VALS Model in Consumer Behaviour Examples. The Eight Segments of the VALS Model
VALS Model
The VALS Model refers to separating people into eight categories based on their lifestyles, psychological characteristics, and consumption patterns. It is also known as the Vals framework of psychographic segmentation, which segments people for marketing purposes. It is the most crucial framework for understanding clients' values and lifestyles. Therefore, people call it the Vals audience segmentation model in consumer behavior. The VALS is the acronym for Values, Attitudes, Lifestyles, and psychographic factors.
VALS-2 is the extended model that renames strugglers for survivors, actualizers for innovators, and fulfilled for thinkers.
In 1978, the research institute Stanford established Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to develop a VALS (Values and Lifestyles) typology to categorize American consumers. In 1989, they created a quietly modified system that considers individuals’ lifestyles, psychological characteristics, also consumption patterns.
Different between VALS and VALS-2 Model
VALS model includes the following eight elements: Survivors, Makers, Believers, Achievers, Strivers, Experience, Thinkers, and Innovators,
Similarly, the VALS 2 Model divides people into eight categories: Strugglers, Strivers, Makers, Believers, Achievers, Experience, Fulfilled, and Actualizers.
VALS Framework Examples
Eight Segmentations of the VALS Model are:
Survivors
Makers
Strivers
Believers
Experiencers
Achievers
Thinkers
Innovators
Figure 1: VALS Segmentation Model in Consumer Behaviour
1. Survivors/ Strugglers
Firstly, Survivors or strugglers are financially needy people. In contrast to innovators, they are low-skilled, educated, without strong social bonds, and passive. They avoid risk because of feeling powerless. It seems like their prime motive is to meet safety and security demands.
For example, students are survivors because they are financially needy and powerless.
2. Makers
Makers are practical people with strong traditional values, constructive skills, self-sufficiency, and enough income. They live within a conventional context of family, practical work, and also physical recreation. Makers are suspicious of new ideas, politically conservative, and respectful of government authority but resentful of government intrusion on individual rights.
For example, religious leaders have traditional values and live in society's traditional context.
3. Strivers
Strivers are attracted to others who exhibit qualities they don’t have but admire. They inquire about motivation and self-definition. They expect to achieve goals through wealth and often feel that life has dealt them a bad hand because of the less money. Strivers feel easily bored because they are very impulsive.
For example, an unemployed person is looking for a job after completing graduation. Therefore, job seekers are real-life examples of strivers.
4. Believers
Believers belong to a very conservative and profoundly moral mentality similar to makers. They seem like makers because of having conservative and traditional values. They follow established routines organized by the family, social and religious organizations. Their income, education, and energy are enough to meet demands.
For example, an adult person retired from government service. The retired person is an example of a believer.
5. Experiencers
Experiencers are young, energetic, enthusiastic, impulsive, and rebellious. They seek a variety of excitements but are politically uncommitted and highly ambivalent about what they believe. They like being associated with outdoor, sports, recreational, and social activities.
For example, a teenager is an example of an experience in the Vals segmentation model.
6. Achievers
Actually, achievers are work-oriented successful people. They like to feel in control of their lives. They are also deeply committed to work and keep promises to family, society, and career. Achievers respect authority because they prefer to keep the promise but are politically conservative.
For example, an employed person is an achiever. The CEO of the company, artist, political leader, and businessman is the example of achievers in the Vals segmentation model.
7. Thinkers/ Fulfilled
Thinkers are enough adults, mature, well-educated, professional people with satisfying incomes. They stay current with international and national events and are often tended to increase their knowledge. They are usually calm and self-assured because they depend on their decisions.
For example, a successful businessman is an example of a thinker in the Vals segmentation model.
8. Innovators/ Actualizers
Finally, Innovators are highly successful people with self-esteem and considerable resources compared to strugglers. Innovators are supervised by both their principle and the dreams around them. They want to be government and business leaders because they have enormous power and social consciousness.
For example, a political leader is an innovator who can change society with power. Therefore, a political leader is an example of an innovator in the Vals segmentation model.
Conclusion
The Eight Categories of the VALS Segmentation Model are survivors, makers, strivers, believers, experiencers, achievers, thinkers, and innovators. VALS Framework has become a crucial strategy to target audiences for political campaigns and product marketing. Many organizations conduct digital marketing campaigns on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
David Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication Example Situation. Berlo's Model of Communication Advantages and Disadvantages
David Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication
SMCR communication model refers to the Source-Message-Channel-Receiver formed communication theory developed by David Berlo in 1960. In 1960, David Berlo designed the SMCR communication model with four elements: Sender, Message, Channel, and Receiver. SMCR refers to the Source-Message-Channel-Receiver, which are essential elements of any communication process. Therefore, the SMCR communication model is known as Berlo's Source-Message-Channel-Receiver model. Berlo invented this model based on the Shannon-Weaver communication model (1949). He described some factors that make the communication process more effective. SMRC represents the Source, Message, Channel, and Receiver that are also part of 9 essential communication elements of the primary communication process.
There are three types of communication models: linear, interactive, and transactional communication models. The SMCR communication model refers to the one-way communication system. So, the SMCR model is a linear model of communication where feedback is absent.
Berlo's Model of Communication Published Year: 1960
Who Developed the SMCR Communication Model?
Answer: David Berlo
SMCR Stands For
SMCR stands for Sender, Message, Channel, and Receiver
Listening to a lecture in a classroom is a real-life example of David Barlo's SMCR communication model. Lecturer Delivering a Lesson Physically in a Classroom can be an example situation of Berlo's model of communication. The four essential elements of Barlo's model are the source, message, channel, and receiver. Firstly, the news lecturer is the source of knowledge who disseminates the information. The lessons are the message, and hearing and seeing are the channel. Finally, the students are receivers of messages who listen to the lecture. In this context, students can be a source of information when they provide feedback. David Berlo did not mention feedback in his model; therefore, it is designed to explain a one-way communication process.
Similarly, reading newspapers, books and magazines are example scenario of Barlo's communication model. Print and broadcast journalism primarily relate to one-way communication.
However, digital journalism generates two-way communication, including social media-based citizen journalism and blogging. The active audience can comment to express their opinion on social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Berlo's Model of Communication Diagram
Figure 1: David Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication
David Berlo's Communication Model Elements
The Four Key Elements of Berlo's Model of Communication are:
Source
Message
Channel
Receiver
1. Source
The source means the message's sender who initiates the communication process by sending information to the Receiver. David Berlo describes five factors related to the source: Communication Skills, Attitude, Knowledge, Social Systems, and Culture.
Communication skills
Communication skills refer to the ability to speak, read, write, and listen effectively. It also indicates the ability to use verbal and nonverbal communication cues during the interaction. Communication will be more effective if the senders and receivers have excellent communication skills. The most common nonverbal communication examples are eye contact, facial expression, body language, gestures, posture, and so more. The communication skill of the source or sender increases the effectiveness of the communication process.
Attitude
Attitude is the psychological factor of the sender and Receiver that affects the message's meaning. It is also an established perception of a person in which they think or feel about something. Thus, the message's meaning depends on the source's attitude and the Receiver.
Knowledge
Knowledge indicates the level of actual information, familiarity, and experience on the discussion topic. The discussion topic is the message of the communication process. Therefore, the communicator feels comfortable discussing if the topic is familiar to them. However, knowledge does not imply the educational qualifications or degrees of the sender or receiver.
For example, a football player will be more interested in talking about football than cricket. On the other hand, a cricket player will surely feel comfortable discussing a cricket game. Here, knowledge indicates familiarity with the subject of the discussion topic or message.
Social Systems
Social systems refer to the values, beliefs, behaviors, rules and regulations, locations, and religions. These factors influence the method of the communication process as well as the meaning of the message.
For example, the speaker delivers an anti-America message in the American parliament election campaign. It is considerably sure that the audience will not receive and listen to his message attentively. It is an example of a location factor that is also part of the social system.
Culture
Culture refers to the social background of the Sender and Receiver. The meaning of the same message might be identical when people from different cultures interpret it. It is a significant factor from the perspective of nonverbal communication cues.
For example, exchanging "Salam" greetings with people is widespread in the Muslim community. Salam conveys a greeting message in the Muslim community; however, handshaking is another activity that also exchanges the same meaning. On the other hand, handshaking is a standard greeting among people in Western culture.
2. Message
The message is the primary substance conveyed by the source or sender of the communication to the Receiver. David Berlo proposed another five factors related to the message: Content, Elements, Treatment, Structure, and Code.
Content
Content refers to the entire body of the message from beginning to end. It is essential information for the discussion. Content is the whole script of the conversation.
For example, the lecturer is teaching students about noise in communication. So, the full speech about communication noise is the content of the message.
Elements
Elements refer to nonverbal communication cues such as facial expression, eye contact, gesture, posture, and body movement. It makes the conversation more effective and productive. So, communication might get boring without elements.
For example, the lecturer raises five fingers when mentioning the five basic noises in the communication process.
Treatment
Treatment refers to the communication way in which the message is conveyed to the audience. The communication way affects the communication system. It represents the message packaging. Examples of treatment in communication are delivering messages formally and casually.
For example, the teachers speak formally when delivering speeches in the classroom. However, the lecturer talks very casually when meeting students outside of class.
Structure
The structure of the message describes the arrangement of the information. The effectiveness of the message depends on the message structure.
For example, the lecturer talks about the definition, types, and examples of communication noise. The students perceive the message clearly for its good arrangement.
Code
Code in the message refers to the form of the message transmitted from sender to receiver. Examples of the code are text, audio, video, visual, and so more.
For example, the teacher is speaking in front of the students; hence, the code of the message is audio.
3. Channel
Channel refers to the medium that carries the message from sender to Receiver. There are many types of channels in communication, such as radio, newspapers, TV, phone calls, and social media. Berlo highlighted the five senses as the communication channel: hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, and tasting. These five channels are a crucial part of the human communication process.
For example, a face-to-face class is more effective than an online class. The students can see the lecturer physically and hear the lecture. Nowadays, many institutes conduct virtual classes through premium. The channels denote the physical and virtual communication way to convey messages.
David Berlo mentions only five human senses as the communication channel, such as Hearing, Seeing, Touching, Smelling, and Tasting.
Hearing
People receive messages through listening. It is the most effective channel in the communication process. For example, students hear lectures in the classroom.
Seeing
People accept messages through seeing. It is one of the crucial channels in nonverbal communication. People take less than one second to judge others by seeing their appearance. The audiences form a conception of the speaker based on body movement, facial expression, eye contact, and gesture. A proverb says that people can lie, but eyes never lie. It means people believe what they see more than what they hear.
For example, a lecturer asks students about their final exam. The student replied that it was an excellent exam; however, the student looked very worried while interacting with the lecturer. So, the lecturer does not believe the statement due to seeing the worried face. Watching television is another example of seeing channels in communication.
Touching
Touch refers to an effective nonverbal communication channel that conveys messages through touching. It is also known as Haptics in Nonverbal Communication. The most common examples of touching channels in communication are holding hands, hugging, tickling, and kissing. These touching styles represent different messages.
Smelling
Smelling is another channel of the intrapersonal communication process. The intrapersonal communication process means communicating with yourself. It is also known as olfactics nonverbal communication. People judge others based on the Fragrance they have used. A good smell creates a positive attitude toward the person. The perspiration odors form a negative perception of the person. A good fragrance represents a good personality.
For example, people smell flowers and fragrances to identify whether the flavor is good or bad.
Tasting
Tasting refers to nonverbal communication channels through tasting something. For example, people test food to identify its deliciousness.
4. Receiver
Finally, R-Receiver is the person who receives the message or information in the communication process. David Berlo adds the same factors of the sources to the Receiver, such as Communication skills, Attitudes, Knowledge, Social Systems, and Culture, to the Receiver. Communication gets more effective when senders and receivers have similar skills, attitudes, and knowledge. Communication among people from the same culture and social system reduces communication noise during the interaction.
Berlo's Model of Communication Example Situation
(Berlo's Model of Communication Example Scenarios: A Marketing Officer Selling a New Television)
1. Source (S)
In this scenario, the marketing manager is the source of information who initiates the communication.
Communication Skills: The marketing manager should be a verbal and non-verbal communicator to convey the message effectively.
Attitude: The marketing manager needs to have a positive attitude and details information about the new television.
Knowledge: The sales manager should study the new product and the customer's demographic and psychographic background.
Social System: The manager works within the organizational structure and culture.
Culture: The manager’s approach and style might be influenced by the organizational culture and background of the audience.
2. Message (M)
The promotional information about the new television is the message.
Content: it is information about the new television, including components, usefulness, pricing, and launch date.
Elements: Verbal and non-verbal communication cues including artifacts, presentation slides, statistic report charts, and television images.
Treatment: The way of conveying information including formal presentation with a Q&A session.
Structure: The whole session includes an executive summary, product features, market analysis, and conclusion.
Code: The marketing manager uses language in promotional presentations, including technical terms, and possibly visual and audio elements.
3. Channel (C)
In this scenario, hearing and seeing are the channels in which a message is transmitted.
Hearing: The customers and sales team listen to the manager’s speech about the new television.
Seeing: The customers see visual aids and observe non-verbal cues.
Touching: Some audiences touch the new television to know more about it.
Smelling and Tasting: It does not apply to this product. However, it might be applicable for food items.
4. Receiver (R)
In this scenario, the clients are receivers of the information.
Communication Skills: The customers and sales team must have good listening and little knowledge about the product.
Attitude: It indicates the customer's willingness to buy the new products. It might be positive or negative towards the new television. It is also relevant to psychological noise in communication.
Knowledge: Similar to the marketing manager, the customers and sales team should have knowledge and positive attitudes toward the new television.
Social System: The marketing session is designed and operated according to the company’s hierarchical structure and social norms.
Culture: The customer's cultural background and corporate culture may influence their perception of the message.
Berlo's Model of Communication Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of Berlo's SMCR Communication Model
Berlo's communication model explains the communication system with four primary and 15 sub-components. It shows a giant diagram to describe the communication process thoroughly. The SMCR model explains the communication process elaborately.
The source or sender and receiver contain similar components. This model articulates that the sender and receiver convey and receive messages simultaneously. It indicates interactive communication even though it is a linear communication model.
It focuses on human communication emphasizing the skills, attitudes, knowledge, and social systems of both the sender and receiver.
Disadvantages of the Berlo's SMCR Communication Model
David Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication is the linear communication model; therefore, feedback is absent. Hence, the SMCR model can't explain the transactional communication processes like speaking over a smartphone.
Additionally, it illustrates a complex communication model that is difficult to understand. This model troubles students in perceiving the process.
Moreover, Berlo's SMCR communication model avoids noise, a significant communication element. It excludes another communication element- context. It is impossible to describe the communication process without noise and context.
Conclusion
SMCR is one of the significant linear communication models that describe the communication process through multiple elements, including Sender, Message, Channel, and Receiver. Although this model mentioned various components, it is a one-way directed. Berlo's SMCR model is known as the one-step communication model; whereas, the two-step flow of communication is the interactive model. In sum, the SMCR model is also a linear model of communication since feedback is excluded.
