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:
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 behaviours during a time of heightened fear and confusion.
