Marketing Research and Insight Glossary

Definitions, common uses and explanations of 1,500+ key market research terms and phrases.

What is Lifestyle Research?

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Lifestyle Research Definition

Research that attempts to explain behavior by analyzing people's attitudes, hobbies, activities, orientations, habits and opinions. Often associated with psychographic research and clustering.

Lifestyle research in marketing research is the study of consumers’ activities, interests, opinions, values and demographic factors to understand how they spend their time and resources and how these patterns influence purchasing decisions and brand relationships.

What are the key characteristics of lifestyle research?                 

  • Focuses on activities, interests and opinions (AIO framework).
  • Explores values, attitudes and personal priorities.
  • Often combined with demographic and psychographic profiling.
  • Provides insight into consumer motivations and behaviors.
  • Uses qualitative and quantitative research methods.
  • Helps identify market segments beyond basic demographics.

Why is lifestyle research important in market research?            

Lifestyle research is important because it reveals deeper insights into consumer behavior, enabling brands to create more relevant products, targeted messages and tailored experiences that align with customers’ everyday lives and personal values.

Who relies on lifestyle research in the marketing research and insights industry?                 

Brand managers, advertising agencies, product developers, market segmentation specialists, retail strategists and consumer insights teams rely on lifestyle research to shape marketing strategies and product positioning.

How do market researchers use lifestyle research?       

Market researchers use lifestyle research to segment consumers into meaningful groups, develop personas, identify unmet needs and design marketing campaigns that resonate on a personal level. Insights help refine product features, distribution strategies and promotional messages to fit target lifestyles.