Psychographic Insights and Definitions

Lifestyle Definitions and Methodology

Machine-learning algorithms are utilized to estimate 90 unique lifestyle traits in the Discover platform. In this article, we’ll explain how we categorize the users in our consumer sample into different lifestyles and what each lifestyle profile means.

How Discover Calculates Lifestyle Affinities  

Each lifestyle trait in our platform is defined by a combination of relevant interests. For a user in our consumer sample to have a high affinity for a given lifestyle profile (e.g.,. “Party Goer” or “Art Appreciators”), they need to meet specific threshold criteria for that combination of relevant interests. Discover estimates the affinities for different lifestyle profiles using the following steps:

1. Users’ observed interest categories: We group each user’s engagement with different social pages and posts into interest categories.
2. Proportion of interests for that each user: Then, we measure the proportion of those specific interest categories for each user.
3. Interest comparison to general population: Finally, each user’s proportion of interest categories are compared to that for average U.S. adult population.

Here’s a simplified, hypothetical example that illustrates this process: Let’s say Mark, a user in our consumer sample, has 1,000 interactions on social media. The platform analyzes these 1,000 interactions and groups them into interest categories. It turns out, 200 of Mark’s interactions fall into books, 100 into magazines and 50 into newspapers.

1. Mark’s interest categories: Books, Magazines and Newspapers, among others
2. Proportion of interests for Mark: Books (20%), Magazines (10%) and Newspapers (5%)
3. U.S. adult general population: Books (15%), Magazines (6%) and Newspapers (2%). 

Therefore, Mark will show an above average affinity for Lifestyle > “Readers” in the platform.

List of Discover’s General Lifestyles

Using our profiling algorithms, we have created 25 unique General Lifestyle profiles:

• Art Appreciators: Members of this segment have a major passion for classic arts. They usually travel to admire churches, sculptures, art galleries and paintings. They tend to be people over 25 years old.
• Beauty and Wellness Aware: They dedicate most of their time and energy to the care of their body. They are ready to spend part of their budget on beauty products, especially if they consider them of the best quality. Aside from products and objects, consumers in this section also dedicate time and money toward their physical fitness and health, whether that be gym memberships, dietary supplements, or spa treatments.
• Business People: Entrepreneurs, business owners, or just professionals, Discover's business people put their work and career at the top of their priorities. They are fully invested into their job for both economical reasons and personal satisfaction, but also follow the greater scope of business and the economy, and this is most reflected in their media consumption.
• Celebrity Fans: These tabloid readers have a pulse on all the latest gossip about celebrities, which arises from their heavy social media usage. They will try and do anything that their favorite celebrity suggests, and keep a tight watch on trends and news regarding their favorite famous people.
• Design Lovers: Individuals in this segment have a passion for design and modern art. They tend to have a higher income than the US average. There is not a major gender differences, nor major age distinctions. As opposed to home decorators and DIYs, these people are more likely to invest in nice furnishings or art than recreate it themselves.
• Entertainment Junkies: This is an audience who loves being in front of a screen. Do not get into a TV or Movie trivia battle with them, because they will likely win, as watching TV and Movies is what they do for fun. You'll see them sharing trailers for upcoming movies and talking about the latest show they are binge-watching on Netflix.
• Fashion Lovers: Members of this segment have an interest in fashion and apparel. They keep a fresh repertoire of clothing, and look for opportunities to show it off. That bonus or paycheck usually funds a new accessory or outfit. Men in this segment tend to be under 34 years old, while women's age in this segment are more evenly distributed.
• Food Lovers: Food makes them happy. They enjoy going to restaurants to try new or favorite dishes and often experiment with food at home. Many of their activities surround food: surfing the web, shopping, going out, cooking. All are usually food related for this segment. 
• Gamblers: This group enjoys playing games but only if there is betting and money involved. They tend to frequent casinos, playing anything from slot machines, to card games. They are also not strangers to online betting, upping their stakes to win big.
• Gamers: This segment includes people who are passionate about video games. Through multiple different platforms, they will be playing games. From PC, to console, or on their smartphones. Gaming for them is viewed as a "serious hobby," even sport.
• Health Conscious: They are concerned about their health and are looking to find health products that can help any ailment that comes their way.
• Home Decorators & DIYs: For this segment, where they live is their blank canvas. All of their creativity and craftiness is channeled toward their home. They look to design and furnishing publications for inspiration, and try to recreate their favorites on their own. They tend to be woman over 30th years old.
• Money Savers: People in this segment tend to save money in several branches of shopping like clothing, department stores, electronic stores. They generally consider price first amongst other factors and are always up to date with the latest offers by searching for them on the web.
• Motor Lovers: Members of this segment have a huge interest in the world of motors. Cars, motorcycles, scooters: if it gets them from A-B in style, they are interested. They are not necessarily experts on cars or motorcycles, but this interest tends to coincide with their sports of choice, TV shows, magazines, and their conversations with friends (who typically share the same interest!).
• Music Lovers: This segment is deeply passionate about music. It's a part of their activities. They keep close tabs on their favorite musicians and bands via social media, and like to keep pulse on the latest and new hits. Most of their disposable income goes back into seeing their favorite bands.
• Nerds: They are your classic Poindexter archetype, (Sheldon from Big Bang Theory). This segment is based on a heavy interest in fantasy genre movies and TV shows, strategy/ RPG games, fictional characters, and comics.
• Netizens: Discover's Netizen is always online. They are heavy internet consumers, and prefer to do any activity online. Shopping, talking with friends, reading, playing games, are better when done through the internet for this group.
• Outdoor Enthusiasts: They spend most of their free time outdoors; they'd rather go for a run or a bike ride than workout at the gym. More than just staying active and fit, outdoor enthusiasts capitalize on opportunities to be in nature by hiking, camping, fishing, and the likes.
• Party Goers: People that love spending a lot of time in bars, pubs, clubs, and other night activities for fun or passion. They are often working for the weekend, and spend money on looking good and impressing when they go out.
• Pet Lovers: People who love animals and are likely pet owners. Animals literally make up part of their friends, and they are passionate about the world respecting their rights. Over seventy percent of this segment are women.
• Politically Active: This segment includes all the people interested in politics. Whether it be at the national or local level, politically active people have policy top of mind. Communication to the people is important to these individuals, and they rely on politically heavy media sources for their news. This section includes people interested in politics, and also people involved with politics.
• Readers: Reading is an essential characteristic of this segment. They appreciate fine journalism, always have a book they are working on, and will spend time reading just about anything, as opposed to watching something. A good article will be more successful content with this group than a picture or video!
• Sports Enthusiasts: This is your sports fan! While the majority of this audience does in fact also practice some sort of spot, this segment includes also people that are strictly spectators. You will find them subscribing to magazines, surfing the web, and following social pages which provide the best analysis and news. The latest sports news or game typically dominates their conversations.
• Techies: Technology is their daily bread and they are always up to date with the latest technology development and evolutions. These are the people you see standing in line outside for the latest new technology. They tend to follow tech blogs or read tech magazine. This interest also typically follows suit with their occupations.
• Travelers: Travelers make seeing a new place a priority. "Staycation" is not a term they are familiar with, as they capitalize on any opportunity to get out of town. These frequent flyers are keen to traveling discounts and promotions, and follow their preferred travel resources online closely.

Additional Lifestyle Profiles

To provide you with a deeper understanding of consumers, we created additional lifestyle profiles around 13 macro topics:

Advertising Profiles

• Outdoor Ads: Based on their activities, this segment is more likely to be influenced and reached by advertising outdoors. They are commuters and travelers which spend time in their cars, on trains, in taxis, and buses. They also are less active online than average. Three-quarters of them are males with a medium income.
• Online Ads: Advertising through social and websites is likely to be the best way to reach them. They spend many hours online, much more so than average.
• Print Ads: You are most likely reaching this audience through printed medias like magazines and newspapers. They show a much higher interest within these medias than the rest.
• Unconventional Ads: Based on their activity, this segment is best reached through the emerging and less traditional mediums. Mobile, apps, product placement in TV, along with experiences at shopping malls, restaurants, and other public centers can be very effective.
• TV Ads: This is a segment that shows heavy interest within the TV category of shows and networks. A high percentage of your audience in this segment would suggest television ads are an effective way to reach your audience.

Beauty and Wellness

• Just a Trim: Members of this segment have found their hairstyles and stick with them. They aren’t influenced by what they see in magazines or on TV about hair care products, mainly because they see no reason to change from the products they usually use. As every segments in this category, this one is composed for more by female.
• Cosmetic Connoisseurs: Cosmetic Connoisseurs shop for style; they love makeup. They like to try different applications and colors, and often buy new makeup products just to try them. They look for ideas in beauty magazines or websites. Over Ninety-five percent of this segment is female.
• Self-Applied Style: They are much more drawn to beauty and cosmetic related products and offerings than any sort of media or blogs on this topic. Typically they are confident in their beauty and image, and their preferred style. They are not easily influenced by media related to this topic or famous spokespersons.
• Active and Fit: This audience makes a point to stay active and fit because it's crucial to their well-being. Their body image is important to them and they often incorporate vitamins and supplements to be sure they are getting the most out of their workouts.

Entertainment

• TV Show Lovers: They are obsessed with TV shows and would rather see one episode after the other than watch a movie.
• Movie Buffs: They love movies but prefer watching them comfortably at home in front of their TV.
• TV for Fun: They watch TV for fun, and often for a lighthearted good laugh. The are mostly young women and their favorite shows are reality shows, comedies and game shows.
• Emotional Watchers: They watch TV show genres that evoke strong emotions like dramas, horror, and documentaries. They are older than "Entertainment Watchers".
• Movie Theater Enthusiasts: They love going to the cinema and watching a movie in front of a proper screen. They are not into TV shows and their income is higher than the Us average.
• 24hr News: They watch a lot of TV, but it's most news shows and channels. Movies and sitcoms are only occasional interests because they consider them a waste of time and not informative. They are mostly men over 45 years old.

Fashion

• Swayable Shopaholics: They have an interest in fashion, but do not dedicate much time to researching and staying ahead of the curve. When they shop, popular trends, in store promotions, or even a convincing mannequin could sway this shopper. Eighty percent women, they are impulse buyers and are willing to pay extra for image-enhancing products. A nice tagline or highlighted feature of your brand could win them over!
• Classic Fit: When they find a style they like, they stick to it. Nearly 90% female, she is not trying to do anything drastic or new. Brand agnostic, and deaf to trends, she is more driven by comfort and classic traditional looks.
• Accessories Addicted: Members of this segment particularly spend a lot of time and money for jewels, watches, bracelets, necklaces, bags. While they are nearly all females, their age varies.
• Trendy: Nearly two-thirds women, this is your classic trendy girl or guy. Their fashion appearance is not necessarily high end, but it's always refreshed with the times. Trends dictate everything they wear and buy, and they are usually on top of these trends. As opposed to "personal style", they are followers not trailblazers.
• Fashion Disconnects: They are almost totally indifferent to clothing. They don’t like to shop, they don’t care what’s in style, and they don’t buy new clothes just because a new season rolls around. They are totally disinterested in fashion and what is related to it. Obviously they are mostly men.
• Personal Style: These individuals love shopping for clothes and accessories, but they style to the beat of their own drum. Trends do not affect them much, and typically refer to their friends and own interest rather than fashion blogs and media. They tend to be mostly woman.
• Sporty Stylists: Whether they are going to the gym or grocery shopping, you'll find them in athletic gear. Comfort is an important factor to this audience. Basketball shorts and a workout shirt is what they consider casual. Three-fourth of this segment are male.
• Fashion Enthusiasts: This is the extremely chic and passionate segment of "Fashion Lovers." Fashion Enthusiasts deeply love fashion. They spend a lot of time reading and keeping up with fashion news. As opposed to simply buying apparel, "fashion Enthusiasts" are likely to attend fashion shows, read fashion magazines, and frequent fashion blogs and websites. They tend to be female from 25th to 34th years.

Food

• Food-To-Go: People who don't love cooking in general and prefer prepared meal to spending time cooking at home. Different than fast food eaters, they are looking more to cut time and prep work out of their meals, than eat a cheap cheeseburger. They frequently eat on the run. Nearly half of this segment is compose by people including from 18th to 24th age years old, probably students.
• Home-Chefs: Members of this segment love cooking at home. More so than someone who microwaves dinners nightly, they take interest and care to making and preparing good for you and good tasting meals. The grocery stores know them well, and they belong to rewards programs their grocery stores offer. The prototype of this individuals are female over 25 years old.
• Thoughtful Eaters: These young consumers are responsible about their diet. Food for them is a source of nutrition as well as enjoyment. They are not on any particular diet, rather do their best to eat a healthy, balanced lineup of meals. They try to eat breakfast every day, regularly eat organic foods, and rarely eat fast food. Eighty-five percent of this segment are female.
• Snack Fans: Snackers are gonna snack! This segment is based off an extremely high interest in the snack category, and they are likely to be nibbling on their favorite snack all day, leaving no room for dinner. Chips, candy, nuts, or crackers, they will fill up on their choice handful.
• Fast Food Fans: They love the convenience and dependability of fast food. Negative news or stories about their favorite joint doesn't sway them one bit because waiting for and preparing a home cooked meal is typically avoided. More of their money goes to Ronald McDonald (not the charity) than grocery stores.
• Social Drinkers: Alcohol is a crucial part of their social life, whether it's a dinner, a party or just hanging out with friends, a drink is usually involved.

Gaming

• Hardcore Gamers: They are really passionate about video games and spend a lot of their disposable income on video games, consoles, or PC upgrades, and a large percentage of their free time either playing video games or discussing them, online and off.
• Social Gamers: They are mostly male between 18 and 34 years old, and they play video games in their free time, not as often as hardcore gamers. They often meet with their friends to play together and sport games are the games they play the most.
• Casual Gamers: They play casual games like puzzle games, hidden objects, adventure games, word games, that require no long term commitment or special skills to play and don't usually own a console but play mostly on their phone or tablet.

Motor

• Car Experts: They are the people to ask for automobile advice, and they'll have a helpful answer.They are not only "Car lovers", but experts on the car category. Their car is their most valuable possession, and it's a topic of conversation and their main information focus when surfing the web. This segment is 90% male.
• Motorcycle Lovers: Members of this segment have an innate passion for life on two wheels. They tune in to websites, apps, magazine, TV programs and all the possibles sources they can to stay up to date on their motorcycle knowledge. The prototype of this segment is a male with an age from 30 to 40 years.
• Car Enthusiasts: Mostly a male segment, these individuals have a passion for expensive and powerful automobiles. They love spending time watching rallies on TV and following online blogs commenting them. They have respect for the little things that make a car valuable, under the hood and on the exterior. Different from car experts in that they have an interest in fine and powerful cars, where experts have more knowledge and wherewithal about the cogs and wheels of automobiles.

Music

• Signature Soundtrack: They are very specific about the type of music they like, and it doesn't range outside a couple of genres. If you are going to play music for them, make sure it's the one they like.
• Metalheads: They love listening to metal music, but sometimes also to some progressive or hard rock music. Metalheads are mostly males, over 25 who's lifestyle is associated with a higher than the average alcohol consumption.
• Sophisticated Listeners: They love classical, blues and jazz music and artists from the past, and think they are much better than contemporary ones. The prototype of this segment is an individual over 45th years with an income over the average.
• Dancers: They are young and they enjoy music that makes them dance like reggae, Latin American, dance and electronic. They often go to clubs and discos to dance the music they love.
• Top 40: They love popular mainstream music. Pop, rock, indie and alternative are their favorite genres. Sixty percent are females.
• Web Radio Listeners: They love listening to the radio and enjoy not only the music but also talk shows and other radio programs. Sixty percent of these individuals are males.
• Musicians:  They don't only listen to music, but they play a musical instrument as well. For them music is a great passion and a lifestyle. They are mostly men, with a lower than the average income.
• Background Beats:  For them music is just something that plays in the background without any particular preference for specific artists or genres.

Politics

• Political Activists: They are committed to and involved in the political process. They lean to one side or the other, and voice that opinion on any major political issue. They take part in a lot of political activities: voting, organizing, communicating, active involvement in local and national politics. Rock the Vote!
• Philanthropists: These individuals show a high level of interaction with other people in their communities. From PTA moms, to Church Council members they serve on local committees and engage in public fundraising at three times the national rate. If you have one in your neighborhood, I am sure they have introduced themselves already.
• Social Activists: Very passionate about specific causes and issues, social activists do what they can to have their voices heard. Their concern is for the betterment of society (at least they think so!), and voice their opinion through any medium they can: articles, social media, rallies. They tend to have a higher than average income over US average.
• Passive Civics: Adults in this segment do not vote. They are totally disinterested in politics. They tend to be younger consumers.

Reading

• Bookworms: They are voracious readers and are constantly searching for a new book to read, be it a science fiction or a romantic novel. Most have a higher than the average income.
• Gossipers: They read a lot of on and offline news about gossip and entertainment. They are always updated on their favorite actors, singers and celebrities.
• Well-Informed Newsies: They don't waste their time on gossip but want to read about serious issues like politics, foreign affairs and economy. Creating successful content for them means shooting them the facts and getting to the point.
• Comic Book Readers: They have a strong passion for comics and graphic novels, and the characters that populate these stories. They read both on and offline and the most passionate fans also attend events like Comic-Con.

Sport

• Addicted to Sport: They spend most of their free time watching sports on TV and reading about them online and in the news and magazines. They are young competitive men without children and an income between 40k and 70k.
• Athletes: They are people who prefer getting out and practicing their favorite sports rather than lying on the couch watching them on TV. Sport is their passion and it fills most of their non working time.
• Combative Sports Fan: They are into sports overall but combat sports like MMA or boxing is what really excites them. They watch all UFC fights and a smaller percentage of this segment also practices these sports.
• Adrenaline Junkies: They are young men mostly 18-24 years old, who think about sport not as a way to stay fit and healthy but as something that brings adrenaline and adventure in their lives. They practice from skateboarding and windsurfing to more extreme activities like bungee jumping or skydiving.
• Team Sport Fans: They prefer team sports like football or soccer or basketball and spend a lot of time watching their favorite team playing. They often also get tickets for the most important games and follow the latest update about their favorite teams online.
• Individual Sport Fans: They are more passionate about sports in which a single individual can stand out and become their hero rather than team sports. Because of the individualism, they are also likely to participate and play the sport in which they follow most.

Tech

• Tech-Splorers:  New technologies are a real passion for them and they will be the first ones to try new devices. They spend a lot of time also reading about technological innovations and are always up to date with the latest news.
• Techno Gamers:  They are young and they use technology for entertainment and video games. They are more likely to chat, use online dating services, play games and access gambling sites than the average person.
• Techno-Phobes:  They lack any interest in technology and they aren't likely to spend their money on the latest gadget.

Web

• Online Financials: They use the Internet as a financial tool to track their investments, trade stocks or bonds and pay their bills. They also exploit the Internet’s research, news and information capabilities to search for financial information. They are mostly males over 35th years old.
• Mobile-App Happy: Their phone is a central element in their life and they have an app for everything that is important for them.
• Online For Fun: They that value the Internet mostly for entertainment and education. Quick to look up that random fact or share a bit of information, they like to communicate, learn, share, and have fun online. Rather than shopping, banking, or other specific uses, they like to surf the web and learn. They tend to be individuals over 25 years old, equally male and female.
• Online For Purpose: They tend to be over 25, and use internet as a tool, to shop online, pay bills and communicate with their family and friends.
• See You Online: They are online to connect with friends. Mostly through mobile apps with social purposes, they are always on and always connected.

Big Five Personality Model Definitions and Methodology

The personality calculation in the Discover platform is based on the Big Five Personality Model that identifies 5 dimensions that make up each person’s personality. For each dimension, Discover allows you to choose two opposite personality traits. 

The Big Five personality model is a well-studied framework used in the field of personality psychology. The model categorizes human personality based on five factors: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism (OCEAN).

About the Big Five Personality Model (OCEAN)

Think of each Big Five personality trait as a spectrum that runs between two opposing behaviors. We all fall somewhere along the spectrum for each of the Big Five traits. With Discover, you can easily analyze the Big Five personality traits and associated behaviors of each for your target audience. 

Openness to Experience: Measures a person’s level of creativity and curiosity. The two opposite behaviors for this dimension are:

• Inventive/curious: Tend to be creative, curious and prefer novelty over strict routine.
• Consistent/cautious: More inclined to seek fulfillment through perseverance, and characterized as pragmatic and data-driven.

Conscientiousness: Measures a person’s level of organization and work ethic. The two opposite behaviors for this dimension are:

• Efficient/organized: Tend to be dependable, show self-discipline, act dutifully, aim for achievement, and prefer planned rather than spontaneous behavior.
• Easy-going/careless: Flexible and spontaneous, but sometimes can be perceived as unreliable.

Extraversion: Measures a person’s level of sociability and enthusiasm. The two opposite behaviors for this dimension are:

• Outgoing/energetic: Tend to be energetic and positive, seek stimulation in the company of others and very talkative.
• Solitary/reserved: More independent of the social world than extroverts, tending to seem quieter and less engaged.

Agreeableness: Measures a person’s level of friendliness and kindness. The two opposite behaviors for this dimension are:

• Friendly/compassionate: Tend to be cooperative, trusting of other people and well tempered.
• Analytical/detached: Tend to be competitive and less concerned with the well-being of others.

Neuroticism: Measures a person’s level of calmness and tranquility. The two opposite behaviors for this dimension are:

• Sensitive/nervous: Emotionally reactive and vulnerable to stress; tend to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult.
• Secure/confident: Less easily upset and emotionally reactive. Tend to be calm and free from persistent negative feelings (this does not mean a tendency towards positive feelings). 

Applying the Big Five Personality Traits to Improve Marketing Strategy

Academic studies have shown that marketing messages which reflect the personality traits of their audience are more effective.1 You’ll often find that your target audience clusters around certain Big Five personality dimensions more than others, which can inform what types of messages are likely to resonate with them.

An audience which scores high in Openness is more likely to be motivated by aesthetics and intellectual pursuits, and will respond well to images and words that communicate innovation, intelligence, sophistication, imagination and creativity. 

An audience which scores high in Conscientiousness is likely to be driven by a desire for order, efficiency and achievement, and will respond better to marketing messages that tout functional benefits and informational ads (e.g., highly cognitive ads that provide factual, relevant brand data in a logical manner).2, 3  

An audience which scores high in Extraversion will be attracted to brands that exude an outgoing and friendly personality, whereas an audience which scores high in Agreeableness is more likely to be motivated by compassion, interpersonal harmony and a sense of belonging.

An audience which scores high in Neuroticism is likely to respond well to messages that make them feel safe and secure. 

How Discover Calculates Big Five Personality Traits

Discover has developed sophisticated predictive models that calculate Big Five personalities based on interests observed through social media interactions. The predictive models were developed using data from ~10,000 participants who have opted to take the Mini-IPIP test, an abridged and highly effective version of the Big Five Personality questionnaire, and allow Discover to collect their social interaction data. 

First, we grouped the participants’ engagement with different social media pages and content into different interest categories (e.g., books, online games, fast foods). Then, we built five different linear regression models to estimate each of the Big Five personality traits using these interest categories as independent variables. Once validated, these predictive models were applied to our larger consumer sample to calculate their Big Five personality traits. 

Accessing the Big Five Personality Traits in Discover

After selecting your target audience in the Discover platform, use the drop-down menu to navigate to Psychographics, select Personalities, then select the Big Five option from the drop-down menu.

Reading the Big Five Personality Results 

The results of the Big Five personality analysis are presented in both table and graphic formats. The table shows the affinity, reach and penetration for each of the ten behaviors for your target audience, and the graph demonstrates the same information visually to help you quickly see where your target falls along the Five Personality dimensions.

1. Hirsh, J. B., Kang, S. K., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2012). Personalized persuasion tailoring persuasive appeals to recipients’ personality traits. Psychological science, 23(6), 578-581. 
2. Guido, G., 2006. Shopping Motives and the Hedonic/Utilitarian Shopping Value: A Preliminary Study. Innovative Marketing, Volume 2, Issue 2, pp. 57-67.
3. Myers, S. D., Sen, S. & Alexandrov, A., 2010. The Moderating effect of Personality Traits on Attitudes toward Advertisements: A contingency framework. Management &  Marketing Challenges for Knowledge Society Vol.5. No. 3, pp. 2-20.

Personalities: Preferred Content

By looking at personality traits, you can better understand the type of content a person prefers; the Discover platform allows you to select a target audience based on exactly this. This selection mode is always part of the Psychographics section, so click on the Psychographics drop-down and then use the drop-down menu to access the personality section.

In this section, below the Big Five personality traits, you will find different sections representing different types of content, and in particular:

• Colors
  • Black and White - Black and white represent people who prefer tradition and formality to creativity and spontaneity.
  • Muted Colors - Muted Colors represent people who prefer beige and earth tones - relatively safe, traditional choices.
  • Vivid Colors - People in this section are colorful inside and out. They tend to gravitate towards vivid, rich, intense, saturated colors.
  • Bright Colors - This personality section is composed by people who are original and creatively fearless. They love bright, high-energy, unexpected colors.
• Content
  • Text Only - Here you can find people with an appreciation for precision and detail. They prefer written communication because it allows them to analyze and omit nothing.
  • Text and Figures - They appreciate having a few key facts and figures prominently highlighted within the text. Numbers catch their attention and what you have to say about the numbers keeps it.
  • Text and Illustrations - Large chunks of text bore this group. They appreciate lots of visual stimulation to help process the information they read. Pertinent images and large headlines will keep their attention focused.
  • Text and Photos - These people firmly believe 'a picture is worth a thousand words'. Put your most compelling facts, benefits and details in a visual image for them.
• Conversation Openness
  • Indirect - This type of person shies away from being super direct and forward, preferring speech that takes a certain distance from the event. Euphemisms are their friends.
  • Direct - Don't practice the art of persuasion on these people - they won't appreciate it. What they want is a direct, honest, non-manipulative approach.
• Data Usage
  • Tables - People in this section are accurate, meticulous and detail-oriented. Convincing them of anything will require a series of example tables.
  • Data Schemes - These people are extremely meticulous, will ask detailed questions, and not only require charts and graphs, but also compelling examples with data that prove your point.
  • Charts and Graphs - People in this section are more visual, big-picture thinkers and prefer understanding a message, idea or concept through graphics, charts or diagrams.
• Emotional Speech
  • No Usage - They are people who tend to be rather formal. They prefer communication without intensity or emotional words.
  • Normal Usage - With this audience use emotion to emphasize a few key concepts, but lead with a level-headed, professional, analytical approach.
  • High Usage - This audience loves to hear powerful rhetoric. They like to show passion and use action words to help them feel what you're feeling. They not only respond to emotion, they share it.
• Examples Usage
  • Some Examples - Most individuals in this group want a mix of good theory and evidence that the theory works, so they need some strong examples to be convinced.
  • Many Examples - This group bases their opinions on concrete proof. They don't like long turns of phrase - you may rarely convince them unless you're giving a real-world example in story form. To clearly get your point across, you'll need a lot of examples.
• Font
  • Sans Serif - These people tend to prefer traditional fonts like Sans  Serif, Arial, Verdana or Times New Roman. Fonts that deliver a more serious, professional impression.
  • Serif - They are more casual, and possibly more creative than the Standard Font section, but they don't get too crazy. In fact, they hate anything excessively original. We suggest using inoffensive fonts like Serif, Calibri or Ubuntu.
  • Handwritten - They are quite original and creative and want to make a statement about who they are from the fonts they choose. They expect you to do the same. If you want to catch their attention, write in Handwritten, Poiret One, Perpetua or Chalkboard.
  • Script - The most creative people are in this section. If you want to communicate with them try using fonts like Script, Pacifico, Gabriola or Lucida Calligraphy. Just make sure the font you choose is legible.
• Formality 
  • Formal - People in this section tend to be analytical, detail-oriented and professional. To them, a formal communication style is evidence that the quality of your work will be equally professional. Don't try to joke or act overly familiar.
  • Informal - At the other end of the formality spectrum are the casual types: individuals who are open, friendly, appreciate humor, but still have high standards for quality work (though in a far more fun way). They view overly formal speech as stuffy and old-fashioned, but do maintain a line of professional conduct, though that line may move from company to company.
• Order
  • Title and Text - These people are skimmers - they'll look at your headlines and first sentences, then zoom on down the page. They get a lot done this way - for them, it's an exercise in efficiency. They'll appreciate you (and get more out of what you're trying to present) if you help them by providing clear titles and brief summaries.
  • Bullet-Point and Text - Analytical, detail-oriented people are in this section. To communicate with them, you need to use not only different sections and parts for the explanation, but also insert bullet-point lists.
  • Sections with Text - Individuals in this section don't require hyper-organization, but they do need explanations split into clear sections with strong, descriptive headlines.
• Tone of Voice
  • Confident/Warm tone - This group responds well to similarly enthusiastic, confident energy and will reward it with their own. Silences and pauses don't work well though, so be prepared to keep the conversation moving. They are overall extroverts that respond well to similarly enthusiastic, confident energy and will reward it with their own. Silences and pauses don’t work well though, so be prepared to keep the conversation moving.
  • Moderate Tone - Individuals who aren't quite so serious and appreciate a natural, though not overly boisterous, tone. Displaying too much energy and enthusiasm can turn them off. Go for sincerity
  • Serious/Professional Tone - For this set casual equals unprofessional, and they are anything but. It's very important to these people to come across as a figure of authority, and the people they respect communicate with similar gravity.

Using Psychographics in Audience Queries 

Discover’s psychographic traits include lifestyles,  personality traits, and preferred content. To select an audience based on their psychographic traits, click on the psychographics section on the right hand side of the audience builder, and then use the drop-down menu to select either lifestyles or personalities. Once you are familiar with the Lifestyles and Personalities in Discover, you can also search for them directly. 

Click on Lifestyles or Personalities in the drop down menu to access this section and a list of traits will appear. Click on the “i” symbol beside each trait to get a complete definition.

TARGET BAR SELECTION

You can also search for lifestyle traits by typing them directly in the search bar.

When you select the trait, be sure that it falls in the Psychographics section.

Psychographic Insights

You can access the Psychographic Summary page in Discover by clicking the head icon on the left panel. This will open up with a summary combining the main lifestyle and personality traits for your target audience.

The summary starts with a chart about your audience’s Top Lifestyles that are a great starting point to understand where you’ll have to further deep dive. For example, if your audience is over-indexing (Affinity>1) for Food Lovers, you should definitely have a look at the other food lifestyle traits as well as at food brands and media. The data in all the psychographic section is ordered by Relevance to give you an understanding of what’s unique about your audience.

All these graphs show you where your audience is over or under-indexing based on affinity and reach. The green bars show you the traits that have a positive Affinity with your target, while the red bars are the traits that have a low Affinity with your target. In the example above we can see how people interested in Peloton like to travel.

Below, at the end of the summary you can find a chart and table showing the target’s Big Five personality traits.

Once you have a good overview of your target audience in the summary section you can leverage the drop down menu in the top-left to deep dive in the lifestyles or personality aspects you want to explore.

Using MRI-Simmons Fusion or GWI Fusion Psychographics

MRI-Simmons and GWI psychographics via our Fusion partners give you deeper insight into the behaviors of your target audience, including statements about what they are typically inclined to do. To incorporate MRI-Simmons or GWI psychographics into your target search in the Discover platform:

1. Click “+ Interest Audience” in the top left corner to open the audience builder
2. Use the drop-down menu on the right side of the audience builder to navigate to Psychographics

3. Then filter by clicking “MRI-SIMMONS” or “GWI” in the drop down menu.

4. Select the specific sub-category within the psychographics you’d like to include in your target.

• Statements
  • Many categories include a statements sub-category. From here you can pick a statement to filter by, and select those who agree or disagree with that statement. 

For example, you could analyze those who are willing to pay more for a product that is environmentally safe:

• Values
  • Statements can also be filtered by value. Use the value sub-category to view statements by level of agreement. 

• Some categories include subcategories that are specific to that genre. For example, "Watching TV" includes subcategories for "How often watched," "How prefer to watch," and "Learn about new programs."

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact your Discover rep!