Psychographic Profiling Research Articles

Psychographic Profiling of Prospective Organic Skin Care Product Users

Global organic skin care market is expected to be valued at ₹159 billion by 2027. Asian countries are the most sought after by organic skin care brands due to increasing preference among women to buy products with safer and greener ingredients. Owing to the potential of organic skin care products in the near future, in the current study we have carried out a psychographic segmentation of women who intend to use organic skin care products. At prima facie, the current study is the first that segments young women who are prospects for the organic skin care industry. This is a pioneering approach to understand the lifestyle of women who use skin care products and are interested in using organic skin care brands. The deductive approach of questionnaire survey method has been adapted to collect the responses from purposive sampling of young Indian women using skin care brands. The data was analysed by applying exploratory factor analysis and K-means cluster analysis. The results revealed that three distinctive psychographic sets of young women namely ‘The Pococurante’, ‘The Trailblazers’ and ‘The Moderates’ are based on nine lifestyle factors. Further, the study also highlights the differences between the psychographic profiles from a marketing point of view. It promises to be beneficial to marketers to incorporate lifestyle as a key factor in the marketing mix of organic skin care brands. Depending on the dominant lifestyle factors in each cluster, unique marketing messages can be curated to attract each cluster towards organic skin care products.

Psychographic profiling — a method for developing relatable avatars for a direct-to-consumer mobile game for adolescent girls on mobile in India

Abstract This research aimed to conduct psychographic profiling for developing a direct-to-consumer mobile game targeting the sexual and reproductive health of adolescent girls in India. We used semi-structured tools to collect information on role models, family, education, dreams, fears and decision-making power. We also presented visual stimuli to the participants (Indian girls; age: 15–19 years; N = 103). Responding to the stimuli, the participants expressed their perceptions of social norms, moral standards, obligations and aspirations. We carried out thematic analysis using predetermined codes and did an inductive analysis to identify emergent profiles. Analysis revealed seven primary themes that influence the participants’ aspirations, decisions and agency: (i) clarity regarding career goals, (ii) information about the pathways to reach those goals, (iii) efforts toward achieving goals, (iv) clarity about priorities, (v) parental support, (vi) ability and willingness to negotiate and (vii) social mobility. Based on combinations of these themes, four predominant personas emerged as descriptive categories of girls’ lives and attitudes. These four profiles will form the basis of Game of Choice, Not Chance™ game: informing the scenarios, in-game decisions and relatable content. This study represents a novel approach to research for an equally innovative game for agency building and health awareness among adolescents.

Correction to: Psychographic profiling — a method for developing relatable avatars for a direct-to-consumer mobile game for adolescent girls on mobile in India

Correction to: Psychographic profiling — a method for developing relatable avatars for a direct-to-consumer mobile game for adolescent girls on mobile in India

Ceding to their fears: a taxonomic analysis of the heterogeneity in COVID-19 associated perceived risk and intended travel behaviour

ABSTRACT Research into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourists’ psyche represents a new and growing discourse within contemporary tourism. This study established and segmented post-COVID-19 pandemic tourists based on three psychographic factors of perceived risk. Data were generated from a self-administered online survey of 323 respondents. Exploratory factor analysis identified a triad of perceived risk factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Hierarchical cluster analysis supported a three cluster solution to comprise dogmatic, sceptical and apprehensive tourists, respectively. The findings show that there are discernable and statistically significant differences across the tourist typologies concerning the influence of media profile on tourist decision-making, the perceived safety of travel and tourism activities, and tourists’ behaviour (travel intentions) after the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, implying that psychographic profiling will be critical in market segmentation and tourists’ targeting with post-crisis communication and marketing promotion in line with their predilections. As a primer to future COVID-19-related behavioural studies, this explorative research contributes critical data driven behavioural insights to enhance the extent of the tourism literature and support tourism practitioners’ tourism marketing decision-making.

Psychographic Profiling of Adult Tobacco Users and Implications for Mediated Message Tailoring.

To investigate variations of psychographic profiles in adult tobacco users to inform message tailoring. A cross-sectional design used data from the Simmons 2015 National Consumer Study. Data were voluntarily provided by US families through a mail survey on media, products, and services, brands, and attitudes. US adult tobacco users (N = 4,609). Participants answered questions about general opinion/attitudes and provided demographic and tobacco use information. A factor analysis was conducted to determine the "best" latent psychographic factor structure based on model fit, factor loadings, and interpretability. A structural equation model was then applied to assess the associations between demographics, tobacco product use, and latent psychographic factors. We identified 9 latent psychographic factors: (1) helplessness, (2) happiness, (3) achievements, (4) religion, (5) interest in art and culture, (6) conscience, (7) conformity, (8) family indulgence, and (9) creativity. Endorsement of these factors varied by demographics and tobacco product use. E.g. low income tobacco users showed stronger endorsement for "helplessness" (Adjusted Standardized Regression Coefficient [ASRC]: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.51) and "religion" (ASRC: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.33). Less educated tobacco users showed stronger endorsement for "conformity" (ASRC: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.24). Young adults had significant positive associations for "achievements" (ASRC: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.48, 0.67). Psychographic profiles of tobacco users vary by demographics and product use. Tailored anti-tobacco media campaigns to specific disparity groups matching their psychographic profiles may improve message effectiveness and reduce tobacco use disparities.

Psychological Operations in Digital Political Campaigns: Assessing Cambridge Analytica's Psychographic Profiling and Targeting

This paper explores whether psychographic profiling and targeting married with big data and deployed in digital political campaigns is a form of psychological operations (‘psy-ops’). Informed by studies on deception, coercion and influence activities from propaganda, persuasion, policy making, cognitive psychology, information and marketing scholarship, this proposition is examined and historically grounded in a politically important case study: the actions of now defunct political data analytics and behaviour change company, Cambridge Analytica, in the UK’s 2016 referendum campaign on leaving the European Union. Based on qualitative analysis of documentation in the UK and USA from public inquiries, regulatory investigations, legal proceedings and investigative journalists, as well as on revelations from digital political campaigners and Cambridge Analytica itself, this paper assesses the coercive and deceptive nature of Cambridge Analytica’s psychographic profiling and targeting, concluding that it is a form of psy-ops. Observing the social unacceptability of such digital campaigning practices (ascertained from national surveys in the US, UK and globally), this paper discusses the adequacy of measures since put in place to eliminate the risk of further psy-ops in digital political campaigning. It ends by elucidating areas in urgent need of further research.

Cambridge Analytica’s black box

The Cambridge Analytica–Facebook scandal led to widespread concern over the methods deployed by Cambridge Analytica to target voters through psychographic profiling algorithms, built upon Facebook user data. The scandal ultimately led to a record-breaking $5 billion penalty imposed upon Facebook by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in July 2019. The FTC action, however, has been criticized as failing to adequately address the privacy and other harms emanating from Facebook’s release of approximately 87 million Facebook users’ data, which was exploited without user authorization. This Essay summarizes the FTC’s response to the Cambridge Analytica–Facebook scandal. It concludes that the scandal focuses attention on the need to explore the potential for embedding due process-type inquiries and protections within the enforcement actions by regulatory agencies such as the FTC. These protections are increasingly important in addressing the problem of “black boxing the voter” that is now presented by data- and algorithmic-driven companies such as Cambridge Analytica and Facebook.

Legally Cognizable Manipulation

Swaths of personal and nonpersonal information collected online about Internet users are increasingly being used in sophisticated ways for online political manipulation. This represents a new trend in the exploitation of data, where instead of pursuing direct financial gain based on the face value of the data, actors engage in data analytics using advanced artificial intelligence technologies that allow them to more easily access individuals’ cognition and future behavior. Although in recent years the concept of online manipulation has received some academic and policy attention, the desirable relationship between cybersecurity law and online manipulation is not yet fully explored. In other words, regulators and courts have yet to realize the importance of linking cybersecurity law to individual autonomy, privacy, and democracy. This Article provides an account of the desirable relationship between cybersecurity law and other values, such as autonomy, privacy, and democracy, by looking at the phenomenon of online manipulation achieved through psychographic profiling. It argues that the volume, efficacy, and sophistication of present online manipulation techniques pose a considerable and immediate danger to autonomy, privacy, and democracy. Internet actors, political entities, and foreign adversaries carefully study the personality traits and vulnerabilities of Internet users and, increasingly, target each such user with an individually tailored stream of information or misinformation with the intent of exploiting the weaknesses of these individuals. This Article makes a broader argument about cybersecurity law and its narrow focus on identity theft and financial fraud. Primarily, this Article looks at data-breach notification law, a subset of cybersecurity law, as reflective of that limited scope. It argues that data-breach notification law could provide a much-needed backdrop for the challenges presented by online manipulation, while alleviating the sense of lawlessness engulfing current misuses of personal and nonpersonal data. At the heart of this Article is an inquiry into the expansion of dated notions of cybersecurity law. Presently, cybersecurity law’s narrow approach seeks to remedy materialized harms such as identity theft or fraud. This approach contravenes the purpose of cybersecurity law—to create legal norms protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer systems and networks. If cybersecurity law seeks to protect individuals from the externalities of certain cyber risks, it needs to recognize emerging threats targeting computer systems and networks, and subsequently, individual autonomy, privacy, and democracy.

Fighting Fire With Fire: Using Industry Market Research to Identify Young Adults at Risk for Alternative Tobacco Product and Other Substance Use.

Limited public health research has used psychographic profiling to segment young adults and examine their substance use behaviors. We aimed to conduct market research to identify young adult market segments at risk for alternative tobacco products (ATPs), alcohol, and marijuana use. Substance use; psychographics per the Values, Attitudes, and Lifestyle Scale (VALS); and other key variables were assessed at baseline in a longitudinal study of 3,418 students aged 18-25 from seven colleges/universities in the state of Georgia. Cluster analysis was conducted on VALS factors to identify distinct segments. Regression examined segments in relation to substance use risk. Past 30-day use prevalence for each substance was as follows: cigarettes, 13.3%; little cigars/cigarillos (LCCs), 11.2%; smokeless tobacco (SLT), 3.6%; e-cigarettes, 10.9%; hookah, 12.2%; alcohol, 63.1%; and marijuana, 19.0%. Five segments were identified, created, and named: Conventionals, Simple Lifes, Open Minds, Confident Novelty-seekers, and Stoic Individualists. Controlling for sociodemographics, Open Minds, Confident Novelty-seekers, and Stoic Individualists (vs. Conventionals [referent]) were more likely to smoke cigarettes. Confident Novelty-seekers were more likely to use LCCs. Simple Lifes were less likely to use SLT. Open Minds and Confident Novelty-seekers were more likely to use e-cigarettes. Open Minds were more likely and Simple Lifes were less likely to use hookah. Open Minds were more likely to use alcohol; Simple Lifes and Stoic Individualists were less likely to use alcohol. Open Minds were more likely to use marijuana. Market research is an effective strategy for identifying young adults at risk for using distinct ATPs and can inform targeted health campaigns and cessation interventions.

K-Pop Music Worldwide and Digital Marketing Role in Brazil

K-Pop is hugely promoted offline/online in East Asia, while efforts to promote it elsewhere are kept to a minimum. Whilst addressing the role of digital marketing in the promotion of K-Pop in the Brazilian music industry this study aims to demonstrate that K-pop will provide its audience with a unique and engaging experience if it thinks globally and acts locally in its marketing and communication strategies. A survey of K-Pop’s world fan base was carried out online with 1,074 fans to determine the validity of the hypothesis. The results have demonstrated the need to adapt global and intercultural strategies to local markets with increasing brand awareness through utilizing digital marketing. For example, to increase K-Pop’s popularity and market share in Brazil, it is not required to sing in Brazilian Portuguese, contrary to what might be perceived but fully singing in English would help breaking into the market dominated by domestic music as songs would have a higher probability to be included in the international soundtrack of a Brazilian telenovela and promote the K-Pop artist not only across Brazil but also give the artist exposure in all the markets the Brazilian telenovela is exported to, opening an entry door to those markets. K-Pop audience segmentation and psychographic profiling is crucial to the understanding of each market’s consumer’s preferences, likes, dislikes and their buying habits as it was proven through Brazil’s digital media, social media, digital music market and K-Pop market analysis within the global context of the study. It should be also considered that brand extensions are not standard everywhere and that there are cultures where different product categories are not directly associated with its main corporate owner which requires extensive local market knowledge to succeed. The primary and secondary data research that we conducted for this study intended to demonstrate that K-Pop can be successful in Brazil and in Latin America and increase their local and regional market share if digital marketing and communication strategies are tailored to each individual market.

Psychographic Profiling for Effective Health Behavior Change Interventions.

Motivating people who are not inclined to engage in health behavior presents a significant challenge to public health practitioners. Although there have been advances in interventions that increase individuals' motivation to engage in health-related behaviors, there is still a relative dearth of evidence as to the processes and mechanisms by which interventions exert effects on behavior. There is also considerable need to identify the moderating factors that enhance or diminish the effects of behavioral interventions. Searching for moderators is important as it will address whether large-scale interventions administered to a population will be effective (a “one size fits all” approach) or whether interventions should be tailored to specific groups with particular demographic, behavioral, and psychological profiles (a “tailored” approach).

Psychographic Profiling of Indian Young Adult Consumers of Smartphone : VALS Approach

The current youth market is characterized as tech-savvy, variety seekers who has been active in using digital technology in unprecedented ways. The market segment defined here comprises of youth adults between the ages 20 to 30, who are more comfortable with purchasing the smartphones than previous generation. There is fierce competition in smartphone market, due to the large selection of devices from a wide range of brands.Thus it is of significant interest to understand the consumer behavior on buying a smart phone.Smartphones are considered to be a lifestyle device than a necessity. This study strives to evaluate snapshot of the differences and similarities among the Smartphone consumers in the given sample of population, and offers a glimpse of the early demographic and behavior trends associated with new smart phone devices in the Indian markets. This study profiles the consumers into eight segments based on Values and Lifestyle (VALS) model. It is evident from this research that consumers’ brand preferences vary according to their lifestyle segment. The insights from the report provide a better understanding of both the challenges and opportunities that exist as the mobile landscape continues to evolve.

Psychographic Profiling of Professional Women:Development and Factor Analysis of Items for a Questionnaire

Purpose: As a part of a larger study to profile women online shoppers of FMCG /grocery in Bangalore city it was found that there were no instruments available to profile professional women psychographically. The purpose of this study is to develop a set of items for a self administered questionnaire to profile professional women along psychographic attributes. Research design and methods: Attributes of personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles were derived from a focus group discussion with group of eight professional women to arrive at a 28 item questionnaire. Each item was analysed on a five-point Likert scale so as that higher item scores indicated a higher disposition towards that particular attribute. Responses were solicited online through email and also by administering questionnaires to randomly selected professional women. A total of 151(68 online and 83 offline) were evaluated and subjected to an exploratory factor analysis. Meaningful factors were retained and interpreted based on their psychometric properties. Results: Exploratory factor analysis suggested a five factor solution accounting for 59.9% of the cumulative variance and all the sub scales had 'acceptable 'reliability (Cronbach alpha greater than 0.6) Practical Implications :The study has practical implications for grocery/FMCG online retailers for better understanding the shopper behavior in the context of changing consumer psychographic characteristics in an emerging Indian online grocery/FMCG market. The findings may help the online retailers to segment and target the grocery/FMCG consumers and as a consequence, to undertake more effective online retail marketing and advertising strategies for competitive advantage. Originality/value-Given the absence of published academic literature and empirical findings relating to psychographic profiling of women professions, this study may serve as a departure point for future studies in this area of concern. The research is also relevant to online marketers in terms of format development and reorientation of marketing strategies in the fast growing consumer segment Indian online grocery/FMCG market.

The Emergence of Diverse Organic Consumers: Does a Mature Market Undermine the Search for Alternative Products?

AbstractThis study uses qualitative and quantitative data as well as household panel data regarding actual purchases of organic food in order to make a psychographic profiling of organic consumers and examine recent developments of organic demand inDenmark. It is shown that contemporary organic consumers have become a heterogeneous group, since three distinct positively minded segments are identified. These positively minded segments hold a very high share of all organic food sales on theDanish market and are also driving demand forward. TheDanish organic market can be said to have matured insofar as positively oriented segments that differ in their food involvement, shopping behaviour and levels of ethical concern have appeared, while marketing and distribution strategies have co‐developed with these trends. We discuss our findings in the light of the attitude‐behaviour gap that is said to exist in regard to organic consumption and the consequences that are thought to follow from the detachment of consumers from organic producers according to the much debated conventionalisation thesis.

Non-compliance with antibiotic therapy for acute community infections: a global survey

A global patient survey of non-compliance with antibiotic therapy for acute community infections included 4514 adult respondents (aged 18–99 years) in 11 countries. Admitted non-compliance (ANC) was reported in 912/4088 (22.3%) of cases but varied widely between countries. Multivariate analysis identified five independent variables associated with ANC: country, daily dosage regimen, age, attitudes to doctors and attitudes to antibiotics. ANC ranged from 44.0% in China to 9.9% in The Netherlands, and from 14.9% in those prescribed once-daily regimens to 27.0% for three or more daily doses. There was a negative correlation between ANC and age. Analysis of the attitudes to doctors confirmed previous findings that involving the patient in the management of their infection can improve overall compliance. The study identified seven key attitudes to antibiotic use with the potential to improve compliance. However, there was a poor understanding in 10 of the 11 countries of how non-compliance can increase the potential for resistance development. Segmentation and cluster analysis identified four psychographic profiles influencing compliant behaviour, which varied across countries. The global picture of antibiotic non-compliance and psychographic profiling should help identify areas for targeted, country-specific patient educational programmes as well as those areas where physicians can improve their interaction with their patients.

Host-Guest Dating

ABSTRACT This article argues for the potential use of lifestyle segmentation in order to achieve psychographic matching between hosts and guests in Bed and Breakfast and homestay accommodation. The discussion draws on research conducted in home-hosted accommodation in New Zealand and Scotland that highlighted the central role that the host-guest interaction plays in guest experience and satisfaction. The idea is then developed as to the potential for tourism boards and other promotional bodies to conduct psychographic profiling on homestay hosts so that potential guests might match themselves for potential com-patibility with hosts. Whilst points of caution are noted, it is argued that such profiling could increase the possibilities of successful host-guest interaction and thus the quality of experience of both guests and hosts.

Psychographic Profiling of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: The Role of Health Orientation

Based on the empirical evidence that documents the link between fruit and vegetable consumption and a plethora of health outcomes, multiple campaign initiatives have been launched in the past decade seeking to drive the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the U.S. population. A review of the existing literature suggests that most campaign initiatives have taken an episodic approach to the task of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. This article offers an alternative framework by highlighting the importance of a psychographic approach that emphasizes the treatment of the whole individual. In this case, health orientation is defined and located as the underlying variable that drives a multitude of health-related behaviors including fruit and vegetable consumption. The study results support the notion that an underlying sense of health orientation drives health behaviors such as fruit and vegetable consumption. Specific recommendations are made for campaign initiatives that take a comprehensive and long-term approach to health behavior change.