jtbd-psychographic-research

JTBD & psychographic research frameworks

Quick reference for Jobs-to-be-Done and psychographic frameworks that inform brand strategy. This skill auto-activates during brand work to ensure audience insights inform every phase.

"95% of purchasing decisions are made in the subconscious mind." — Gerald Zaltman, Harvard

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The three job types

Every "job" customers hire a product for has three dimensions:

Dimension	Question	Example
Functional	What task are they accomplishing?	"Watch content without ads"
Emotional	How do they want to FEEL?	"Feel relaxed, avoid boredom"
Social	How do they want to be SEEN?	"Recommend shows, feel in-the-know"

Job Statement Format: "When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome]."

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The Four Forces of Progress (Bob Moesta)

Why customers switch (or don't):

        PROMOTING FORCES
   ┌────────────────────────────┐
   │   PUSH          PULL       │
   │   (Struggles)   (Attraction)│
   ├────────────────────────────┤
   │   HABIT         ANXIETY    │
   │   (Comfort)     (Fear)     │
   └────────────────────────────┘
        BLOCKING FORCES

The Formula: If Push + Pull > Anxiety + Habit, they switch.

Force	Key Question
PUSH	"What frustrates you about your current solution?"
PULL	"What excites you about this alternative?"
ANXIETY	"What worries you about switching?"
HABIT	"What would you miss about your current approach?"

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Limbic types (Hans-Georg Hausel)

Three emotional systems drive behavior:

System	Driven By	Brand Response
Stimulance	Novelty, fun, exploration	Scarcity, newness
Dominance	Status, control, power	Exclusivity, prestige
Balance	Security, stability	Social proof, familiarity

Seven Types: Traditionalist, Harmonizer, Open Connoisseur, Hedonist, Adventurer, Performer, Disciplined

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VALS segments

Segments by motivation + resources:

Motivation	High Resources	Low Resources
Ideals (knowledge)	Thinkers	Believers
Achievement (success)	Achievers	Strivers
Self-Expression (variety)	Experiencers	Makers

Plus: Innovators (any motivation, high resources) and Survivors (security-focused, low resources)

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HBR emotional motivators

Key drivers of customer value:

• "Helps me be creative"
• "Feel revived and refreshed"
• "Sense of belonging"
• "Stand out from the crowd"
• "Feel secure"
• "Succeed in life"
• "Be the person I want to be"

Key Finding: Emotionally connected customers have 306% higher lifetime value.

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Research-to-Strategy Bridge

How audience insights inform brand decisions:

Research Finding	Informs
Primary JTBD	Brand Promise
Push Forces	Problem Messaging
Pull Forces	Benefit Messaging
Anxiety Forces	Trust Signals
Emotional Jobs	Emotional Territory
Social Jobs	Brand Personality
Core Values	Brand Values
Limbic Type	Visual & Tonal Direction

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When to apply these frameworks

During positioning

• Use Four Forces to identify switching dynamics
• Map emotional territory based on Jobs

During voice development

• Match tone to Limbic profile
• Reflect audience's actual language

During messaging

• Address Push forces in problem messaging
• Highlight Pull forces in benefits
• Counter Anxiety forces with proof

During visual direction

• Align aesthetic with Limbic type
• Reflect social jobs in imagery

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Templates

Read reference/templates.md when producing a deliverable the user will keep, such as a filled worksheet, a documented decision, or a final write-up. Skip it for conceptual questions and quick recommendations, which this file covers. It opens with a table of contents, so load only the template needed:

• Forces of Progress Canvas
• Job Story Template
• Psychographic Profile Summary
• Research-to-Strategy Bridge

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Deep methodology

For JTBD interview techniques, detailed framework application, and full output structure, the brand-audience-researcher agent contains 500+ lines of expert methodology.

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Key principles

1. Emotional > Functional: Emotional jobs often drive decisions more than functional ones
2. All Three Dimensions: Never skip emotional and social jobs
3. Capture the Forces: Understanding push/pull/anxiety/habit is essential for positioning
4. Use Their Language: Capture actual words people use. They're gold for brand voice
5. Be the Only: "Be THE ONLY, not the best." — Marty Neumeier