What is a Persona?

A unique approach to developing personas

The Environics approach to personas is distinct. Here are two key differentiators that make our personas especially useful for the organizations we work with:

1.

Adding depth with Social Values

Underdeveloped personas can be cold and unapproachable, making them hard for organizations to work with. Environics Research uses Social Values research to give personas human depth, infusing them with the nuances and contradictions that remind us of real people we know. We’ve been measuring Social Values in Canada since 1983, tracking evolving norms in areas ranging from family structure to environmental concern to enthusiasm for technology. By embedding the Social Values framework into our research design, we can identify deeper motivations behind human behavior, predicting people’s reactions to situations, opportunities, or challenges.

A quick example of how Social Values insights can operate:

Our Millennial Social Values Segmentation identifies six distinct groups of Millennials. The segments differ in world view, attitudes, and lifestyles. Like all generations, Millennials were shaped by coming of age at the same time – but they cannot be understood as a monolith. At first glance, two of our segments — “Diverse Strivers” and “Mainstream A-Listers” – have plenty in common. Both groups have the desire to impress others with possessions that symbolize affluence, such as a Swiss watch or Dyson vacuum. Both segments also score high on the value Need for Status Recognition, expressing the desire to be held in esteem and respected by others. With these values in mind, we begin to understand both Diverse Strivers and Mainstream A-Listers as types who care deeply about what others think of them.

Differences between the two segments begin to emerge, however, when we look at their relationships with brands. Expressing high Confidence in Advertising, Mainstream A-Listers tend to trust and use advertising as a source of reliable information, identifying with the role models that advertisements promote. Diverse Strivers aren’t as inclined to mimic celebrities or other brand champions. They value Brand Authenticity, and are looking for a deeper level of experience with the brands they engage with, such as a feeling of soul, history, founding myth, or place of origin that confers its own culture.

These kinds of nuanced differentiators help us imagine how to build messaging for different segments of an audience.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we used Social Values to explore the state of Canadians’ values and attitudes, paying close attention to how these informed outlooks and behaviors during a time of heightened fear and confusion.

2.

Visualizing your personas on a spectrum from “easiest to reach” to “hardest to reach”

Receiving a package of personas can be overwhelming at first. Some organizations initially struggle to decide which groups to prioritize, and it can be tempting to try to reach everyone at once.

Imagine this line as an ideological spectrum with personas positioned based on how they think about certain issues. Some personas will naturally align with your organization’s message – these people will be easier to communicate with. Others sit further away from your ideals – these people will require your organization to spend more time and effort to connect with your message.

To help our clients prioritize target audiences and communication efforts, Environics Research visualizes personas on a spectrum. On one side of the spectrum are the personas whose perspectives are already aligned with the organization’s current messaging and intentions; they’re more likely to feel good about what they’re hearing and to consider the organization a credible, trustworthy source. (Recall Timothy, who was already sympathetic to the environmental NGO’s message about the effects of climate change on wildlife.)

On the opposite end of this spectrum are the personas whose perspectives differ – a little or a lot – from the one the organization is trying to express. These people may be unreachable, or they may require a patient, tailored approach that reaches out to them across a relatively narrow bridge of shared concern. (“Your favourite golf course might be at risk from climate change.”) Our system helps organizations understand how planned messaging could connect with even a hard-to-reach persona, while also supporting strategic conversations about whether some segments are worth the investment (or whether resources are better deployed elsewhere).

Even people who disagree on most things can find common ground – and smart communicators can use good research to craft strong, unifying messages. Derek Leebosh, VP – Public Affairs at Environics, explains how affordable housing and public transit funding united disparate groups of voters in Toronto’s mayoral election.

People are complex. Their choices and behaviours don’t always line up neatly with the opinions they might express in an ordinary survey. Seemingly small nuances in preferences or beliefs can signal important underlying differences, with major consequences for organizations’ communications approaches. Instead of dismissing these nuances as trivial, we help our clients drill into them and explore whether they have the potential to shape messages that achieve greater resonance and impact. By personifying key market segments with colourful and memorable traits, we help to make audience-centered communication easier and more engaging for every member of our clients’ teams.