VALS™ enables marketers to analyze why consumers make purchasing decisions. The system is based on the premise that analyzing consumers based on demographics alone can obscure key differences among groups. Through measuring consumers based on personality dimensions and demographics that motivate certain preferences and decisions, VALS™ enables marketers and media planning professionals to drill more deeply into consumer psyche.

The VALS™ system segments the consumer marketplace into eight distinct groups based on primary motivations and resources:

Thinkers
interested in current events; mature; open-minded; well-organized and deliberate; well-informed; satisfied; self-assured

Achievers
goal-oriented; focused on family and career; competitive; avoid change; aware of social status; brand conscious; conservative

Innovators
successful; skilled in leadership; seek challenges and control; wide range of interests; sophisticated; appreciate the finer things

Experiencers
adventurous; confident; impatient; rebellious; self-centered; spontaneous; non-conformist

Believers
brand loyal; prefer the established; focus on family and friends; religious; traditional; literal; respectful of rules

Strivers
coping; fashion victims, seek recognition and acceptance; shop for deals; easily bored; often disillusioned

Makers
pro-American; prefer outdoor activities; handy; practical; self-sufficient; skeptical; uncomplicated

Survivors
cautious; conservative; support organized religion; concerned about safety; concerned about health; aging

To take the VALS™ test and see what segment you fit in, click here.