VALS FRAMEWORK

Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles

Psychographic Market Segmentation

By Karthik Suresh

What is VALS?
Segments the English-speaking population age 18 or older into eight consumer
groups
Illustrates two critical concepts Primary motivation and resources
Primary motivation:
Explains consumer attitudes and anticipates behavior
Ideals, achievements and self-expression define the primary motivation
Achievemen
SelfIdeals
ts
expression
Knowledge
Principles

Success

Social
activity
Variety
Risk

Resources:
Psychological traits in conjunction with key demographics determine an individual's
resources
Energy, self-confidence, intellectualism, novelty seeking, innovativeness,
impulsiveness, leadership, and vanity

VALS Layout
Resources

Primary

Innovators
Are always taking in information (antennas up)
Are confident enough to experiment
Make the highest number of financial
transactions
Are skeptical about advertising
Have international exposure
Are future oriented
Are self-directed consumers
Believe science and R&D are credible
Are most receptive to new ideas and technologies
Enjoy the challenge of problem solving
Have the widest variety of interests and activities

Thinkers
Have "ought" and "should" benchmarks for
social conduct
Have a tendency toward analysis paralysis
Plan, research, and consider before they act
Enjoy a historical perspective
Are financially established
Are not influenced by what's hot
Use technology in functional ways
Prefer traditional intellectual pursuits
Buy proven products.

Believers
Believe in basic rights and wrongs to lead a good
life
Rely on spirituality and faith to provide inspiration
Want friendly communities
Watch TV and read romance novels to find an
escape
Want to know where things stand; have no
tolerance for ambiguity
Are not looking to change society
Find advertising a legitimate source of
information
Value constancy and stability (can appear to be
loyal)
Have strong me-too fashion attitudes

Achievers
Have a "me first, my family first" attitude
Believe money is the source of authority
Are committed to family and job
Are fully scheduled
Are goal oriented
Are hardworking
Are moderate
Act as anchors of the status quo
Are peer conscious
Are private
Are professional
Value technology that provides a productivity boost.

Strivers
Have revolving employment; high temporary
unemployment
Use video and video games as a form of
fantasy
Are fun loving
Are imitative
Rely heavily on public transportation
Are the center of low-status street culture
Desire to better their lives but have difficulty
in realizing their desire
Wear their wealth.

Experiencers
Want everything
Are first in and first out of trend adoption
Go against the current mainstream
Are up on the latest fashions
Love physical activity (are sensation seeking)
See themselves as very sociable
Believe that friends are extremely important
Are spontaneous
Have a heightened sense of visual
stimulation.

Makers
Are distrustful of government
Have a strong interest in all things
automotive
Have strong outdoor interests (hunting and
fishing)
Believe in sharp gender roles
Want to protect what they perceive to be
theirs
See themselves as straightforward; appear to
others as anti-intellectual
Want to own land.

Survivors
Are cautious and risk averse
Are the oldest consumers
Are thrifty
Are not concerned about appearing
traditional or trendy
Take comfort in routine, familiar people, and
places
Are heavy TV viewers
Are loyal to brands and products
Spend most of their time alone
Are the least likely use the internet
Are the most likely to have a landline-only
household.

Application of VALS framework to STP

Brand : Knorr Noodles

Introduction:
Founded by Carl Heinrich knorr in
1838.
Its Unilevers No.1 brand.
Its products are currently sold in
more than 80 countries.

Segmentation : KNORR soups

Segmentation:
Demographic Segmentation

Density

Age

10-35

Gender

Male/Female

Lifecycle stage Kids, Teenagers and

Married with children.

Minimum income

Education Primary/Secondary School,

College students.

Urban

Rs.25,000

Occupation
Students , Working /
House
wife Woman.

Psychographic Segmentation
Social class
Middle/ Upper middle
Lifestyle
Achievers and Believers
Personality
confident

Extrovert, creative and

Behavioural Segmentation
Occasion
School lunch breaks, Healthy
Evening/General Snacks
Benefits
Good health ,Good taste and
quick to make
Average usage 3 packs a week

Loyalty

Strong

Attitude Low involvement

VALS

Targeting & Positioning: KNORR soups

Targeting:

Positioning:

Customers who lead busy life such as working

population and students.

Growing generation demands nutritional

food.

Customers those who wants taste with

nutritional value.

They have less time to cook.

Customers who do not have cooking skills.

Customers who need healthy evening snacks
especially kids.

Quick to prepare.
Portable.
Good to taste with different flavors
Helps the consumers to increase their daily
intake of vegetables especially kids.