12.2 Roy Morgan Value Segments

Why segment the market?

Market segmentation is the first step in the strategic planning process.
It recognises that people need, desire and expect different characteristics
from products or services that they experience or purchase. Market
segmentation involves identifying and describing subgroups of the market
so marketing resources and product offerings can be targeted and
maximised. With appropriate market segmentation you can more
effectively focus your marketing resources, identify unique marketing
niches and help to target your most high yield markets.
Tourism Victoria segments the domestic market in a number of ways
using a number of segmentation techniques including the Roy Morgan
Value Segments, MOSAIC and Lifecycle.

Basic Needs
This pattern of thinking or segment is usually associated with older people who are retired, pensioners or people on social security payments who have an active community focus to their lives, and with people on sickness benefits or workers compensation who have reduced their expectations in line with reduced income. They are heavy watchers of news, current affairs and info-tainment television programs and readers of regional newspapers.
A Fairer Deal
This pattern of thinking is generally found among unskilled and semi-skilled workers who have left school to start learning from friends who share blue denim values. This segment is more likely to experience unemployment, family pressures and the feeling of getting a raw deal out of life. They tend to be heavy consumers of radio and television, but their newspaper and magazine readership is light.

Visible Achievement
This pattern of thinking is associated with the proof of having made it up the seemingly never-ending social ladder. Personal recognition, higher incomes, job satisfaction and other tangible rewards of success such as travel, recreation and high quality homes, vehicles and holiday locations provide the very best of visible good living. They are heavy readers of newspapers, particularly national newspapers. They also tend to be heavier than average readers of magazines, particularly business and finance related magazines such as BRW, Personal Investment, Money Management and Bulletin. Due to their frequent flying they are readers of Qantas Club, Australian Way and Panorama.
Real Conservatism
This pattern of thinking is associated with people who are mature and mid-career, holding conservative social, moral and ethical values and seeking a disciplined, ordered society, which is safe and predictable. There is a strong tendency towards authoritarian, blue chip, business orientated preferences that offer security and the feeling of very much being in control. This is a common pattern in rural settings. The Real Conservatism segment are heavy consumers of television, watching news, current affairs and lifestyle programs. They have a high newspaper readership, especially weekend newspapers.

Something Better
This pattern of thinking is associated with people who are very competitive, seeking to clinch a bigger, better deal that will develop a little bit more to help pay off an excessive mortgage on the new family home. This segment has extensive debts and a strong preference for more power, improved status and security. There is medium to high television consumption among this segment, enjoying the brasher American style comedies and sit-coms and information programs on improving their life such as Our House. They tend to be light readers of newspapers and magazines, seeking their information quicker, easier, and only what they need.
Traditional Family Life
This pattern of thinking personifies middle-ageing Australia - homeowners with relatively stable incomes that meet the needs of the smaller household. Energies revolve around the ideal of becoming grandparents or getting children to come home for visits or at least to keep in touch. Health and spirituality dominates a sense of meaning and purpose in life and being well respected in the community is very important. There is high television consumption among this segment, particularly news and current affairs programs. Newspaper readership is also relatively high.

Look-At-Me
This pattern of thinking is associated with active, unsophisticated, somewhat self-centred and peer-driven behaviour that sees success as a kind of game and not to be measured by family standards. This is the pattern of the 'decibel generation' that lives in McDonalds, drinks Pepsi, burns up money (their own and their parents), spends hours watching commercial TV and cant wait to be somewhere else.
Conventional Family Life
This pattern of thinking is most closely associated with suburban families devoting all their time and efforts to building a 'home' to give to their children the opportunities they deserve, striving to improve their home, enjoying family life and having enough time to keep in touch with their parents and friends. The Conventional Family Life segment are low to medium consumers of television and light readers of newspapers and magazines. They have particular interest in homemaker magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle and Our House; and major women's magazines such as Woman's Day and Women's Weekly.

Socially Aware
This pattern of thinking is usually associated with the highest socio-economic group in the community. This segment is the speciality of public servants, pressure groups, business analysts and politicians of all political colours. These 'insatiable information vacuum cleaners' are addicted to finding out or trying anything that's new or different and persuading others to accept their opinions, priorities and lifestyle preferences. The Socially Aware segment are low consumers of television. They are heavy readers of print media, particularly newspapers such as The Australian, Financial Review and The Age.
Young Optimism
This pattern of thinking is associated with young professionals, technocrats and students whose thoughts are focused on achieving a good career, overseas travel and generally improving their prospects in life, having a sense of fulfilment and a chance to enjoy an outgoing lifestyle. It is generally more prevalent in inner city and urban lifestyle settings. Tending to be light commercial radio and television consumers, attracted to the slightly 'off beat', eclectic and 'witty', programs. They are heavy readers of newspapers and magazines including Rolling Stone, Juice, Cosmopolitan and Cleo.

Addendum - October 2004

Addendum - October 2003