(Revised April 16, 2024)
This may seem like a silly question, but do you really know who is purchasing your goods and/or services?
When I ask clients or potential clients this question, I typically get a response that includes age, gender and income level. Those are important characteristics to know but, are those the characteristics you would use to describe yourself to someone? Are your demographic characteristics the most important descriptors of who you are as a person?
Of course not. You want people to know your personality, your values, what passions you have in life.
Customers are not simply data points. They are real people who are deciding to purchase your products or services. Why are they making that decision? Why are they buying from your company or brand instead of someone else?
Brands that understand how to connect with the attitudes and values of their customers are among the most successful because they connect at an emotional level to something that is important to their consumers.
Apple produces and sells great technology, but so do many other companies. Apple has capitalized on its simple, clean design and technology by creating a lifestyle movement. They connect with consumers’ desire to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Theme parks became Disney’s canvas for creating meaningful connections with their guests and connecting to the child in all of us. As their business has expanded into the broader entertainment category, they still connect to people’s sense of wonder and fun.
A lot of companies sell athletic shoes and sportswear. Nike has connected with consumers’ need to push harder and overcome challenges. Nike connects with consumers’ inner hero – that innate desire to do more and overcome the odds, whether they are real or perceived.
If you understand your customers’ attitudes and values, you will understand the why behind their purchases. Knowing why your consumer buys from you will help you to make more informed decisions about your business.
- Why do consumers purchase from you instead of your competitors?
- What other brands and products do your customers consider to be their “favorites”? Why?
- What is the main need that consumers are fulfilling with your product or service?
- What do consumers like most about your company, product, or brand?
- What values are most important to them? Do they see your brand/company as sharing those values?
I am a firm believer in targeting consumers based upon attitudes first so you can better understand what is important to them and if those attitudes/values align well with your company’s product or service. If you can connect with consumers’ attitudes and values, you will have a much stronger bond with them – because you are connecting with them on a deeper level.
Demographics only provide “the who”. Attitudes and values help you understand WHY consumers buy from you. Once you understand “the why”, you can then segment your consumer base by attitudes and values first and then look at their demographic similarities second.
So, do you really know who your customer is and what is important to them?
If not, the time to start gathering more information is now.
