Demographics or Psychographics?

Do you know the difference? When you start to answer to the questions below for your community, then you'll begin to uncover the mindset profile, the psychographic, of the people you're trying to reach.

1. Why would people to spend their time and attention on your church?
2. Is it relevant to their life?
3. What makes it worth the hassle?
4. What is their comfort zone?
5. What do they do with their free-time?
6. What do they hate?
7. What do they wear?

So how do you know what's relevant? The last movie my girlfriend, 'Jane', saw was Titanic. For those of you who keep stats, that was in 1997. Don't ask 'Jane' these questions.

Here's a sampling of the mindset of the crowd at GCC.

• Primarily unchurched
• Educated
• Likes his/her job
• Enjoys what is "different" and "unique"; innovators on the edge
• Values creativity
• Likes the "buzz" of a big crowd, but intimacy of friends
• Searching for truth; for something more in this life
• Doesn’t want all the answers; "Get me thinking, but don't tell me what to think"
• All about the "experience"
• Skeptical of institutions, government and "organized" religion
• Independent thinkers; value individual expression
• Prefers the casual and informal over the formal; "be who you are"
• Over-extended in both time and money
• Consumer mindset; accustomed to being served
• Wants to do the right thing; on their own terms

This is who we are called to serve. And, it's this profile we use to define and prioritize message series, graphics, music, furniture, promotions, copy and everything in between.

Comments

[Becky Martin]

Would you describe the process or tools you used to "uncover" this mindset? Was it formal (an actual survey) or informal (listening and speaking one-on-one with a number of people inside the church and outside)? If it was informal, how many people truly outside the church were approached? Were they friends of yours or other staff members? Did you use any government or demographic research firm to help form the profile?

I'm finding that churches I work with (as a freelance graphic designer) don't know how to answer these questions and I end up designing based on a psychographic of the elder board.

[alexander klutt]

Kem... do you have any examples or sample surveys that Grainger uses to extrapolate this data from attenders?

[alexander klutt]

this site is really informative and neat for all marketers around the world. Im a 45 year old unemployed single man who is looking to get into the marketing world. Im currently finishing my high school diploma so i can get into this extremely competive buisness. Im taking a grade 11 marketing course and I really enjoy it. hopfully I make it into this world.Thanks for reading my email and I hope you right back to me.

Thanks,

Alexander Klutt

[Daniel D]

Kem... do you have any examples or sample surveys that Grainger uses to extrapolate this data from attenders?