, you can obtain quantitative observations, moreover, on the space of an entire segment by applying the AIO model.
Life style is a component criterion of psychographic analysis, which, in turn, is the main and most effective sign of market segmentation.
There are many methods for classifying life style, and they are developed mainly on a regional basis, since the lifestyle of regions, such as the USA, Europe, Russia, differ in general and have many individual characteristics.
The ancestor of the methods was the VALS model, which served as a platform for the creation of improved models, such as VALS-2, including special models for the Russian market - RULS, R-TGI.
Regarding Russian companies, the method of studying styles is not a priority for them. For work, only demographic statistics are used, which are often collected by non-professionals and are not effective. Marketing in general is a new direction for Russia, therefore, there is certainly a tendency for development. Models that classify lifestyle have been actively used for just over a decade. Their modifications, dissemination and reduction to simplicity will allow the development of a promising direction in the study of consumer behavior styles.
Western companies have long been using the study of the psychographic characteristics of their consumers, which helps them not only understand what kind of consumer they really are, what they need at this stage of life from the manufacturer, but also consider behavioral trends, which helps them successfully and timely change the product in the future.
Of course, the methodology and typology require further development, both in general and in each country.
List of used literature
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4. Kotler F., Armstrong G., Saunders J., Wong W. Fundamentals of Marketing. – M.: Williams Publishing House, 2007.
5. Lambin Jacques-Jacques. Market-oriented management. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2004.
6. Marketing research and reports - middle class lifestyle. - http://www.middleclass.ru.
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8. Pankrukhin A.P. Marketing. - M.: Omega-L, 2003.
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11. Aleshina I. V. Consumer behavior. - M.: FAIR PRESS, 2006.
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15.VALS/Types/Thinkers. - http://www.sric-bi.com/VALS/thinkers.shtml
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Psychographics refers to new, progressive forms of research of consumer groups. The task of a marketing researcher is to find ways to describe the target segment - one’s “niche” in the market, which would be based on studying the needs and predicting the behavior of consumers who make up a select group and distinguishes them from other groups. Psychographics have wide practical applications in marketing.
Psychographic Research are closely related to market segmentation. Let us recall: segmentation is the process of dividing the market into several homogeneous groups of consumers interested in the same goods and services, based on factors such as demographic, psychological, geographical, economic and other characteristics.
Segmentation of markets according to psychological characteristics is based on two types of classification: classification according to the personality profile of consumers and classification according to the profile of their lifestyles (psychographics). They usually complement geographic and demographic segmentation. The first psychographic studies were conducted in the 1930s, but psychographics found widespread use in the late 1960s.
Psychographics – a technique for quickly describing and assessing the psychological characteristics and lifestyle of a group of people who make up the target market segment.
Goals of psychographic research:
identification of target markets
obtaining better explanations of consumer behavior
improving the company's strategic marketing
minimizing risks when introducing new products.
The task of psychographics: find clear quantitative indicators characterizing the lifestyle of consumers.
Methods of psychographic research: Focus group surveys, interviews, etc.
To conduct segmentation based on psychographic research, one of the most common methods is VALS1 – the “Values and Lifestyle” program, developed by A. Mitchell (USA) in 1979, as well as its modification VALS2 (1989). The VALS1 method is based on a typology called the Nine Ways of American Life. Each person is assigned a place in 1 of 9 segments. These segments are defined based on the values and lifestyles of the people. When using the method VALS1 consumer groups are preliminarily divided into three segments. Within each segment, consumer groups are identified, of which there are 9 in total.
1) Oriented to the outside world:
Achieved success (20%)
Copycats (10%)
Belonging to a certain class (followers) (38%)
These groups make up the bulk of consumers. When purchasing goods, the determining factors for them are the opinions and assessments of other people.
2) Oriented towards the inner world:
Holistic (2%) – sometimes separated into a separate segment.
Socially minded (11%)
Empirics (5%)
Self-oriented (3%)
There are much fewer such consumers. When making decisions, they are guided primarily by their assessments, motives and values.
They are divided into groups based on social class, lifestyle and/or personality characteristics. Members of the same demographic group can have completely different psychographic profiles.
Demographic, psychographic and behavioral characteristics of respondents, as well as their region of residence.
Other researchers form segments based on consumer attitudes to the benefits they want to receive when purchasing a product, to the possibilities of using the product, as well as to various brands. Having formed segments, marketers analyze the connections between various consumer characteristics and their attitude towards the product. For example, they determine whether buyers who want high quality plus low price belong to a group based on geographic, demographic, or psychographic characteristics.
Active consumers of a product have common demographic and psychographic characteristics and the same preferences for advertising media. For example, an active beer consumer is a representative of the working class between the ages of 25 and 50, who likes to sit for hours watching TV, preferring sports programs. Such characteristics help sellers set prices, develop advertising messages and develop marketing strategies.
S qualitative ones, which can be obtained through a scrupulous study of the readership. The latter include demographic indicators (gender, national composition, age data), geographical characteristics, i.e. distribution of the population of the segment across the territories included in it (urban and rural population, summer cottages), psychographic characteristics of potential readers (traditions and customs, habits, cultural and educational level, attitude towards a particular religious denomination, etc.).
A company supplying a certain product is unlikely to be able to satisfy the needs of all consumers with its help. Each of us has our favorite soft drinks, hotels, restaurants, brands and models of cars, educational institutions and movies. Thus, the beginning of any production is market segmentation. Marketers identify and profile different groups of buyers who prefer (need) different products, for which different marketing tools are used. Identification of market segments is carried out on the basis of identifying differences in the demographic, psychographic and behavioral characteristics of buyers. Then the company's management must evaluate which of the identified segments seems to be the most promising - the needs of which consumers the supplier can best satisfy.
Pursuing the goal of understanding the motivation, attitude towards the product and behavior of buyers, the researcher conducts a survey of potential consumers, and then a focus group discussion. Based on the data obtained, a formal questionnaire is compiled to determine the main characteristics of respondents (demographic, psychographic and behavioral) and the degree of their significance, the level of awareness of survey participants about the main brands and brand ratings, ways of using the product by consumers, and attitudes towards the product category.
Psychographic - psychological types, life types, assessments, which in combination with other characteristics better help to understand the audience.
Active consumers of a product share common demographic and psychographic characteristics, as well as common advertising preferences. In the case of active beer consumers, it is known that among them there are more workers than among weak consumers, and that their age is from 25 to 50 years, and not under 25 and over 50 years, as is observed among weak consumers. They typically watch more than three and a half hours of television per day (as opposed to more than two hours as weak consumers) and prefer sports programming10. Such data helps the market player in setting prices, developing advertising messages and strategies for using advertising media.
At the third stage, a general description of the selected segment is compiled, which indicates its profile, characteristics of consumer behavior, demographic and psychographic characteristics. Each segment can be given a name based on its predominant features. For example, when studying the market for leisure services, we can identify six segments and create a general description of each: passive homebodies, people who are passionate about sports, self-centered introverts, patrons of the arts, active homebodies and socially active people. Show business entrepreneurs could sell more tickets if they focused their efforts on arts patrons and social activists.
Many companies often confuse a customer database with a mailing list of the same name. A mailing list is simply a collection of names, addresses, and phone numbers. The database contains much more information. When it comes to trading in the industrial goods market, the company's sales representative has the following information about customers, goods and services previously purchased by this company, volumes and prices of past purchases, with whom contact was established (including age, birthday, hobby and favorite dish of the person ), competing suppliers, the status of current contracts, the expected costs of this buyer company in the next few years, as well as a qualitative assessment of its competitive advantages and weaknesses. As for the sale of consumer goods, the buyer database contains the demographic characteristics of each buyer (his age, income, family size, birthday), psychographic characteristics (industry, interests and opinions), information about past purchases and other useful information. For example, the catalog company Fingerhut maintains a huge database of 30 million households, each of which has about 1.4 thousand records.
Polls and reviews. Companies collect more representative information by interviewing a larger sample of the population belonging to the target market. When using statistical methods, the results are distorted; it is better to communicate with people in person, by fax, mail or e-mail. Surveys typically ask questions that can be coded and counted, which will help establish a complete quantitative picture of consumer opinions, attitudes and behavior. By including personal questions, the interviewer can relate responses to various demographic and psychographic characteristics of the respondents. When using survey results, a company should be aware of possible bias resulting from small numbers of respondents, poorly designed questions, attitudinal errors, or mistakes made during the interview.
Many companies these days are guilty of under-segmentation rather than over-segmentation. They imagine buyer potential to be higher than it actually is. The antidote is to divide the market into several levels of potential. The first level includes those consumers who are most likely to respond to the offer. This group should be profiled based on their demographic and psychographic characteristics. Then you need to determine the groups of the second and third levels. The company should first target its sales to first-level consumers; if they do not respond, it means that the company has carried out the wrong segmentation or its offers are not very interesting.
How to learn to divide the market into segments in order to subsequently develop strategies for each group of consumers Unfortunately, segmentation is more of an art than a science. The main problem is choosing the right segmentation variable or variables. Typically, the needs and characteristics of consumers are used as a criterion. Customer needs are the main variable in market segmentation. The supplier seeks to identify a segment consisting of consumers who have similar needs, i.e., who are looking for similar benefits, and therefore perceive the company’s marketing offer and strategy in the same way. The second group of variables includes consumer characteristics—customer characteristics that marketers are able to describe or quantify, such as industry, geographic location, nationality, age, or income. The main segmentation variables complement each other. Suppose a toothpaste company has divided the market into four segments based on consumer needs. The first segment is interested in economic benefits (low price), the second - in effective protection against caries, the third - in the cosmetic effect (snow-white teeth), and the third - in taste. Having classified consumers depending on their needs or sought benefits, it is necessary to analyze the selected segments and establish a communicative exchange with them. The seller must know which consumers make up each segment, their features and characteristics. In table 3.3 shows the results of marketing research, during which the connection between the needs and demographic, behavioral and psychographic characteristics of consumers was identified, and the main competitors in each segment are indicated.
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Psychographic studies of consumer behavior
1. PSYCHOGRAPHY
Psychographic marketing research is based on a science called psychography. Psychography characterizes consumers from the point of view of their psychological makeup (type of activity, life positions, interests, values, opinions and lifestyle). Demographic and psychographic measures complement each other and should be used together. If demography represents objective quantitative indicators such as age, gender, education, marital status, then psychography takes into account relatively intangible phenomena - motives, interests and life values of people.
One of the most common methods for measuring lifestyle is based on psychography. Psychographic marketing research provides quantitative data and can be applied to large samples that need to be broken down into market segments. Qualitative marketing research (focus groups and in-depth interviews), although they do not provide quantitative results, nevertheless allow a more in-depth look at strategy development and provide interesting ideas. The general psychographic approach is based on taking into account the personal characteristics of each consumer in the group, the motives of their behavior as consumers, their life values, behavioral attitudes and beliefs.
The psychographic analysis these marketing studies use allows marketers to understand the lifestyles of their product buyers. Such marketing research makes it possible to communicate more effectively with representatives of different segments. At the same time, psychographic marketing research allows you to find out how to position a new or existing product, how best to “convey” it to consumers who adhere to a certain lifestyle, and how to more accurately use the information obtained for accurate and effective marketing communications.
2. FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
The variables that shape your inner self are your psychological makeup. Although the term psychographics includes hundreds of dimensions, the most relevant areas for advertising and marketing are the following: perception, learning, motivation, attitude, personality and lifestyle.
1 PERCEPTION
Every day we are bombarded with stimuli: faces, conversations, buildings, advertising, news broadcasts - even if we consider that we see or hear a small part of it. Why? The answer is perception. Perception is the process of receiving information through our five senses, making sense of it, and giving it meaning. Perception is determined by the influence of three components:
Physical characteristics of stimuli;
The relationship between stimuli and their environment;
The state of mind of the individual.
It is precisely the last component that makes perception individual. Each personality perceives available stimuli in its own coordinate system. The stimulus represents things that can be perceived from the outside world. The total number of stimuli influencing us further complicates the process of perception. We perceive some of these stimuli completely, others partially, some correctly, some incorrectly. Ultimately, we choose some stimuli and neglect others because we are not able to immediately perceive all the information coming to us.
We select impressions at two levels: internal and external. Internal selection occurs for mental and physiological reasons (for example, older people cannot see advertisements that are printed too small and cannot hear advertisements that are too quiet). Psychological selection, driven by our feelings, interests, or experiences, causes us to distort certain stimuli or not pay attention to them at all. These feelings allow heterosexual consumers to ignore gay and lesbian advertising. Those who cannot tolerate sexual innuendo may not notice advertisements containing such innuendo.
2 SELECTIVE PERCEPTION
Although perceptual selection is a common concept in psychology, perceptual selectivity is especially important for advertising. The process of filtering out information that is not of interest to us and retaining that which is is called selective perception. Think about the route you take every day. How much stimulus do you perceive? You, like most people, perceive road signs, other vehicles, and pedestrians in front of you. But you may not notice the posters you drive past every day, the numbers on the houses, or the people behind you. This is selective perception.
The same process is repeated when we watch TV or read a magazine; when we look at an advertisement and only perceive the headline, or the photo, or the celebrity introducing the product.
In addition to our tendency to select stimuli that interest us, we also perceive stimuli in ways that are consistent with how we see things. That is, our world contains our own experiences, values, beliefs, inclinations and attitudes. It is virtually impossible to separate these internal factors from the way in which they are perceived. For example, we tend to seek out messages that are pleasant or attractive to our eyes, and avoid those that are painful or unnerving. This is called selectivity of exposure. Consumers selectively perceive advertising that convinces them of the wisdom of their purchasing decisions.
Also, when we perceive messages that contradict our beliefs, we are dealing with selective bias. For example, a consumer may “hear” that a car gets low gas mileage even if the salesperson makes it clear that this is not the case, because the consumer perceives the other qualities of the car as ideal and is eager to buy it.
The selection process is of interest to advertisers because they need to know whether the consumer will accept the advertisement and for how long. Selective perception also greatly influences our attitude towards a person, idea, situation. For example, if we hold a strong positive attitude towards safety, we will be more receptive to messages related to that topic. In intense perception, we will tend to remember details of the message about the characteristics of the product and brand.
Our reaction to stimuli is directly related to advertising. Much of what passes through the brain is lost moments later. Even when we try hard to retain information, we are not able to store much of it. Selective storage is the process we go through to try to “save” information for future use. Advertising can facilitate this process by using repetition, vivid imagery, easy-to-remember brand and product names, jingles, good commentators, music, etc.
2.3 COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
Another possible reaction to selective perception is a feeling of dissatisfaction or doubt. Rarely does a purchase produce all the expected positive results. According to the theory of cognitive dissonance, we have a tendency to evaluate small or large discrepancies between what we actually received and what we expected to receive. Research into this phenomenon has shown that people tend to avoid this discrepancy. They seek information that supports their decisions, ignoring other information. Advertising can play a major role in reducing dissonance. For example, to anticipate dissonance and to promote supportive messages, IBM uses positive feedback from satisfied customers, and restaurants supplement print advertising with discount coupons.
When you watch TV, pay attention to how you see advertisements. What do you pay attention to? Why? When do you “re-tune”? Why? Do you simply disagree with the message or argue with it? Can you see how your own selection process influences your attention and response to advertising?
4 TRAINING
Perception leads to learning - this means that we cannot learn something until we have fully absorbed the information and made sense of it. Learning is often an unconscious activity; the consumer usually doesn't even know when this happens. If advertisers understand how learning occurs, they can create advertisements from which the consumer can easily learn the basic elements of an advertisement such as brand name, product features, and price. They can also use different relationships. Beliefs, preferences, values and standards influence learning and purchasing behavior.
Many theories have been developed to explain various aspects of learning. Typically, experts rely on two approaches to explain the learning process. The first views it as a cognitive, or thinking, process. The second is how to shape behavior. Proponents of the first approach attach particular importance to perception, the process of solving a problem; they view people as solving problems and going through a complex path of analyzing information. Advertisers who use a cognitive approach try to motivate the consumer by offering information that should guide the purchase decision process.
The second approach argues that people acquire skills in certain behaviors by associating certain stimuli with a subsequent response, that is, through classical or instrumental learning. Essentially, classical behavior conditioning combines one stimulus with another that has already caused the desired response, and is often associated with the experiments of Academician Pavlov. Reward serves as a tool in this behavior learning. Advertisers who adopt this view try to emphasize that their brand offers more value than other brands.
5 HABIT
When we repeat a process many times and are satisfied with the result, we achieve what is called a habit. Habit is a shortcut for decision making: we save time and effort because we do not seek information about alternatives. Additionally, habitual shopping reduces risk. New purchases of the same brand reduce the possibility of poor product selection and loss of money. Of course, advertisers would like consumers to develop a habit of using their products. Achieving this goal requires a strong appeal backed by a high quality product.
The role of advertising is to, once a habit has been formed, reinforce it through reminder messages, expressions of appreciation, and tangible rewards in the form of coupons, bonuses, and discounts. Breaking a buying habit is very difficult. Offering the consumer new information about the manufacturer and its efforts to create the product is one approach. Offering additional incentives in the form of trade-ins, coupons, and free samples have also shown to be effective. Of course, price-sensitive shoppers tend to buy the cheapest products. This habit is very difficult to break.
Advertisers use a variety of tools to enhance learning. To strengthen positive associations, messages of congratulations for various celebrations, testimonies of famous people, scenes with attractive people in attractive situations are used. Humor is also used to reward the audience for their attention.
6 MOTIVATION AND NEEDS
Motive is an internal force that encourages a person to behave in a certain way. This driving force is the result of a state of tension that arises as a result of unmet needs. People try to consciously and unconsciously reduce this tension by satisfying their needs and thereby alleviating perceived stress.
At every moment you are under the influence of many motives, some of them contradicting each other. Some motives are stronger than others, but this balance of forces changes from time to time. For example, your motivation to buy a new suit would be significantly higher if you had several job interviews scheduled in the next week.
What are your purchasing motives? Think about your purchases over the past week. Did you have a reason for buying these products that you could tell someone about? Was there some other hidden reason? Understanding purchasing motives is very important for advertisers because the advertising message and timing of advertising corresponds to the occurrence of your motivation.
Needs are the basic desires that create the motivation to do something. Each person has their own unique set of needs; some of them are congenital, others are acquired. Innate needs are physiological, including the need for food, water, air, shelter and sex. Since the satisfaction of such needs is necessary to maintain life, they are classified as primary needs.
Learned needs are those that we form based on our culture or environment. These may include needs for esteem, prestige, influence, power, and cognition. Since acquired needs are not necessary for our physiological survival, they are called secondary. Advertisers try to assess the most important needs of consumers at a given time. No category of needs has constant priority over others.
7 RELATIONSHIPS
Attitude is a stable position; a feeling you have about an object, person, or idea that is formed based on your ideas and feelings and leads to a certain behavior. The attitude is usually quite persistent - it can last for months and years.
We form and develop relationships, we are not born with them. They change their direction and strength. Thus, attitudes can be positive or negative, reflecting likes or dislikes, or be neutral.
A weak positive attitude may not be enough to motivate you to take action. Changing attitudes is possible, but it is not easy.
Attitudes also reflect the values of consumers. They tell the world what we stand for and define the things and ideas we consider important. They also shape our positive and negative reactions to things and phenomena in the world. Opinion research is used to test how people feel about other people, products, brands, messages and current trends. One of the most important areas for research on advertising opinions is brand and product perception. It is important to know how a consumer evaluates a product before developing an advertising strategy.
8 INDIVIDUALITY
All of these personal and psychological qualities are involved in creating your unique personality. Individuality is the characteristics of character and mental makeup that distinguish one person from another. The way you look at the world, the way you perceive and interpret what happens around you, the way you react intellectually and emotionally, the way you form your opinions and attitudes, all characterize your personality. Your individuality is what makes you an individual.
Self-awareness is the perception of oneself. Our self-image reflects our vision of our individuality and our personal example of strength and weakness. What character traits best characterize you? What do they tell you about your self-image? Now imagine that you are a buyer. Explain how your characteristics influence your attitudes toward various products, advertising, and your behavior as a buyer. Do you see that understanding personality is important when crafting an appropriate message?
3. LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle factors are often considered fundamental in psychographic research. Typically, lifestyle studies look at how people spend their time, energy and money. Marketers study people's activities, interests, and opinions—in other words, what they usually do and how they behave, what interests or fascinates them, and what they believe or perceive in the world around them. One very popular research method that groups life style characteristics is VALS2.
SRI International is known for its VALS (Values and Lifestyles System) conceptual model, which categorizes people according to their values and then identifies consumer behavior associated with those values. VALS systems are used to show how consumer groups are changing and how these changes impact advertising strategy. Having determined that the relationship between social values and purchasing choices was less strong than previously, SRI developed a second system based on psychographic characteristics. Research has shown that these characteristics help predict purchasing behavior. Resources include income, education, self-confidence, health, desire to buy, and energy level. Obviously, knowledge of the psychographic orientation of consumers is valuable to the advertiser when deciding who to target with an advertisement.
4. CLASSIFICATION OF CONSUMERS ACCORDING TO THE VALS2 SYSTEM
marketing psychography consumer
Actualizers. They love high quality things. Receptive to new products, technologies (adherents of everything modern). Skeptical about advertising. They often read publications of all kinds. They watch little TV.
Qualified. Little interest in image or prestige. Consumption of household goods is above average. They love educational and social programs. They read a lot of books and of different kinds.
Conservative. They buy everything domestic. They find it difficult to change habits and look for bargains. More people watch TV than the average viewer. They read magazines on home economics, gardening and general matters.
Achievers. They are attracted by variety and premium products. Viewers are average, read about business, news and “self-help” publications.
Aspiring. They think about image. Have limited discretionary income, but buy on credit. They spend money on clothes and personal goods. They prefer TV to reading.
Experimenting. They follow fashion and whims. They spend most of their free money on communication. They buy on impulse. Pay attention to advertising. Listen to rock music.
Active. Buy for comfort, durability and value. Luxury does not impress them. They buy the necessary things, listen to the radio. They read magazines on topics: cars, do-it-yourself, fishing, recreation.
Wrestlers. Committed to the brand. They use coupons and are interested in sales. They trust advertising. They often watch TV. They read tabloid newspapers and women's magazines.
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