VALS Segmentation Model in Consumer Behaviour

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.

However, demographic and geographic psychographic segmentation is the most significant market segmentation technique to divide people into identical subgroups.

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:

1. Survivors
2. Makers
3. Strivers
4. Believers
5. Experiencers
6. Achievers
7. Thinkers
8. Innovators

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.