Brief about Venezuela-VALS(TM)

1. Venezuela’s consumers motivated by status
VALS™ segmentation applied in Latin America
J. Jacobo Riquelme
Growing interest in consumer behavior among Venezuela’s marketers has increased their
attempts to deepen knowledge about consumer’s preferences, purchasing decision process
and media selection. Different systems and methodologies developed for first world
countries marketplaces had been translated, adjusted and applied to achieve this goal with
diverse levels of success.
In 2008, Venezuela-VALS™ final framework was developed. VALS™ is the best-known
psychographic segmentation system. Originally developed during the second part of the
1970s, it has been restructured and refined several times in order to enhance its ability to
explain lifestyles and predict consumer behavior. VALS™ systems are developed specifically
for each country or cultural context where it is going to be applied. So the VALS™
methodology is not about translation and adjustment. Items are built to be tested and
finally used to detect and structure groups among the adult consumer population.
VALS™ systems relay on primary motivations for differentiate groups and build segments of
consumers into Psychographic Types. As shown on figure 1, Venezuela-VALS™ framework
has seven psychographic types organized in two dimensions.
Figure 1. Venezuela-VALS™ Framework.

2. The horizontal dimension segments people based on primary motivations (Ideas, Status and
Action). The vertical dimension represents the degree to which each of the groups has
resources such as income, education, self-confidence, health and energy. It is also
important that Venezuela-VALS™ psychographic segmentation system is the first VALS™
system in which gender was a determinant variable for structuring the groups.
Nevertheless, each of the seven groups includes adults from a very wide age range,
different social-economical levels and both sexes.
Universales and Reflexivos are driven by Ideas. They want to know “why” so they are
constantly seeking information. Universales are curious, with a global perspective of the
market, interested in culture, arts and health issues. Reflexivos are devoted, concern about
housekeeping, family and traditional values.
Acomodados, Status-Quo and Esforzados are driven by Status. Impulsive, conspicuous
consumers with significant materialistic desires, they trust in luck and show interest in
having fun. Acomodados are sophisticated and self-confident; they enjoy social position
and power and are attracted by new technologies and gadgets. Status-Quo are moderated,
focused on beauty, looks and fashion. Peers opinion and advice are very important to them.
Esforzados are imitative and ambitious; they want to “climb the social pyramid”; they are
insecure, opportunistic, superstitious and erratic but also religious, astute and
traditionalists.
Intensos are driven by action. They look for activities that require high energy resources,
(like extreme sports). They like to feel exhausted. They are dynamic, enthusiastically
gregarious, daring and high energized. Fashion works as self expression tactic and social
networking (especially Youtube) is their playground.
Simples are quiet, low energy lifestyle. They seem only interested in maintain things as they
are, they follow tradition and ancestral uses. They are not driven by status, fashion, power,
physical activity or ideas. They just want a simple life.
Given this framework structure with three groups motivated by Status (Acomodados,
Status-Quo & Esforzados) that altogether reach 46% of the representative sample used to
built Venezuela-VALS™ it is possible to consider that almost half of the urban adult
consumer population in Venezuela is driven by this primary motivation. Though they have
different strategies to satisfy that primary motivation all three groups build their social
identity selecting and buying products and services that are socially accepted and valued as
symbols of higher status.

3. Consumers belonging to these three groups will look for purchasing new products they can
show (and rely on) to be considered as socially well located within Venezuela’s society in
terms of status and social position. Three major categories of products seem to be the
special target for these groups: Fashion, Technology and Luxury. Even the Esforzados with
very lower income level than Status-Quo and Acomodados will struggle every day to fulfill
this motivation with any product, with any brand they can reach, buy and show to others.
As shown on Table 1, all three groups share a very distinctive trend about buying, showing
and enjoying luxury, fashion and technology that really makes a significant difference with
other groups non motivated by status.
Table 1. Items about Fashion, Novelty, Luxury and Prestige. Average scores (1 to 4 points
scale), for different Venezuela-VALS™ types.
STATUS IDEAS ACTION
Acom odados Status Quo Esforzados Universales Reflexivos Intensos Sim ples All types
I w ant to be considered fashionable (e.g. seen as
2,8 2,7 2,8 2,6 2,7 2,9 1,9 2,6
successful)
I'm like many people w ho w ant to be fashionable 2,7 2,5 2,8 2,4 2,5 2,9 1,7 2,4
I like fashion very much, for everyone to see me 2,6 2,4 2,7 2,1 2,3 2,6 1,5 2,3
I follow the latest trends and fashions 2,6 2,5 2,7 2,2 2,4 2,7 1,6 2,3
I try to w ear clothes that make me look attractive
2,8 2,7 2,9 2,7 2,8 2,9 2,3 2,6
everyday
I must admit sometimes I feel I w ant more stuff than I
2,8 2,8 3,1 2,7 2,8 2,9 2,6 2,7
have
Sometimes I feel that I need to buy things and I can't
2,6 2,4 2,6 2,0 2,2 2,2 1,7 2,2
stop
I like a lot of luxury in my life 2,7 2,4 2,7 2,3 2,4 2,5 1,8 2,3
I often buy things on impulse 2,5 2,3 2,6 2,1 2,3 2,3 1,5 2,3
I prefer to spend my money today and let tomorrow
2,1 2,2 2,6 1,9 2,0 2,1 1,8 2,2
bring w hat it w ill
I am usually among the first to know about new
2,7 2,5 2,6 2,6 2,6 2,3 2,1 2,4
things
I like to talk about new brands to family and friends 2,4 2,4 2,7 2,2 2,5 2,2 1,7 2,3
I am usually among the first to buy all kinds of new
2,5 2,3 2,5 1,9 2,2 2,1 1,6 2,1
products
I like to help people giving them information about
2,4 2,4 2,6 2,2 2,5 2,2 1,8 2,3
many products
It is better to be rich and famous 2,5 2,4 2,8 2,1 2,2 2,4 1,8 2,3
I alw ays try to buy things that give me prestige 2,6 2,6 2,8 2,3 2,6 2,5 1,7 2,4
I usually buy things so others see me as successful 2,6 2,6 2,8 2,3 2,7 2,6 1,8 2,5
I love to buy expensive products 2,4 2,2 2,5 1,9 2,0 2,3 1,5 2,2
These status seeking consumers are very easy to persuade using images, words and
concepts that appeal to them in terms of this status primary motivation such as prestige,
premium, novelty, fashion, materialistic desires, beauty and social acceptance. But also
important is how these status seeking consumers –particularly the Esforzados- are willing to
somehow sacrifice more basic needs (food, safety, health) in order to fulfill their primary
motivation (see Table 2).

4. Table 2. Items related to Health, Safety and Eating habits. Average scores (1 to 4 points
scale) for different Venezuela-VALS™ types.
STATUS IDEAS ACTION
Acom odados Status Quo Esforzados Universales Reflexivos Intensos Sim ples All types
I don't have a clue about finance and investment 2,3 2,5 2,7 2,2 2,3 2,3 2,2 2,4
I almost have no time to pay all the bills 2,8 2,6 2,8 2,6 2,6 2,5 2,2 2,6
I don't have time to prepare healthy meals at home 2,6 2,5 2,7 2,4 2,3 2,4 2,2 2,5
I try to have a balanced diet 2,9 2,7 2,6 2,9 2,8 2,6 2,5 2,7
I usually look for new kinds of excitement 2,9 3,0 3,0 2,6 2,7 2,9 2,0 2,7
I like activities that can be dangerous 2,3 2,2 2,5 2,0 1,9 2,4 1,9 2,2
People often say I am a risky person 2,5 2,4 2,8 2,1 2,3 2,4 1,8 2,3
Considering these consumer types, their attitudes and behavior, it will be very useful for a
new brand or for a re-branding process in Venezuela’s marketplace to work on diffusion by
detecting, highlighting and communicating the status characteristics and features of that
brand. This strategy will be aiming to almost half of the urban adult consumer population
that seems to have the more visible and powerful impact in Venezuela’s society.
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For more information about VALS™ go to www.strategicbusinessinsights.com
For more information about Venezuela-VALS™ www.venezuela-vals.blogspot.com