shan 1

PRIZM Clusters:

6 – Winner’s Circle

10 – Beltway Boomers

12 – Crusin’ to Retirement

14 – Kiods and Cul-de-sacs

25 – Up and Comers

I chose a ZIP code in Bowie, MD. I currently have orders to the United States Naval Academy, as such, my wife and I have decided to live in Bowie, MD. Bowie is located in the suburbs of Washington DC in between DC and Annapolis. I’m unable to accurately judge the current description of clusters within bowie, however I feel like my family fits nicely into the Beltway Boomers PRIZM Cluster. My wife and I are both working professionals under the age of 55, homeowners, and we LOVE Chick-fila. We are both college graduates working in management type roles. The only discrepancies are our family income is a bit higher than the median household income for the ZIP code. All things considered, we will be living just outside the I-495 beltway in a moderately affluent community.

Marketers could absolutely target consumers who are most likely to purchase their product or service. The data holds true, segments throughout the country are more inclined to think, behave, and shop according to their geo-demography. For my household in particular, my wife made it very clear that we would live in a reasonable distance to the nearest Target. This is a prime example of how Target has marketed its brand to my family and provided substantial post-purchase satisfaction. With the right data, businesses like Target can “target” their intended audience (all puns intended) with precision in order to capitalize on consumer trends and high level of customer satisfaction.

Part 2

Primary VALS – Achievers

Members of this group typically:

· Have a "me first, my family first" attitude

· Believe money is the source of authority

· Are committed to family and job

· Are fully scheduled

· Are goal oriented

· Are hardworking

· Are moderate

· Act as anchors of the status quo

· Are peer conscious

· Are private

· Are professional

· Value technology that provides a productivity boost.

Secondary VALS – Innovators

Members of this group typically:

· Are always taking in information (antennas up)

· Are confident enough to experiment

· Make the highest number of financial transactions

· Are skeptical about advertising

· Have international exposure

· Are future oriented

· Are self-directed consumers

· Believe science and R&D are credible

· Are most receptive to new ideas and technologies

· Enjoy the challenge of problem solving

· Have the widest variety of interests and activities.

My primary and secondary VALS provide a fairly accurate description of me and my perception of life in general. I tend to exhibit traits of both groups equally, according to the descriptions provided. I value goal setting, and working towards achieving said goal. I constantly look to the future in an attempt to project future requirements and then lean on my own understanding to solve the problem or fix the issue. I live a fairly private life with my wife and enjoy making my own decisions without the influence of advertising or marketing campaigns.

Understanding the psychographic segmentation of a region can provide significant advantages to marketers. If a company is able to understand what consumers value, and how their minds work, they can alter their campaign strategy to directly influence consumers. By making a product or service seemingly relevant to a consumer’s priorities, marketers can essentially crack the code to creating demand. The only thing left to do, would be to deliver the product and strive for post-purchase satisfaction.