Young and Rubicam's 4C's

The 4C's

The 4C's stand for Cross Cultural Consumer Characterisation. This divides people in to 7 separate groups depending on their core motivation. 

These 7 groups are:

The Explorer

These people look for a challenge or a discovery. They always want to be the people that try out new experiences and ideas. They try to look different and alternative from other people. Their core motivation is discovery. 

The Aspirer 

They are materialistic. They focus more on people's opinions and perceptions of them rather than their own values. They respond to other people's ideas of superficial appearances, personality and fashion etc. They think appearance is more than personality. Their core motivation is status. 

The Succeeder 

They have self confidence, are very organised and they have a very strong goal. They aspire to be successful and often have an aggressive attitude to life. Their core motivation is control.

The Reformer

They value their own judgement: they do what they want to do. They are the most anti materialistic group. They are considered intellectual by peers and have a lot of tolerance. Their core motivation is enlightenment. 

The Mainstream 

A daily routine is fundamental for them and they are the mainstream of society. They are the largest of the 7 groups. Their core motivation is security. 

The Struggler

They "live for the day." Other groups often see them as losers. They rely of luck rather than judgement to get anywhere with their lives. Often they are heavy consumers of junk food and alcohol. Their core motivation is escape. 

The Resigner

Prominently older people with unchanging values. Enjoy traditional roles and lives. They prefer what they now over new things. Their core motivation is to survive. 

Cross Cultural Consumer Characterisation was developed by one of the largest advertising firms in the World, Young and Rubicam founded in 1923. The firm, now known as Y&R, made some of the first colour television commercials in the 1960’s and today boasts revenue of $907 million per year.

The 4C’s model is based on seven stereotyped classifications of  psychological behavior which Y&R felt people fall into regardless of race, gender, nationality or group affiliation. This model is what business is built on today. For as long as there has been a class known as mainstream, this model has been in effect. For generations, business has sought to place people in the category of mainstream, because it is their biggest and most lucrative market. The other categories exist as markets while also helping to define the mainstream market and keep it distinct from the others. In business, the core motivations and buying habits of the members of each classification are manipulated by secondary categories to push them towards a purchase of whatever product or service the business is selling. For instance, the Mainstreamer’s core motivation for security can be manipulated by their fear of other races, ethnicities, cultures etc. to make them purchase a burglar alarm system or a gun.