What makes someone decide to buy a product from a certain brand?
Similar to our preference for food, songs, or even the type of ideal man, many factors affected one’s decision to buy a brand’s product. Why would someone choose a product from brand A instead of brand C? Meanwhile, there are others who choose the opposite. This is an example of consumer behavior that will be studied in customer psychography.
What is customer psychography?
Customer psychography is basically a science that studies consumer behavior. When a consumer decides to buy a pair of shoes, considerations are being taken that influence his/her decision. This buying decision is influenced by various factors, such as values, desires, purpose, interests, and lifestyles. Seeing this trend, we found a pattern to distinguish consumer characters based on their behavior in transactions. This is what we call customer psychographics.
One Product Does Not Apply to All Markets
Let’s discuss this issue in more detail. There is a well-known skincare brand, let’s say brand A has just released a new product recently. Since its inception, brand A has been known for its premium product so it always has high prices, as well as its newest products. Uniquely, despite the high pricing, the product of brand A always sells well. Then, there is skincare brand B, which also has been known publicly, releasing new products at a similar timing as brand A. Both have a premium prices, skincare products of brand B apparently less attractive for consumers. The level of sales was not as good as skincare brand A. In terms of quality, skincare brand B also has competitive quality. What makes this cause happen?
If we analyzed from the perspective of psychography, brand A and brand B turned out to have customers with different types of psychographics. Brand A has a customer with a loyal-quality seeker character, while brand B has a customer with a price-oriented character. What is the difference?
Customers with loyal-quality character tend not to look at the price. As long as they have put trust in a certain brand, the price does not even matter for them anymore. Of course, it takes special treatment to make a loyal-quality seeker market. Brand A knows this from the beginning as they have nurtured its customers in line with their goals.
How about brand B?
The majority of brand B markets are customers with price-oriented character. So far, the customers of brand B are mostly those who prioritize the price of a product. Unfortunately, this issue is missed by brand B’s attention. As a result, brand B is unable to develop a sales strategy that fits the market’s needs. This is where the cause of the slow level of sales of brand B.
As a business owner, it is important to note that one product does not apply to all markets. By knowing customer psychography, a brand can create a product and narrate them according to the types of consumers in the market. This is because a market with a price-oriented will certainly be treated differently from a security-oriented one.
5 Types of Consumers Based on Decision Making Principles in Psychography
It took a long time until we found five types of customer psychography, which have a different characters for each of them:
1. Price-oriented Minimalist
Generally, consumers with price-oriented characters are looking for products with the most affordable prices. However, they can also change their mind when they think the price of a product is proportional to the values they get. This type of consumer really prioritizes the logic of calculations. They will consider the pros and cons of a product through the price they will pay.
2. Security-oriented Individualist
Consumers with security-oriented characters prioritize the added value offered by a product. They always want to gain more than they pay to buy a product. This is in regards to security or a guarantee of the product. Usually, consumers with security-oriented characters pay more attention to their desires.
3. Demanding-support Seeker
This type of consumer is mostly found around our lives. They are the type of consumers who are relying on support, evidence, and testimonials from their peers who have already used a product. Demanding-support seeker consumers usually don’t really care about data security as long as they get one thing, testimonials.
4. Informed Optimizer
It takes special skills and extra patience in dealing with informed-optimizer consumers. They are the type of consumers who knows everything. This type of consumer conducts maximum research before they finally decide to buy a product. In order to make them choose your product, Doers need to have additional information or a special trait that they probably haven’t known yet. The Doers’ job is to make them impressed with the information they may have missed.
5. Loyal-quality Seeker
Loyal-quality Seeker consumers are the most loyal types. They don’t easily turn to competitor brands even though the other brands put up promotions, release new products, or carry out other marketing activities. They remain faithful with the brand they have trusted and therefore, very satisfied with the services that put them first. As loyal customers, they are satisfied when being noticed as that is exactly what they expected.
The Importance of Narrating the Brand according to the Type of Customer
The market is not a single entity. It consists of various types of consumers. Therefore, we need to look more carefully, what type of consumer is dominant within our market. Understanding customer psychography will help Doers in managing the business, especially in narrating brand stories. One product does not apply to all markets, neither does one strategy. Doers need a strategy that can meet the markets’ needs. The strategy for a price-oriented market is certainly different from the one used for the demanding-support seeker market. This is where the urgency to understand the consumers’ characters and needs. Brands need to win the market’s heart by getting into the consumers’ minds.
An understanding of customer psychography will also help Doers in designing a more targeted campaign that leads to the chances of success. The risk of AB-testing can also be minimized so that Doers’ costs are much more efficient.
To reach the success point, Doers will also need a strategic move. It can be started by finding out the market needs through customer psychography and translating it into a strategy that is dedicated to consumers. At basicludo, we have a comprehensive method that we called Brand Intensive Methodology, a method that will help Doers understand consumers and create agile strategies.