Objectives

To extend the capability to define and produce "buyers" beyond geographic and demographic measures. The method addresses two specific areas.

• To increase and maximize existing identifiable demographic target categories.

• To isolate and define new buyer markets that do not fit the present geographic/demographic categories.

Description

The methodology is based upon several factors and emerging market trends that require new methods and systems. These several trends and factors have come together: (1) bottom line profit pressure that demands marketing efficiency, (2) the demise of demographic stereotypes, (3) the fragmentation of "mass media" and (4) the advent of many growing alternatives to traditional media vehicles.

With this frame of reference in mind, geographic and demographic characteristics are "relative" as targeting tools, as opposed to specific and efficient targeting tools.

Demographic "targeting" market profiles are created by collapsing selected segments to total 50-60% of total buyer characteristics. As a result, as much as 40% of the buyers market is often secondary or ignored. This is particularly the case if the media services used are very efficient at targeting as tightly as possible. The essence of demographic marketing is based on the premise that persons with the same or similar physical dimensions will behave in the same way. This premise is based upon stereotypes -- stereotypes "died" in the ‘60’s. It is attitudes that are linked to and drive behavior, not demographic dimensions.

Attitudes and behaviors can be measured and clustered into market segments tailored to the customer and product. Demographics, by contrast, are static categories. Attitudes are mental/emotional characteristics that reach across those static demographic categories. An attitude profile has the potential to reach a substantially greater percentage of buyers than demographics. Attitude profiles in this way are specific in their ability to reach multiple demographic buyer groups, not just the collapse relative target profile of demographics. This is not an either/or situation; rather it is a building of a composite system merging attitudes, demographics and geographics.

Applications

Attitude Inventory IndexÓ studies provide insight to both facets of communication. On the basis of communication delivery systems, attitude profiles allow maximization of efficiency by reaching across categories and delivering a "purer" audience that may be composed of several demographic cells. Furthermore, this system allows the identification of additional segments that have the potential for whole new market buyer groups.

Attitude and behavioral profiles puts you in a position to better understand the buyer as a person, and less as a member of a categorical group. With this understanding, the full spectrum of media or delivery systems can be evaluated. The evaluation is multidimensional and introduces analysis of buyers, not just numerical calculation and tabulations. As we all know, the total media "environment" is just as important as the numerical values associated with any one characteristic.

The several attitude index measurements provide important insights into the nature of not only the required message and graphics -- on a precise key work and visuals generalization basis -- but also the atmosphere desired by these attitude characteristics.

The method has been developed so that it is flexible and can accommodate specific products as well as categories. The method can also be used in combination with the ListOpÔ System to further maximize results.