How psychographic profiling is helping target TV advertising

The TV shows you watch can offer marketers insights into your personality. Very modest people are more likely to watch the blue-collar hero show Deadliest Catch while altruistic people tend to prefer cooking shows like Rachael Ray and reality shows with happy endings like The Bachelor, according to Beth Snyder Bulik’s November 1, 2010, article, “Research Links Personality Traits to Consumers’ Viewing Habits, Helps Marketers Match Brands With Audiences,” in Ad Age.
To find out which personalities are attracted to which TV shows, New York psychographic ad targeter Mindset Media surveyed 25,000 TV viewers across 70+ TV shows. The study found common personality traits among many shows’ regular audiences.
Mad Men. Creative people are 41 percent more likely to watch Mad Men than less creative people. Advertisers with strong appeal for them include Apple and Audi A6. Liberals are a whopping 124 percent more likely to watch the ad drama than other people. These people prefer brands such as Blue Moon and American Express.
Family Guy. Family Guy draws an audience of rule breakers or rebels who are 61 percent more likely to watch the show. Brands that would appeal to rule breakers are DiGiorno and Ford F150. Risk takers are 50 percent more likely to watch Family Guy. Advertisers that would appeal to risk takers are Totino’s and Harley-Davidson.
Glee. Gleeks tend to be very open. So-called experientialists are 24 percent more likely to watch. Brands that connect with them include Evian and Volkswagen Jetta. Creative people are 17 percent more likely to watch Glee than less-creative people.
Dancing with the Stars. Traditionalists are 21 percent more likely to watch DWTS. Advertisers who would appeal to these solid citizens include Kraft and Chrysler Town & Country. DWTS fans also tend to be compliant. The get-alongs, as Mindset refers to them, are 16 percent more likely to watch the show. Brands that connect with them include Fiber One and Buick Regal.
The Office. Those who think they are superior to others are 47 percent more likely to watch this show. Brands that would be a good fit for the show include Starbucks and BMW Series 3. Experientialists are also more likely (44 percent) to watch The Office.
The Biggest Loser. People with personalities that fall low on the creativity scale tend to watch this show. Realists are 20 percent more likely to watch. Advertisers that would be a good buy include Bud Light and Cadillac CTS.

What does Walmart’s sales decline say about the consumer landscape?

With all the talk over the past few years of dwindling discretionary income and increased importance of value and - more specifically - saving the hard-earned dollar, Walmart’s sales struggles have come as somewhat of a shock to the retail industry. Logically, the trade-down phenomenon should have benefitted a big-box discount retailer like Walmart, but as the economy began rebounding, Walmart’s same-store sales in the U.S. declined 1.3 percent in the third quarter of 2010, making it the sixth-straight quarter U.S. sales have taken a dip.
Questions persist as to whether shoppers have returned to more upscale retailers or if other retailers have narrowed the price gap to make their service worth the slight price premium. Maybe Walmart’s core shopper has less to spend or perhaps Walmart has simply failed to capture its share as the retail sector grows.
Scottsdale, Ariz., research company Blueocean Market Intelligence conducted a study, Walmart Customers Rolling Back, to explain why Walmart’s sales haven’t rebounded like its peers. The study indicated that many Walmart shoppers are spending less overall, but a decline in Walmart shopping trips appears to be driven by customer loss rather than reduced shopping frequency among current customers. Among those leaving Walmart, more than half don’t view Walmart as the low-price leader, and many who have reduced their Walmart spending report they are finding competitors more affordable and convenient. Project Impact, Walmart’s remodeling effort designed to attract higher-income shoppers and reduce clutter, has damaged customers’ attitudes about the store’s variety and brand selection.
Additionally, the study showed that Walmart isn’t well-positioned for economic recovery. Price alone may not lure shoppers from competitors, as most believe Walmart lags on service, variety and quality. While the recession has forced other stores - discount and non-discount alike - to compete with big-box Goliaths like Walmart on price, it seems that Walmart has failed to raise its value via an improved shopping experience. No-frills, low-cost messaging may have lost its place in the level playing field of lowered prices and increased service. If recovery is on the horizon as economists claim, the true test for Walmart will come when, if ever, competing retailers again raise prices. Consumers currently getting more for less thanks to recession-driven deep discounting could find themselves growing accustomed to a more posh shopping experience and continue to pay more for more instead of returning to Walmart’s warehouse-style stores.

2011 trends get back to American tradition with a keen eye to a global future

From sensory touchpoints and the desire for emotional experiences to wanting to reconnect with American patriotism and silent-screen movie-star glamour, consumer trends for 2011 incorporate getting back to the basics and also thinking futuristically about sustainability and natural products.
If marketers can appeal to consumers’ passions and sensibilities - their nostalgia and their commitment to the future - success in an ever-so-slowly recovering economy could be within reach, according to data from Arylessence, Marietta, Ga., fragrance and flavor company.
Arylessence’s TrendWatch study identified several trends that reflect how consumers make choices today and predict how marketers will respond in 2011 and beyond:
Emotive Edge: Ideas that connect with sensory touchpoints, transform consumers emotionally and deliver memorable, sensuous experiences.
American Stories: A passion for American values, patriotic themes and locally-sourced/-produced foods, beverages, clothing and accessories.
South America: Reflecting the creative vitality and rich resources of countries like Brazil, plus the diversity of natural, exotic and nurturing ingredients from the Amazon rainforest and other regions.
Style Rewind: Renewed interest by fashion designers and consumers in everything vintage, classic and timeless, evoked by Hollywood glamour, old-world aristocracy, pre-war luxury, the Beat generation and 1960s hippie culture.
Eco Evolution: Reflecting a change in how global corporations, small entrepreneurs and consumers think about the world, sharing a commitment to sustainability, protecting the planet, reducing waste and using resources responsibly.
Modern Menu: How people relate to food and American attitudes to food are changing, and U.S. food marketers and retailers innovate to keep pace with culinary desires.
Other trends include Bang for Your Buck, redefining what value means; The Power of Nature, regarding nature’s ability to care, nurture, nourish and protect; and Cause an Effect, where the proceeds from consumer purchases benefit others and help make the world a better place.