Before you decide what to say to consumers, you need to know who they are. Profile Your Audience builds a detailed portrait of a specific consumer group - the people who already buy or use products in a given category. It covers who they are demographically, what they care about in life, which brands they know and use, what drives their purchase decisions, how they shop, and when and why they use the product. The output is a structured audience intelligence report that a brand team, agency, or consultant can take directly into a planning session.
The closest module to this one is Usage & Attitude, but they answer different questions. Profile Your Audience answers "who are my consumers?" Usage & Attitude answers "how do they buy and why?" They are complementary - many clients run Profile Your Audience first, then Usage & Attitude to go deeper on purchase behaviour, switching dynamics, and brand loyalty. If your brief is primarily about those behaviours rather than audience composition, see Usage & Attitude - but if you need to understand who your consumers are before making any of those decisions, start here.
This module uses Custom Audience sampling
Profile Your Audience always uses a Custom Audience. National Representative sampling - where the sample reflects the general population regardless of category usage - is not available for this module, and that's by design.
The purpose of the module is to build a portrait of active category consumers specifically. A nationally representative sample would include people who have never used the category, which would dilute the portrait with irrelevant data. The screener question at the start of the survey confirms respondents are active category users before the survey begins - so every respondent in your study is someone who actually belongs in it.
What gets measured - the four survey sections
Section 1 - Demographics and lifestyle
The structural picture of who these consumers are. Covers: age, gender, location, household income, family situation, employment status, education level, hobbies and lifestyle activities, and top personal priorities in life. The lifestyle and values questions go beyond basic demographics - they reveal what this audience cares about outside the category, which matters for how a brand positions itself and which cultural touchpoints will resonate.
Section 2 - Category awareness and brand usage
Where your brand sits in the consumer's consideration landscape. Three questions form a mini brand funnel for every brand in the category: which brands they've heard of (awareness), which they've ever used (usage), and which is their current preferred brand (preference).
The gaps between these stages are diagnostic. A gap between awareness and usage is an acquisition problem. A gap between usage and preference is a loyalty or satisfaction problem. The report names which scenario applies to your brand.
Section 3 - Needs, attitudes, and motivations
What drives this audience's decisions and how they approach shopping. Covers: the most important factors when choosing a product in this category, why those factors matter in respondents' own words, and five attitudinal statements scored on an agree/disagree scale:
- I try new brands often
- I tend to buy what's on promotion
- I research before I buy
- I care about what brands stand for
- I'm loyal to the brands I like
Based on how the audience scores on these statements, the report classifies them into one of three attitudinal archetypes: Explorers (open to new brands, research-driven), Loyalists (brand-attached, values-driven), or Pragmatists (promotion-driven, price-sensitive). Each archetype requires a different acquisition strategy. The report identifies which one dominates your audience and explains what it means for your marketing approach.
Section 4 - Usage patterns
How, where, and when these consumers interact with the category. Covers: how often they use or purchase products in the category, where they typically shop (online, supermarket, specialty store, and so on), when or why they use the product (morning routine, on the go, social occasions, and so on), and open-text elaboration on usage context.
What to provide
The order form asks for the following:
- Product category or industry
- Optional context note - for example: "New market entry into the US for a French premium skincare brand targeting women 30–45"
- Your brand name
- Up to 5 competitor brands to include in the brand funnel questions - if left blank, the platform generates a relevant list automatically
- Qualification criteria - the category and timeframe used to screen respondents. For example: "Used or purchased healthy snacks in the past 3 months." This becomes the screener question. It is required - all respondents must be confirmed active category users before the survey begins
- Audience size - default and minimum is 300 respondents
What the report includes
Your report contains five tabs: Quick Bites, Introduction, Analysis, Personas, and Survey.
The Analysis tab opens with an AI-generated Audience Snapshot - a short paragraph summarising who this audience is, their single most defining behavioural characteristic, and the one strategic implication a brand needs to understand immediately.
This is followed by five structured sections:
- Demographic and lifestyle profile - age, gender, family, employment, lifestyle interests, and personal values. Each chart is interpreted, not just displayed
- Brand funnel and competitive landscape - the awareness-to-usage-to-preference funnel for all brands, with your brand highlighted and a diagnosis of the weakest drop-off point (Acquisition Problem or Loyalty Problem)
- Purchase motivations and decision factors - top purchase drivers ranked by frequency, clustering of open-text reasoning, and a diagnosis of whether this audience is Rational-Led (price, performance, availability) or Emotion-Led (brand values, identity, trust)
- Attitudinal profile - the five statements visualised as a diverging bar chart, plus a named archetype badge (Explorers / Loyalists / Pragmatists) with a plain-language explanation of what it means for acquisition strategy
- Usage patterns - frequency, channels, occasions, and open-text usage context. The report identifies whether primary usage is Habitual (daily or routine) or Considered (occasional or social) - with direct implications for media planning and messaging
The Analysis tab closes with two final outputs:
Segment profile cards - 2 to 4 consumer segments identified through cluster analysis, each presented as a structured card with: segment name, sample size, demographic profile, primary usage occasion, top purchase driver, attitudinal stance, and the one message that would most resonate. These cards are written to be taken directly into a targeting or creative brief.
Strategic recommendations - three specific data-supported recommendations: which segment to prioritise, what message or value proposition would resonate most, and which channel or occasion represents the highest-leverage entry point.
Pricing
| 75-100% IR | 50-74% IR | 30-49% IR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base price | $2,990 | $3,290 | $3,590 |
National Representative sampling is not available for this module.
Add-ons
| Add-on | Cost |
|---|---|
| Additional open-ended questions (above 2 included) | +$390 per question |
| Additional respondents above 300 - 75-100% IR | $5.00 per respondent |
| Additional respondents above 300 - 50-74% IR | $6.00 per respondent |
| Additional respondents above 300 - 30-49% IR | $8.00 per respondent |
Two open-ended questions are included by default: purchase driver reasoning and usage context elaboration.
A note on incidence rate (IR)
IR - incidence rate - is the proportion of the general population who qualify for your target audience. The narrower your audience criteria, the lower the IR, and the more each qualifying respondent costs to reach. This affects both price and lead time.
Constraints
- Minimum 300 respondents
- IR below 30% is not supported via standard order - contact Standard Insights for a custom quote
Lead times
| IR band | Lead time |
|---|---|
| 75-100% | 24 hours |
| 50-74% | Up to 5 days |
| 30-49% | 5 days or more |
For a walkthrough of the checkout process, see How to Place an Order.
FAQ
What's the difference between Profile Your Audience and Usage & Attitude?
Profile Your Audience builds a portrait of who your consumers are - their demographics, lifestyle, attitudes, and where your brand sits in their consideration set. Usage & Attitude goes deeper on behaviour - how consumers buy, why they switch, what drives loyalty, and how they relate to brands emotionally. The two modules are complementary: Profile Your Audience gives you the audience foundation; Usage & Attitude gives you the behavioural detail. Many clients run them in sequence, starting with Profile Your Audience.
Why can't I use National Representative sampling?
Because it would undermine the purpose of the study. A nationally representative sample reflects the general population - which includes people who have never used the category and whose data would have no bearing on your audience portrait. This module is built specifically to profile active category consumers, so every respondent is screened in at the start. Custom Audience sampling is not a constraint here - it's what makes the output useful.
Do I need to know who my competitors are before I order?
No. If you leave the competitor field blank, the platform generates a relevant list based on your product category automatically. That said, if there are specific brands you want to track in the brand funnel - a direct competitor you're competing with for the same consumers, for example - it's worth naming them on the order form so they appear explicitly in the report.
What are the attitudinal archetypes and why do they matter?
The archetypes - Explorers, Loyalists, and Pragmatists - are behavioural and attitudinal classifications, not demographic groups. They're derived from how your audience scores on five attitudinal statements about shopping behaviour. They matter because different archetypes require fundamentally different acquisition strategies: Explorers respond to novelty and discovery; Loyalists respond to values and brand identity; Pragmatists respond to price and promotion. Knowing which archetype dominates your audience tells you where to focus your message and budget.
What are the segment profile cards?
The segment profile cards are structured summaries of the 2 to 4 distinct consumer clusters identified in your audience data through cluster analysis. Each card shows the segment's demographic profile, primary usage occasion, top purchase driver, attitudinal stance, and the single message most likely to resonate with them. They are not demographic personas - they are behavioural segments derived from the data. The cards are formatted to be taken directly into a targeting brief or creative session without further interpretation.
How long does it take?
Lead time depends on your target audience's incidence rate (IR). For a broad audience (75–100% IR), results are typically delivered within 24 hours. For more targeted audiences, allow up to 5 days (50–74% IR) or 5 days or more (30–49% IR). If your IR is below 30%, contact Standard Insights for a custom quote.
Can I run this in multiple markets?
Yes. Each market is configured as a separate study. Pricing applies per study — use the table above to calculate the cost for each market you want to include.