Consumer Centric Analysis: generational and consumer clusters

The consumer at the center

Companies are primarily inclined to analyze consumer insights related to their brands, products and services. They therefore put the brand at the center of their investigations.

Reversing the view by putting the consumer at the center allows companies to flip their perspective and have a more comprehensive and strategic view of their target audiences and clusters.

Cluster to optimize

In this reversed perspective, analyzing the entire consumer kaleidoscope is crucial, and the first clustering that is important to do is generational clustering.

Many aspects of our being and acting depend on the generation to which we belong:

Generation Z, or people born from 1995 to 2010, have the pandemic as their defining event, and their preponderant insight is the concept of genderless. Although they are the digital natives, they like to enter the point of sale and touch products with their hands.

Millennials, or people born between 1980 and 1994, have the 2008 economic crisis as their defining event, and it is with them that the concept of "sharing is caring" was born. They are among the leading advocates of recycling and alternate their purchases between online and offline, although they often look at products at the point of sale and then buy online.

Generation X, i.e. people born from 1965 to 1979, have the digital transformation as their defining event and are averagely inclined to use technological tools. Their preponderant insight is the pursuit of work-life balance. They shop both online and offline but still prefer to go into stores.

Baby Boomers, that is, people born from 1946 to 1964, have the economic miracle as their defining event and have a higher purchasing power than all other generations. Right now they are living a second youth and like to buy products by touching them with their hands, although they are increasingly moving towards online shopping (especially after the pandemic).

Each generation is unique: the importance of generational insights

Each generation has its own specific characteristics, which provide an essential knowledge base for any brand. Each generation is unique and more than just socio-demographic traits: it is generational characteristics in fact that define 80 percent of our consumption behaviors.

Lifestyles, attitudes, behaviors, needs, consumption habits, relationship with technology and emotional purchasing levers depend primarily on the generation to which we belong. That is why all of InTribe's surveys and services are based on generation analysis.

Going beyond Generations: consumer clusters

In addition to clustering by generations, there are other ways to better understand people's consumption and purchasing behaviors:

Macro clusters: the delineation of consumption behaviors based on spending power and technological familiarity;

Consumer personas: archetypes that highlight attitudes, values, lifestyles, and buying habits in detail;

Consumer Journey: each consumer persona corresponds to a specific consumer journey between online and offline, and consumer personas belonging to the same macro cluster have similar consumer journeys;

Online Tribes: in addition to meeting in physical locations, more and more people are congregating online, choosing to hang out in virtual places in which they interact with like-minded peers and influencers. This results in the creation of true virtual tribes that share specific interests and passions.

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