"Personality Type and Marketing"- Autumn 1994,17:4
(note: the BPT piece is a condensed version of the following)
Contact: Ken Green, Editor, 614 Portland Ave., Suite 14, St. Paul MN
55102-2223
Phone: 1(612)221-0046 Fax: 1(612)227-9944
What are you selling? Who are you selling to? Our business
is based on how well we can answer these questions. There is a very powerful
tool that can help Direct Marketers with the answer. Myers-Briggs Typology and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) have been with us for about fifty years. Since the mid-1960's, it has been used extensively in career and personal counseling, and to a lesser degree to facilitate conflict resolution and team building. A year of research into Myers-Briggs concepts have led me to believe that many of the questions we are trying to answer through Database Marketing have already been answered through Myers-Briggs research. We have just begun to quantify what "types" of people make given purchases. An understanding of "Personality Preferences" (and fifty years of research into how they affect one's lifestyle choices) can assist in the never-ending search to find the prospects' "hot buttons". We all know one pitch doesn't work for everyone. Myers-Briggs concepts explain why.
The essence of the theory is that we differ in the way we prefer to deal with four different areas:
The "Extravert/Introvert" (E/I) preference deals with where we derive our energy. "Extraverts" (75% of us) prefer to deal with the "outer" world of things and people. Extraverts tend to do, think or act before reflecting. Introverts (25% of the population) are the opposite. They process everything internally, and react to events. An Extravert will be energized by a lot of activity and feel uneasy with solitude; an Introvert will be energized by solitude and drained by a lot of activity.
How would this apply to a Market Segment? Let's say we know out Target Market is predominantly Introverted, and we're considering what media to use in our campaign. I would concentrate on Direct Mail over Telemarketing for the following reasons:
1.)Introverts prefer written communication to oral communication. The written word allows them time to reflect and to deal with the message at their own pace.
2.)Introverts do not like interruptions, particularly when involved with a task. At best they will be unfocused-and at worst on the defensive-during a Telemarketing Pitch. On the other hand, they tend to enjoy the sedentary activity of opening the mail. Pitch them then-when they're relaxed and comfortable.
3.)Introverts do not like to be pressured into reacting before their "internal processing" is complete. Telemarketing, by its very nature, doesn't allow for this. It forces the receiver of the call to react quickly-a turn off to the Introvert.
The "Sensor/Intuitive"(S/N) preference deals with how we process information. "Sensors" (75% of us) prefer to learn things in sequential steps- i.e., first this happens, then this, etc. They want to deal in the factual and practical, and prefer details and method over theory. Intuitives prefers to take new data and attempt to fit it into a pattern. They are more concerned with ideas and theory than details.
If the Target Market is composed mainly of "Sensors", the hot button is immediate benefit. With an "intuitive" market, the hot button is helping to make the Intuitives' vision a reality. The personal computer market shows an example of this.
There is a friendly (sometimes not so friendly) rivalry between Apple users and IBM/DOS/Windows users. Apple tends to be favored by those in creative and educational fields-fields dominated by intuitives. DOS/Windows users are predominantly business people-a world dominated by sensors. Apple's campaigns reflect this by emphasizing The Power to be your best. The drama in an Apple spot is invariably one of some innovator who is able to nourish and grow their dream with the help of their Mac. Apple spots also imply that a Windows user is bogged down by "computerese" in a way that Mac users arenÃt-appealing to the intuitives' disdain for detail. Microsoft's Windows products, on the other hand, are showcased in everyday situations in which they "make it easier" to sell, organize, and manage the bottom line-mirroring the needs of MicrosoftÃs' sensing audience!
The "Thinking/Feeling (T/F) preference determines how we make our decisions. "Thinkers" make their decisions based on objective criteria, and believe that emotions must be subjugated to the situation. "Feelers" make decisions based on how they affect the people involved. The T/F preference is one of the most difficult to explain and resolve. Fortunately, it is the easiest one to recognize in everyday life.
Not surprisingly, "Feelers" are predominant in people-oriented fields such as Nursing, The Clergy, Customer Service, Social Work, and certain fields of Medicine. The world of Business Management, on the other hand, is dominated by "Thinkers"(overall, there are even amounts of both in the population. At one time, it was believed that 60% of women were feelers and 60% of men were thinkers.)
An excellent example of a campaign aimed at feelers is the "We are GE" Campaign. We see a woman with a Teddy Bear stuck in a dishwasher; an aircraft mechanic trying to get a Jet Fixed; a Doctor trying to operate a CAT Scan. What GE is selling here is the way they enrich and touch lives. No mention is made of GE's size, or how they can help with the bottom line. They're selling the notion that they're are concerned with the Teddy Bear in the dishwasher as they are with the Jet Engine Mechanic. IBM's "There's Never Been a Better Time to Do Business" campaign takes the opposite track in reaching the Thinker. We're given a set of straightforward stories about how IBM has solved Company X, Y, and Zs problems. No Human Interest Stuff Here!
The Final Preference is the "Judger/Perceiver" preference (J/P). "Judgers" like to structure their environment; "Perceivers" like to adapt to it (There are even amounts of each in the population.) Judgers like to close matters, and don't like things "up in the air". Perceivers like to leave matters open, and don't like finality. Aiming at a "perceiver" market, one would stress adaptability and flexibility. For instance, Burger King's old "Have it Your Way" campaign stresses that BK cooks your order right when you get there in whatever manner you desire. McDonald's goes in the other direction, emphasizing consistency-cherished by judgers above all else
What we wind up with are sixteen "preferences", or permutations of the above types. For instance, my preferences are "INTJ"-Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging. It is imperative to note that we are mixtures of each type. In my case, I have only a moderate preference for Intraversion (and have enough "wearing the lampshade at the party" stories as evidence) and a very slight preference for Judging over Perceiving (which means sometimes I do want a Whopper "my way"!) The goal of Typology is not to pigeonhole people, but to help us understand differences. To Direct Marketers, it can be an aid to approaching a prospect as they prefer to be approached.
©1993 C.E. Vermette. All Rights Reserved.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and MBTI are registered trademarks of Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto CA 94903