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VALS™ Lens Applying VALS™ to current events May 2015

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In this issue:

In Culture: Mr. Spock Dies

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy) reminds Captain Kirk as he dies in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. Despite the fact that successive actors tackled the role, Nimoy's Spock is the best known and most remembered. Nimoy died 27 February 2015 at the age of 83. What started in 1966 as a three-season hit-TV series about the intergalactic adventures of the crew of the USS Enterprise, Spock—the half-Vulcan, half-human character—quickly became a favorite of "Trekie" fans. The franchise continued with Star Trek: Next Generation (1987 TV debut) and a series of box-office-success movies such as the most recent Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). In 2014, 22 million people (roughly 10% of US adults) saw Into Darkness at a theater; rented the DVD, Blu-ray, or videotape; viewed the movie on video on demand; or streamed the movie from the internet. Millennials, not Boomers, are more likely than average to have viewed. From a VALS perspective, Innovators and Thinkers are more likely than average to have seen Into Darkness in the past 12 months.

Read more about Leonard Nimoy

In Mergers: Kraft and H. J. Heinz

Warren Buffett has a huge appetite for food (companies). In March 2015, his company Berkshire Hathaway and H. J. Heinz–ownership partner Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital merged with Kraft Foods in a reported $40 billion deal. The resulting enterprise—Kraft Heinz Company—will be the fifth-largest global food and beverage conglomerate. In 2014, Kraft struggled with profits that plummeted 62%; eating habits that moved away from processed foods carry the blame for declining sales. Kraft's product portfolio includes a wide variety of iconic brands such as Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Planters Peanuts, Jell-O, and Kraft's comfort-food Macaroni & Cheese. In the past six months, 51% of US households used Heinz Tomato Ketchup and 32% used any Kraft Mac & Cheese product, according to fall 2014 VALS™/GfK MRI. Some portions of all VALS groups use both products. All groups except Innovators report average use of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese—Innovators report below-average use. Of households that use Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Believers and Achievers are the most likely to do so.

Learn more about the merger

In Leisure: Adult Coloring Books

If you're feeling stressed out, perhaps you should buy a full set of colored pencils and a coloring book as a meditative pastime. The popularity of coloring books for adults suggests that coloring is an excellent method to balance high tech with high touch. Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford has sold well over a million copies of Secret Garden (released in spring 2013); copies of Enchanted Forest (released in February 2015) have been on back order since late March 2015. The new genre of books by other authors is also selling briskly. Sales suggest a huge untapped global market. A 30 March 2015 New York Times article reports that social media has been an important venue to spread the word about this new pastime. No VALS data exist about which groups engage in this activity. However, through an understanding of the groups, and using data about other behaviors, one can predict which group would be most attracted to it. For example, Innovators and Thinkers appreciate most forms of art—they go to museums and art galleries; Innovators are more likely than average to play games and puzzles—and to do other not-digital activities; Thinkers are more likely than average to enjoy doing crossword puzzles (a more intellectual activity than coloring). Experiencers and Achievers are heavily active with social media; these groups are stressed by family and work demands, but many Experiencers make time for themselves every day, whereas Achievers do not. As a result, Innovators are the best target because most are interested in high tech/high touch balance, enjoy creative projects, will make time for activities in which they are interested, and are always on the lookout for what's new. They are also likely to have heard about adult coloring books through social media as well as traditional media.

Read more about the success of Secret Garden

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