Introduction
The VALS model has been described as the most intelligent tool for the understanding of customer values and lifestyles (Mostafa, 2014). The VALS is a tool for grouping customers based on psychological and sociological behaviors to predict their behavior. The VALS tool is important in determining how customers decide on purchases. The VALS tool categorizes consumers into three main groups namely need-directed, outer-directed and inner-directed consumers. VALS tool is useful to companies in defining their customer base as well as having the right products for the right target customers. The tests revealed that my primary VALS type is innovators while my secondary VALS type is the“experiencer”.
I believe the VALS type has given an accurate representation of my personality, as well as my psychological and social lifestyle. I am a person who likes self-expression, and hence the tool has appropriately categorized me as an experiencer. According to Dawn and Thomas (2013), “experiencers” are the type of customers who are mostly driven by the desire to be involved in social and physical activities. I like being involved in adventurous activities, and hence the tool has categorized me appropriately. The categorization of the consumers is related to their age bracket. According to MacInnis and Folkes (2010), those who are within the younger brackets (average of 25 years), are more likely to be “experiencers”. This makes sense because this is the group that has a lot of energy and hence can easily engage in physical and social activities of various nature.
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The tool places me in the category of consumers who like spending a lot of money on clothing, music, fast-foods and a lot of other products that are always associated with the youth. The finding of the tool is a true reflection of my spending habit. I love spending money on the latest fashion such as clothing and shoes. The consumers in the experiencers category are known to value their friends, something that aptly describes my nature. I believe that friends are very important and I cannot do without them. I am a spontaneous individual, and I always love doing fun things like hiking. The propensity to be involved in risky activities is one of the features that describe “experiencers ” (Mostafa, 2014).
My primary VALS type is the innovators’ category. According to Solomon (2013), the innovator type consumers are always looking for cutting-edge technologies, like to indulge and have some money to spend. While I may not have much money to spend on products , I believe the tool is spot-on in categorizing me as an innovator. I love finer things in life because I believe that quality should always come first on my list of priorities. I tend to buy products that show that I have taste and keeps my image as someone who has some sense of style.
Innovators are people who like to experiment a lot and are always looking for information before they make any decision. I always do my research on products before making purchases, but that does not mean that I cannot take risks. I love new ideas and technologies, especially when they are life changing. According to Peighambari, Sattari, and Kardestani (2016), innovators are people who like solving problems. I like it when a product I buy solves my problems, and this is always an important consideration when making purchases.
Conclusion
The VALS tool is an important platform through which marketers get to know about customer behaviors and predict their consumption patterns (Tat & Sarli, 2011). The tool categorizes consumers as innovators, experiencers, makers, believers, achievers, et cetera, based on their psychological and social behaviors.
References
Dawn, B., & Thomas, L. (2013). Generation Y values and lifestyle segments . Journal of Consumer Marketing , 30(7): 597-606.
MacInnis, D. J. & Folkes, V. S. (2010). The disciplinary status of consumer behavior: A sociology of science perspective on key controversies. Journal of Consumer Research , 36, 899-914
Mostafa, I. (2014). V.A.L.S. Model (Values and Lifestyles) The Most Intelligent Tool For Understanding Of CustomersValues And Lifestyles.
Peighambari, K., Sattari, S., & Kordestani, A. (2016). Consumer Behavior Research: A Synthesis of the Recent Literature. SAGE Open
Solomon, M. R. (2013). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and bein g (10th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson Education
Tat, H., & Sarli, A. (2011). Attracting Consumers by Finding out Their Psychographic Traits. International Journal of Fundamental Psychology and Social Sciences . 1(1): 6-10.
