Jtbd Psychographic Research

---
name: jtbd-psychographic-research
description: Use when researching or defining a target audience for brand work, building customer profiles from motivations rather than demographics, or explaining why customers switch. Keywords - Jobs to be Done, JTBD, functional emotional and social jobs, four forces, push pull anxiety habit, psychographics, limbic types, VALS segments, customer motivations.
---

# 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](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