Just like there are many types of internet
users, there are many types of groups of those types of users, and many types
of types of groups of types. One marketer's Power User could be
another marketer's Stiff Neck and divided in so many little pieces by other
marketers that it's invisible altogether. The one thing uniting these segmentation systems,
aside from their reliance on combining psychographic/demographic data, is that
they all use similarly asinine names:The Polk Company refers to 108 SuperNiches, which, when narrowed down to 26 Niches, correspond to letters of the alphabet. Starting with "A" for the richest (Already Affluent), the Niches continue on down to the next richest (Big Spender Parents), to Cash-to-Carry, Diamonds-to-Go, etc., winding up at Zero Mobility.
Odyssey market research divides technology consumers into six segments: New
Enthusiasts, Hopefuls, Faithfuls, Oldtimers, Independents, and Surfers.
Discovery Channel tailors programming to eight groups of info-seeking viewers (the rest of them don't watch): Entertain-Me's, Practicals, Scholars, Sociologists, Boy Toys, Machos, Here & Nows and Escapists.
Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve firm refers to segments based on life stages like MOBY's (Mommy Older, Baby Younger), DOBY's (the daddies); former YUPPIES divided into PUPPIES (Poor Urban Professionals) and WOOF's (Well-Off Older Folks); latchkey kids, Sandwichers (adults caught between caring for their children and their older parents); and SKIPPIE's (School Kids with Income and Purchasing Power). And also groups based on special interests, like Global Kids (kids with strong feelings about the environment plus strong influence over family purchase choice); and New Health Age Adults (consumers who consider their health and the health of the planet top priorities).
There's also MicroVisions 50's various "psychodemographic" lifestyle clusters such as Movers and Shakers, Lap of Luxury's, White Picket Fences, Young 'n' Carefree, etc.
Among the oldest segmenting systems is PRIZM (Potential Rating Index for Zip
Markets), which classifies all U.S. neighborhoods into 62 demographically and
psychographically distinct lifestyle clusters. With groups like Urban Gold Coast: Elite Urban Singles & Couples, New Empty
Nests: Upscale Suburban Fringe Couples and Norma Rae-ville: Young Families in
Bi-Racial Mill Towns--each detailing specific behavior data--PRIZM offers a
little something for everyone.
Mediamark Research divides the wealthiest 10 percent of U.S. households ("The Upper Deck") by lifestyles: The Good Life, Well-Feathered Nests, No Strings Attached, Nanny's in Charge, Two Careers.
Simmons Market Research has what they call the Get Set Index, which takes as its benchmark the 16% of the population who "think spending is their inalienable right, their American heritage." Everyone else is numbered accordingly: Experiencers (Get Set Index 77), Makers (Get Set Index 39), and so on.
There are not only groups for product categories but for specific products. Researchers for Proctor & Gamble's olestra fat substitute isolate two consumer groups--Determined Dieters and Heavy Smokers--most likely to embrace olestra. According to Advertising Age, if marketers play their cards right, they might also reach Guilty Bingers and Moderators. But olestra isn't for everyone and the two groups that won't go for it researchers call Naturalists and Taste Purists. This third of the population would include everyone not attracted to cramping, bloating, diarrhea, anal leakage, and gastrointestinal worms.
Looking Glass, Inc.'s Cohorts II typology has the distinguishing feature of
using first names to describe its constituents: "Jules & Roz" (affluent and
physically active urbanites with children); "Denise" (single mothers on a tight
budget), and "Elmer" (sedentary old men). Cohorts II even has a grouping for
people who defy categorization (bikers who knit, poor libertarians) called
Omegas. Nine percent of all U.S. households are Omegas, says Cohorts. Maybe they should form a fraternity.
