The jury is still out. What I am about to embark upon could quite possibly be either my hardest or easiest marketing assignment ever. Creating a persona for you (or people like you). Sure, I have access to endless information stored amongst my grey matter; however, the difficulty will arise in overcoming personal biases and adopting an objective lens. Well, here goes nothing.
Transitioning Newlyweds
Median Age- 26
Education- 100% have a college degree; 50% have or are working toward an advanced degree.
Career Types- Professionals entering mid-level positions predominantly in a corporate or government setting.
Income- Highly variable depending on whether the couple has a dual income or single income due to one spouse pursuing higher education.
Personality:
- There is nowhere that we would rather be than the great outdoors. Running, biking, skiing, we love it all. We have absolutely no self-control when it comes to outdoor gear. Who doesn’t need powder skis, downhill skis and twin tip skis? We would spare no expense on a lifestyles product that maximized our outdoor experience.
- We are relatively tech savvy, but cannot sit still long enough to use technology for recreation. Tech competent is probably a more accurate description for our capabilities than tech mavens. Apple products fit our lifestyle as we value a dependable operating system for both work and school and are willing to spend more for better performance. Smart phones are a must in order to stay connected when we are on the move. We answer emails, all 30 that we receive daily, within 24 hours.
- No location has been able to tie us down. In the past eight years, we have moved at least eight times. The moves are becoming less frequent as we transition out of school, but we won’t shake the travel bug anytime soon. Our trips are becoming shorter and we are graduating out of hostels into more comfortable accommodations.
- While we are professionals, public service is still important to us. Mike is a military officer and Shannon spent time working for the Department of State. The couple is likely to transition out of the public sector completely within the next three years, but a sense of service, environmental stewardship and social welfare will be enduring values.
- We love good food and wine, but this is where we tend to make cuts to accommodate for a single income and student loans. We still cannot resist the occasional night out at a top restaurant, but this has become more of a monthly or bimonthly treat. Instead, we dedicate quite a bit of discretionary spending to premium food products and cook at home. We are Whole Foods loyalists. Health concerns lead us to purchase organic products and we favor smaller brands over food giants. We are always looking for great new microbrews and wine labels.
That wasn't too bad after all. Now, if only someone would create a product for me so that I can see whether I am a stellar market research candidate...
