This document introduces the concept of values and how they can be applied to consumer insight work. It defines values as beliefs about what is right and wrong or most important in life that guide behavior. Values help explain the "why" behind trends and anticipate future changes by examining shifts in societal values over time. The document provides examples of how values can be incorporated into analyzing trends, creating scenarios, and developing personas.

1. Consumer Values – An Introduction
Chris Carbone
Social Technologies

2. What We’ll Cover
• What are values?
• Wh and h we use th
Why d how them i our work ?
in k
• Apply them to personas
2 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

3. Frameworks Help Us Understand Change and the Future
Social Technologies’
“Three Worlds” Model
Failure / Disaster Major Success
st
High Trus
Start doing your Keep up the good
job! work.
Four Scenarios for the
Future of Synthetic Biology
Lo Trust
Proceed with
Stop…Now!
caution.
ow
3 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

4. Values Definition
Values
The beliefs people have about what is right
and wrong and what is most important in life,
d d h ti ti t t i lif
which in turn guides their behavior/actions.
4 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

5. Why Study and Apply Values to Consumer Insight Work?
Trends can teach us a lot, but
they’re only part of the story
Need to get to the drivers
Flickr)
Image Marco Bellucci(F
Values help you get at the
“why” behind the trend
y
e:
5 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

6. Why Study and Apply Values to Consumer Insight Work?
Studying trends is
reactive—they’re are
already in motion
Image: J-Corneliu Flickr)
Values help you
us
anticipate long-term
changes in society
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7. Why Study and Apply Values to Consumer Insight Work?
tese (Flickr)
Image: cortomalt
Values and value shifts drive trends in society,
lifestyle, technology, etc.
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8. Values Change “Predictably”
The poorest people/countries are focused on survival,
preserving the social/political status quo, show
traditional values, and are resistant to change
Middle-income people/countries are focused on
belonging; it’s about the whole, not the individual;
show modern values, and embrace change that
supports progress
Affluent people/countries are focused
on individual freedom self-expression
freedom, self-expression,
show postmodern values, and view
change through a prism of
qual ty of life and sustainability
quality o l e a d susta ab l ty
Source: A Hines based on Inglehart
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9. Values Change: Theory of Intergenerational Value Change
The formative experiences of the young
differs from the old in fundamental ways
which leads them to develop different
value priorities, namely a shift from either
p , y
traditional to modern values or modern to
postmodern values
Images: loc.gov, Iris Friedheim (Flickr), goforchris (Flickr).
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10. Values Change: Follow the Rules, Achieve, and What’s It all Mean?
Achieve! What’s it all mean?
Follow the Rules
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11. Values Change: Evolving over Time
Sample values from Social Technologies’ 120+ value
inventory, sorted by worldview.
Traditional Modern Postmodern
Balance Growth Sustainability
Comfort Change Appropriateness
Down-to-earth Practicality Creativity
Propriety Confidence Authenticity
Protection Health Wellness / Quality of Life
Religion Secularism Spirituality
Security
S i Belonging
l i Self-expression
S lf i
Thrift Luxury Simplicity
Tradition Materialism Experiences
11 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

12. Getting Beneath the Trend: User-Generated Content
User-generated content on
the rise…but why?
rise but
Image cambodia4kidsorg (Flickr)
Tech tells part of the story
e:
Values help round out our
understanding of the trend
- Individualism
- Self-expression
Self expression
- Authenticity
- Sharing / Community
- Discovery
12 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

13. Getting Beneath the Trend: Local Food
When it’s hard to get at the
‘why’ behind the trend
trend,
values can help.
Values drivers of local food…
- Authenticity
- Community
- Sustainability
- Simplicity
l
- Wellness
- Security Images: debaird (Flickr)
- Tradition
13 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

14. Values Change: Some Important Emerging Postmodern Values
Authenticity Simplicity
Genuine; not false or an Desire for less complexity
imitation
Co-Creation
Desire to create, augment, or
create augment Spirituality
influence design and content, Interest in the meaning and
and share these creations with purpose of life
their peers
Sustainability
Experiences Reducing the human footprint
Memorable events that engage on the environment while
people in a personal way maintaining quality of life
Self-Expression
Expression or assertion of one's Individuality
own personality
p y Being true to one’s unique self
14 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

15. Brands Serving Important Postmodern Values
Authenticity Simplicity
Genuine; not false or an Desire for less complexity
imitation
Co-Creation
Desire to create, augment, or
create augment Spirituality
influence design and content, Interest in the meaning and
and share these creations with purpose of life
their peers
Sustainability
Experiences Reducing the human footprint
Memorable events that engage on the environment while
people in a personal way maintaining quality of life
Self-Expression
Expression or assertion of one's Individuality
own personality
p y Being true to one’s unique self
15 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

16. Applying Values
What does it look like when we apply values to
our work?
We apply it to
• trend studies
•sscenarios
i s
• personas
Communicating consumer needs and motivations
is another great benefit of using values.
16 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

17. Meaning
Take Control Uniquely Generic
Bono Esque—Hear Me, Hear Me
q ,
Bono Esque Bono has made the saving the environment his chief mission.
Age: 18–21 Previously it was animal rights, and before that the rights of the
Ethnicity: Asian
disabled in h l hi l
di bl d i schools. This latter mission was prompted b hi
i i d by his
brother, who has Down’s syndrome. He is not afraid to bend
HHI: $100,000+
the rules in support of a just cause, and is sometimes viewed
Education: College as self-righteous. He is happiest when he is passionately
Life stage: Student involved in something he believes in.
I have the power to change things I believe in… and that
will make me happy Values: Strong opinions, influential, friend-focused,
demanding, comfortable with diversity
Relates to those who share his values and/or are
advocates for the kind of things he is passionate about
Connection can be online or F2F but is to a limited Driving Forces: Personalization/ customization, online
group recognition, new identity options, new rites of passage
Blogs, newsletters, protests, letters to authority/
decision-makers
Accelerators: “Have it Your Way” products and
Diversity, eco-friendly, cause-related goods and services, empowerment of younger ages
services
Society's view of traditional marriage; contributes to Obstacles: Lack of belonging, legal
new definition of (emerging alternative) lifestyles barriers/ definitions
17
17
© 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

18. Authentic Annie: Day in the Life Vignette Activities
Keeping it Real
p g Annie’s friend used to think she was so Committed Time Free time
trendy. They laugh about it now, but Work: Learning:
having kids changed her somehow. Now P/T at women’s health Gardening course
it’s more about what’s not in the things NGO
Leisure (entertainment &
she buys her family than the label or Household/family care: recreation):
logo that the product carries. At home part- time with Catching up on her latest
Thankfully she found a lot of “mommy
mommy kids thanks to job share
job-share copy of Dwell or Real
blogs” which have given her great Simple
Shopping:
tips…it’s been years since she read a
Local and face-to-face for Affiliation:
product review in the mainstream things that matter; online Sierra Club, local PTA
media. Sure, sometimes the stuff she ordering of “staples”
Communications:
buys costs a little more, but that’s OK.
Personal Facebook with friends
She likes to think her choices make a
(biological necessities): from the mommy blogs
difference, but she also like the
Uses Tom’s of Maine
recognition that her choices are
different…hmm…maybe she hasn’t given
up her attachment to labels and logos
entirely.
entirely
Need States Values Catalysts
• The Authenticity Premium • Authenticity • Truth & Truthiness
Demographics • Au Naturale • Experiences • Enoughness
• The Simplicity Premium • Appropriateness • Sustainable Consumption
Sex: Female • Less Is More • Functionality • Living within Limits
Age: 35 • Design • Lifeshifting
Ethnicity: Caucasian
• Self-expression • Continuum of Ownership
• Simplicity
HHI: $125,000 • Cool
Education: MA, Public Health • Sustainability
Life stage: Mid-career,
early parenthood
Original image: djidji.perroto (Flickr)t
18 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

19. Summary
Values are the beliefs people have about what is right and wrong and
what is most important in life, which in turn guides their
behavior/actions.
behavior/actions
Trends only tell us part of the story. Values provide the “why?” behind
the trend, and round out our understanding of the trend.
trend trend
Values change very slowly—intergenerational change. Global values
research points to predictable, long-term changes in societies.
p p , g g
Values can applied to trends, scenarios, and personas as a way to:
- Enrich the analysis
- Aid in communication the needs and motivations of the persona
19 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved

20. Contact information
Chris Carbone, Futurist
Director, Programs
chris.carbone@socialtechnologies.com
+1 202 223 2801 ext. 115
20 © 2009 by Social Technologies, All rights reserved