THE DEATH OF DEMOGRAPHICS

A business book makes a case for values-based marketing.

Marketers have long relied on demographics, such as age, gender, and marital status, to define specific audiences. Applying psychographics that include attitudes and aspirations helps refine audience segments. But according to researcher and international speaker Allison, how people actually behave comes from understanding human values—something he has built a research company around, using more than 750,000 global surveys to develop a “Valuegraphics Database” of 56 values that funnel into 15 “Valuegraphics archetypes.” This is more than merely marketing mumbo jumbo; Allison offers a solid, compelling argument for why his approach is sensibly relevant. Not surprisingly, the first part of the book is designed to wean marketers off their devotion to demographics. Characterizing demographics as “the Dewey Decimal System of humanity,” Allison notes they are useful for classification, but “there’s no link between what people are and what they’ll do next.” With that as the basis for fundamental change, in Part 2 of the volume the author uses examples and cites scientific research to show how and why values hold the key to human behavior. Allison explains the rationale behind the Valuegraphics Database and identifies the 56 human values he says can be applied globally. Part 3 is particularly intriguing; here, Allison takes readers on an informative tour, demonstrating how Valuegraphics are similar and different across the world’s various regions. Part 4, characterized by the author as a “DIY Valuegraphics Toolkit,” provides a detailed, four-step process that includes the raw materials a marketer needs to construct a “Valuegraphics Profile.” Part 5 eloquently defines and describes the 15 “data-driven archetypes,” such as “The Seekers,” “The Creatives,” and “The Savers,” that Allison believes represent broad categories encompassing the values identified for specific audiences. Finally, Part 6 is a valuable compendium of “case stories” illustrating how the Valuegraphics methodology can be applied in various real-world situations. The author writes with clarity, passion, and unbridled enthusiasm for “the power and potential of a values-driven view of humanity.” He generously shares information about Valuegraphics with the fervent hope that marketers will embrace his thinking.

Convincing, insightful, and possibly revolutionary marketing advice.