Skip to Main Content

Strategic Business Insights (SBI) logo

VALS™ Lens Applying VALS™ to current events August 2015

The U.S. VALS Framework graphic

In this issue:

In Culture: The Rise of Sneakers

"From their modest origins in the mid-nineteenth century to high-end sneakers created in the past decade, sneakers have become a global obsession. The Rise of Sneaker Culture is the first exhibition to explore the complex social history and cultural significance of the footwear now worn by billions of people throughout the world," reads the description of the newest exhibit at the Brooklyn (New York) Museum. The exhibit of about 150 pairs of shoes is open 10 July through 14 October 2015. Manufacturers' archived shoes, major fashion-designer sneakers, and private collectors' shoes—such as some from Dee Wells of Obsessive Sneaker Disorder fame—have contributed to the exhibit. Sneakers are emblematic of fashion trends and social history. Although few consumers may afford designer sneakers, preferences differ by brand. For example, Believers and Strivers are more likely than average to buy good-old-fashioned Keds; Believers and Makers are more likely to buy Reebok. Although Experiencers and Strivers are more likely to purchase the widest variety of sneaker brands, only Experiencers are most likely to sport a supercool pair of Vans. Innovators, Thinkers, and Survivors are below average in owning a pair of Nike shoes.

Read more about the Sneaker Culture exhibit

In Services: MAC Cosmetics

Long known for its innovative palette in eye color, MAC Cosmetics is opening a service salon, close to Bloomingdale's New York City store on Lexington Avenue. The salon will feature MAC makeup artists' expertise and cater to the selfie generation. The MAC salon, similar to hair or nail salons, will charge for services—unlike free makeup-application services that one can find at a department-store counter—rather than hawk product. Previously, Innovators were MAC's best customers; many have defected to other brands. According to VALS™/GfK MRI fall 2014 study, 6% US adults bought one of seven MAC products in the past 12 months: blusher, eye liner, eye shadow, foundation, lipstick or gloss, loose face powder, or mascara. Experiencers and Achievers (in rank order) are more likely than average to purchase MAC—a perfect match for selfie addicts.

Learn more about MAC Cosmetics and find a store that carries products near you

In News: Evening Network-TV News

ABC-, CBS-, and NBC-TV networks rely on evening news to generate healthy advertising revenues. Because a global news team is expensive to maintain, networks are heavily invested in news programming; they jockey and tweak in a constant effort to gain, or retain, number one ratings. Events such as the Brian Williams debacle at NBC shift the balance of power. In 2012, according to Nielsen Media Research, the Pew Research Center reported TV-evening-news viewing increased in 2011 for the first time since the 9/11 attacks. Overall, however, evening-news viewing is trending down, according to Nielsen and GfK/MRI. An analysis of VALS™/GfK MRI fall studies between 2000 and 2014 shows that the combined average evening news audience for ABC, CBS, and NBC has declined from 30% in 2000 to 17% in 2014. Evening-news viewership for all VALS consumer groups is in decline. Stalwart evening-news viewers—Thinkers (–13%), Believers (–14%), Survivors (–16%), and Makers (–16%)—show the largest declines. These groups, in contrast to Innovators and Achievers, are much less likely to get news on the internet.

View a trend of network evening news viewing by VALS

VALS™ Lens is a monthly newsletter highlighting current events from a VALS perspective.
View the free VALS™ Lens archive.

Contact us to learn how to apply VALS consumer insights to your business.

from the VALS™ Lens mailing list.
to the VALS™ Lens mailing list.