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Lesson 2 of 5The Marketing Plan
Unit 4 · Lesson 2 of 5

Building a Consumer Profile

A consumer profile (persona) is a research-based description of one typical customer in the target market — their demographics, psychographics, behaviours, needs, and pain points — used to make every 4 Ps decision.

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Key things to remember

  1. 1Process: segment the market, choose a target market, then build a consumer profile of a typical member.
  2. 2A consumer profile has four layers: demographics (who), psychographics (why), behaviours (how they buy), and needs and pain points (what problem to solve).
  3. 3A persona is a fictional person, but every detail must come from research data.
  4. 4Every 4 Ps decision should be justified by something in the consumer profile.
  5. 5Number of survey respondents with a trait:

When a student says their product is "for everyone," they have not yet done the hardest part of marketing. A 70-year-old retiree and a 16-year-old skateboarder want different things, shop in different places, and respond to completely different ads. Trying to please both usually pleases neither. A consumer profile solves this by describing one typical customer in so much detail that the whole team can picture them — and ask, before every decision, "would this person buy it?"

From Segment to Persona

The process has three steps. First, segment the market: split all possible buyers into groups that share characteristics. Second, target: choose the segment the business can serve best and most profitably. Third, profile: describe a typical member of that segment as a persona — a fictional person with a name, an age, habits, and problems, but built entirely from real research data. The persona is invented; the facts behind it are not.

Four ways to divide a market into segmentsDemographicWho are they?Agee.g. 13–17, 18–24, 25–34, 65+Incomee.g. low, middle, or high household incomeFamily life stagee.g. single, young family, empty nesterGeographicWhere are they?Regione.g. Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies, B.C.Population densitye.g. urban, suburban, ruralClimatee.g. snowy winters vs. a mild coastPsychographicHow do they live and think?Lifestylee.g. outdoorsy, homebody, gamerValuese.g. eco-friendly, thrifty, status-seekingPersonalitye.g. adventurous, cautious, socialBehaviouralHow do they act toward the product?Usage ratee.g. heavy, medium, light, non-userBenefits soughte.g. low price, convenience, quality, statusBrand loyaltye.g. loyal, brand switcher, first-time buyer
Fig 1The bases used to divide a market into segments: demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioural.

The Layers of a Consumer Profile

LayerWhat it describesQuestions it answers
DemographicsMeasurable facts about the personAge? Gender? Income? Education? Occupation? Where do they live?
PsychographicsValues, attitudes, interests, lifestyle, personalityWhat do they care about? What do they do for fun? What kind of person do they see themselves as?
BehavioursHow they actually shop and use productsWhere do they buy? How often? How much do they spend? Are they brand-loyal? Where do they get information?
Needs and pain pointsWhat they want and what frustrates them nowWhat problem are they trying to solve? What annoys them about the products they use today?
Each layer of a profile answers a different set of questions.
Demographics vs. psychographics
Two 19-year-old college students from Hamilton with the same part-time income have identical demographics. But if one spends every weekend hiking and cares deeply about reducing waste, while the other spends weekends gaming and cares mostly about low prices, their psychographics are very different — and so is what will persuade them to buy. Demographics tell you who the customer is; psychographics tell you why they buy.

Where the Data Comes From

  • Primary research — data you collect yourself for this purpose: surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observing how people shop.
  • Secondary research — data someone else already collected: government census data, industry reports, and news articles about market trends.
  • Internal data — the business's own records: past sales, website visits, social media statistics, and customer reviews.
A persona is not a guess
Every line in a persona should trace back to evidence. If you write "Avery shops mostly online," you should be able to point to the survey result that supports it. A persona built on assumptions or stereotypes leads to a marketing mix aimed at a customer who does not exist.

A Sample Persona

Layer"Active Avery" — persona for Maple Ridge Bottles (hypothetical)
DemographicsAge 19, first-year college student in Ontario, works 12 hours a week, spends about $200 a month on non-essentials
PsychographicsValues sustainability, enjoys hiking and cycling, wants gear that looks good in photos
BehavioursResearches purchases on short-video apps and reviews, buys online or at the campus store, willing to pay more for products that last
Needs and pain pointsNeeds drinks to stay cold all day; frustrated that current bottle leaks in a backpack and water is warm by lunch
A persona summarizes survey patterns as one believable person.

How the Profile Drives the 4 Ps

ProductWhat will we sell?Features, quality, and designBrand name and packagingProduct line: sizes and versionsWarranty and after-sale servicePriceWhat will customers pay?Pricing strategy and objectivesList price, discounts, and salesPayment terms and financingPerceived value vs. competitorsPlaceHow will it reach them?Channels: direct, retail, onlineStore locations and coverageInventory, storage, andtransportOnline ordering and deliveryPromotionHow will we tell them?Advertising and social mediaSales promotions and contestsPublic relations and eventsPersonal sellingTargetmarketevery P isaimed at them
Fig 2The marketing mix: product, price, place, and promotion, all aimed at the target customer.
PWhat the profile tells usMarketing mix decision
ProductPain points: leaking and warm waterDouble-walled insulation and a leak-proof locking lid
PriceLimited budget, but pays more for durable productsMid-range price of $30, below premium brands
PlaceBuys online and at the campus storeOwn website plus campus stores; no expensive mall locations
PromotionDiscovers products through short videos and reviewsShort outdoor videos with student creators; encourage customer reviews
Every 4 Ps decision should point back to something in the profile.

Worked examples

Reveal one step at a time and try to beat it to the next line.

Example 1
Maple Ridge Bottles surveys 250 students. Results: 68% are aged 17 to 22; 58% say sustainability matters "a lot" when buying; when asked about their biggest frustration with their current bottle, 44% say drinks get warm, 30% say it leaks, 18% say it is too heavy, and 8% say something else. Turn these results into persona traits.
Example 2
Classify each statement from a draft persona as demographic, psychographic, behavioural, or a need/pain point: (a) "lives in Kingston"; (b) "thinks of herself as an outdoorsy person"; (c) "buys a new bottle about once every two years"; (d) "hates carrying a separate cup for hot drinks".
Example 3
Using the "Active Avery" persona, justify one decision for each of the 4 Ps for Maple Ridge Bottles. Avery spends about $200 a month on non-essentials, the premium competitor charges $45, and a budget bottle costs $15.

Where marks get lost

  • Saying the target market is "everyone" or "people who drink water" — a profile that broad cannot guide any decision.
  • Filling the persona with guesses or stereotypes instead of survey, interview, or sales data.
  • Confusing demographics with psychographics — "age 19" is demographic, but "cares about the environment" is psychographic.
  • Building a detailed persona and then choosing the 4 Ps without referring back to it, so the price or promotion does not fit the customer.
  • Reporting survey percentages without the sample size — "60% agreed" means much more from 400 respondents than from 10.

Flashcards 8

Consumer profile (persona)
Demographics
Psychographics
Behavioural characteristics
+ 4 more

Practice

1
Which detail in a consumer profile is psychographic?
2
"Orders snacks online about twice a month and usually uses a discount code" describes which layer of a profile?
3
In a survey of 450 people, 36% say their biggest frustration is that their headphones break within a year. How many respondents is that?
people
4
Of 300 survey respondents, 117 say they learn about new products mainly from online reviews. What percentage is that?
%
5
Match each profile layer to an example detail.
Demographics
Psychographics
Behaviours
Pain point
6
Put the steps for building and using a consumer profile in order.
  1. 1Write the persona
  2. 2Look for patterns in the data
  3. 3Use the persona to make 4 Ps decisions
  4. 4Segment the market into groups
  5. 5Choose a target market
  6. 6Collect primary and secondary research
7
What is the term for a specific problem or frustration a customer wants a product to solve?
8
A persona shows that the target customer is on a tight budget but will pay more for products that last. Which pricing decision fits best?
9
Which statement about personas is correct?

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