What are AIOs in marketing? In a nutshell, they’re the activities, interests and opinions of consumers. Marketers have been using AIOs to understand consumer behaviour for a long time now, but with the advent of big data and new technologies, we can measure them in more detail than ever before. This opens up a world of possibilities for marketers who want to target their products and services more effectively.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what consumer AIOs are and how you can measure them.
What Is AIO Marketing?
AIO stands for activities, interests and opinions. AIO marketing refers to the process of using AIO data to understand what drives consumers, helping to create a psychographic profile of different customer segments, and using that information to target them more effectively.
Activity data is a record of what your customers do during their day. This could be their occupation, hobbies, which social events they attend, where they go on vacations, and whether they’re members of any club or organisation.
Interest data tells us what topics consumers are interested in. For example, sports, fashion, health and fitness, film, food, cars and motorbikes, parenting etc. More broadly these interests can also point to personality traits. For example, if someone enjoys nightlife and socialising, they’re likely to be extroverted.
Opinion data is a measure of consumers’ attitudes and beliefs. For example, whether they think a particular product is good value for money, whether they support a specific cause or social issue, or where they align themselves politically. Again, this can point to personality traits, for example, politically conservative people tend to be more conscientious, while liberalism positively correlates with open-mindedness.
How to Apply AIO Insights to Marketing and Product Development
There are a number of ways you can use AIOs to improve your marketing and product development strategies.
Understanding consumer drivers
First, you can use AIOs to understand what drives consumers, and what their needs are. This information can be used to create more effective marketing campaigns that speak to those needs.
For example, by evaluating consumer opinion you may learn that your product is missing a key feature that would make it more appealing to your target market. These insights can be used to inform your product development strategy and your future marketing campaign promoting this desired feature.
Segmenting your audience
Second, you can use them to segment your audience into groups. This will allow you to target your marketing messages more effectively, and make sure that you’re reaching the right people with the right message.
For example, a company selling home appliances is marketing their latest blender. They segment their audience based on their AIOs and identify a difference between consumers interested in health and fitness, and those interested in family cooking. They then create two separate marketing campaigns, one targeting the health and fitness group with a message about how the blender can help them make healthy smoothies, and the other targeting the cooking group with a message about how it can make quick and easy meals.
Identifying new opportunities
Third, you can use AIOs to identify new markets and opportunities for your products and services.
For example, an eCommerce clothing company could use AIO data to identify a new target market for their products. They may find that their consumers are not only interested in fashion, but are also environmentally conscious. This could be an opportunity to develop a new line of eco-friendly clothing and target this market with a marketing campaign that speaks to their values.
Competitive analysis
Finally, you can compare how your product or service stacks up against your competitors using AIO data. This can help you to identify areas where you have a competitive advantage, and develop marketing messages that emphasise this.
For example, a hotel chain could use AIO data to compare their properties against those of their competitors. They may find that they have a higher percentage of introverted guests interested in respite and relaxation, and a lower percentage of extroverted guests interested in nightlife and socialising. They could use this information to develop a marketing campaign that emphasises their secluded accommodations and tranquil atmosphere.
How to Measure Consumer AIOs?
Surveys and questionnaires
There are a number of ways to measure consumer AIOs. Traditionally, data is collected through surveys or questionnaires. Researchers ask consumers to what extent they agree to certain statements on a scale of 1-10
Example statements:
- I prefer intimate gatherings with a small group of close friends as opposed to big parties.
- I follow the latest fashion trends.
- I dislike political talk shows.
- I’m a conscious consumer and only buy things when I really need them.
However, surveys and questionnaires can be limiting. The use of closed-ended statements may not give a full picture of how consumers feel, as there may be a lot of nuance that gets lost in the translation. Additionally, surveys can be time-consuming and expensive to administer and have a low response rate.
Big data analysis
Every day, consumers share information about their activities, interests and opinions online through social media, forums and review sites. This constitutes a massive amount of data that can be used to understand consumer AIOs.
Big data analysis is a more efficient and cost-effective way to measure consumer AIOs, as it does not require the administration of surveys or questionnaires. Additionally, it can provide a more accurate picture of how consumers feel, as it captures their thoughts organically. All you need are the right tools to gather and process this information.
Symanto’s natural language processing (NLP) technology captures and analyses this unstructured data to provide you with insights into consumer opinions and key psychographic information. This can be a valuable addition to your marketing strategy, as it can help you to understand your consumers on a deeper level, and develop targeted marketing campaigns that speak to their needs.
Get Started With Symanto
Symanto offers a wide range of NLP tools and services for different use cases and industries. Our team of data science and psycholinguistics experts can help you to choose the right solution for your needs, and provide support throughout the implementation process.
Find out how you can use cutting-edge AI to understand your consumers on a deeper level. Register for our 21-day free trial of the Symanto Insights Platform today to start exploring the possibilities of groundbreaking NLP technology for your business, or get in touch to find the best tools and services for your specific needs.
