Consumers Are People Too - Frog

R E TA I L
Consumers
Are People Too
Five retail archetypes that will help brands
design experiences for people as individuals–not just
demographics–across common customer journeys
WRI TTE N A N D R ESE A RCH E D BY

TIM MOR EY, L ARCOMBE T E I C H GRA EB ER , SCOTT KI N G,
SAL LY DAR BY, AND AG NES PY RC H L A
PUB LI SH E D BY F ROG
RETAIL ARCHETYPES FROGDESIGN .COM
04 ABSTRACT
05 Introduction
FROM STATIC DEMOGRAPHICS TO DYNAMIC ARCHETYPES
WHAT IS AN ARCHETYPE?
DEFINING ARCHETYPES BY MAPPING BEHAVIORS
07 The Five Shopper Archetypes

THE DOER
THE STRIVER
THE SPOTTER
THE EXPLORER
THE SOCIALIZER
13 The Archetypes in Action

ARCHETYPES APPLIED TO FOUR COMMON SHOPPER JOURNEYS
14 Apparel
BUYING APPAREL, SHOES AND ACCESSORIES
WHAT THE DATA TELLS US ABOUT FUTURE TRENDS
TAILORING APPAREL, SHOES & ACCESSORIES SHOPPING TO ARCHETYPES
18 Automotive
EVALUATING TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AND BUYING CARS
TYPE OF CAR PURCHASED BY ARCHETYPE
CAR BUYING / LEASING JOURNEY
CHOOSING “NOWNERSHIP”
TAILORING ARCHETYPES TO THE CAR BUYING / LEASING EXPERIENCE
2
23 Retail Healthcare
EVALUATING RETAIL HEALTHCARE OPTIONS
MOST RECENT DOCTOR VISIT BY ARCHETYPE
PROACTIVE CARE
INSURANCE COVERAGE
TAILORING ARCHETYPES TO THE RETAIL HEALTH EXPERIENCE
28 Consumer Finance
SELECTING A FINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDER
PHYSICAL VS. DIGITAL BANKING
USE OF DIGITAL TOOLS
FINANCIAL SERVICES APPS VS. LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT BY ARCHETYPE
PERMISSION FOR NEW ENTRANTS
TAILORING ARCHETYPES TO THE FINANCIAL SERVICES EXPERIENCE
34 Conclusion
FIND YOUR FIT
3
ABSTRACT
Putting customers into segments by demographic factors or by what they spend with your
company is inadequate if you want to compete in today’s changing retail landscape. Rather, brands
need to consider their customers along more dynamic segments that account for behaviors and
specific customer journeys. After conducting research with over 2,000 participants across the US,
we’ve developed five common consumer archetypes that brands can use to design more dynamic
products and services built for people–not just consumers.
4
Introduction
F ROM STATIC DEM OGRA PH ICS TO DY N A MIC A RCH E T Y P ES
There are two common approaches that consumer-facing companies take when organizing their
customers into segments: spending (e.g. how much a customer spends with a particular airline
or hotel); and demographics (e.g. age, gender or zip code). These approaches are both flawed.
While simple and convenient, they ignore the reality that people are more complicated than their
spend, age or zip code might indicate. This form of segmentation is particularly problematic when
used to design products and services. Instead, companies should be designating their consumers
by archetype. At frog, we use customer archetypes to inspire the new services and products we
design and build for our clients. These archetypes are fluid, meaning shoppers can flex between
archetypes depending on the category or occasion. They are also great at eliciting empathy from
organizations because they provide a face and story behind customer groups that employees can
rally behind.
Based on our research from 14 recent frog projects and a nationally representative survey of 2,000
consumers across the US, we’ve defined five common shopper archetypes that can be applied to
any retail or consumer experience. In addition to defining these five archetypes, we’ve mapped
them across four common customer journeys: shopping for clothing, shoes or accessories; buying
or leasing a car; consumer medical services; and consumer financial services.
WHAT IS A N A RCH ETYPE?
An archetype describes patterns of behavior and motivations across different types of shoppers.
Take your neighborhood convenience store. A middle-aged parent rushing in after work to pick up
supplies for his kid’s school project has a very different set of behaviors and motivations than that
same parent’s teenage daughter stopping in after school to buy a snack and hang out with her
friends. The same shopper can even take on different archetypes within the same retailer, depend-
ing on the occasion. For example, you might be very self-directed and efficient when buying table
wine as part of your regular grocery trip, but take longer and look for advice from the shopkeeper if
buying premium wine as a gift.
5
D EFINING A RC H ETYPES BY M A P P IN G B E H AV IO RS
In our research, we found that shopping behaviors can be reduced to tendencies

along four spectrums.
1. The first is the utility spectrum, ranging from functional to emotional. At the functional end,
shoppers aim to minimize time and effort. They navigate the shopping experience with purpose,
operating as efficiently as possible. At the other end of the spectrum is an emotional shopping
experience where consumers look to be inspired. It’s as much about the journey as the destina-
tion; as a result, the shopper is happy to spend lots of time with the experience.
2. The second is the swagger spectrum, ranging from leaders to followers. Lead shoppers are
confident, happy to adopt self-service tools and act as influencers to others, providing friends,
family and even strangers with advice. Followers, on the other hand, feel unsure and indecisive.
They often seek help and are late adopters of new tools and technology.
3. The third is the spontaneity spectrum, ranging from routine to spur of the moment. At one end
are the stable, predictable, routine shoppers. These creatures of habit are loyal to what they
know and like. On the other end are the spontaneous shoppers, who crave variety. Their shop-
ping is unplanned and even a little chaotic.
4. The final spectrum is around motivation. At one end are the self-motivated, often solo shop-
pers who find satisfaction on their personal achievement and craft skills. At the other end are
those seeking validation, who seek recognition in their purchases, and share frequently on
social media.
6
The Five Shopper Archetypes

WHO WE A RE DICTATES H OW W E S H O P
Reviewing several years of frog’s work in consumer packaged goods, retail, food, travel and hospi-
tality, and consumer electronics, we managed to distill shopping experiences down to five common
archetypes. For this study, we then conducted a 2,000 respondent quantitative study using
MaxDiff 1 in order to map the US population to these five archetypes. Survey takers were streamed
into one of four shopping journeys, allowing us to understand how these archetypes feel about
specific shopping experiences common in the US.
The Doer The Striver The Spotter

Capable, confident and always Aspirations for efficiency without Savvy and creative as they tirelessly
working their plan proactive planning hunt for deals and hidden gems
The Explorer The Socializer

Curious and organized explorers of Pleasers who need help on their
what’s new and interesting search for the next big thing
7
T H E DOER
Doers are planners who excel at optimizing the time and effort they spend shopping. They are
confident in their ability not only to know what to buy, but where to buy it and the path of least
resistance to get it. In their ruthless pursuit of efficiency, this confidence tends to make them crea-
tures of habit with deeply entrenched routines, tools and preferences. This self-confidence also
means that they rarely seek guidance, validation or affirmation from others.
D ESIGNING FOR DOERS
• Consistency: Doers seek experiences that are friction-free across all aspects of their jour-
ney, including product selection, store layouts, hours of operation and delivery/pick-up times.
Starbucks is a great example of this—from their seamless experiences across global locations,
to their order ahead app that allows Doers to use their planning prowess to avoid lines while
getting the morning croissant and latte.
• Streamlined processes: Once brands have earned trust through consistency, they can start
to offload or automate some of the Doers’ shopping process, such as automatically re-filling
orders, or saving location preferences. Product subscription services like Dollar Shave Club are
especially attractive to these creatures of habit.
• Congratulatory and consultative: Doers derive a sense of accomplishment from their ability
to optimize their journey, and enjoy sharing their expertise with others. Retailers and manufac-
turers could tailor rewards to this group by allowing them to skip parts of the shopping process
altogether. In addition the traditional points system used by most airlines, Southwest’s A-List
status provides additional perks like allowing A-Listers to board first.
8
T HE STRIVER
Strivers want to be more efficient, but they simply can’t or won’t plan ahead to achieve this goal.
Without a plan, they can be indecisive about what to buy and from where, so they’re relatively
open to guidance from employees, friends and family. Strivers are not necessarily spontaneous by
choice, it’s simply the only default option to avoid planning and organizing their shopping trip or
purchase. Because they often enter a store or arrive at a website without prior preparation, they
experience more friction while shopping, as all of the informing and decision making has moved
downstream to the shopping trip itself.
DESIGNING FOR STRIVERS
• Flexibility: The Striver won’t plan, so working with their schedule is a must: flexible pick-up or
delivery times, free returns, extended hours of operation and tolerant product preparation and
usage are all key to attract this group.
• Clear and intuitive: Making the shopping experience more intuitive can help Strivers minimize
the time and effort they spend while shopping. Target does an excellent job of catering its in-store
experience to Strivers with clear store layouts, wayfinding and prominently displayed prices and
deals. Retailers might explore near-register displays with oft-forgotten items, improved store navi-
gation in-app, and cashierless checkout to help Strivers shop more efficiently.
• Guidance and recommendation: To ease the decision making process, retailers can offer
point-of-sale guidance (both in-store and online) that provides usage recommendations and
additional inspiration for other products and services. For example, the Sephora app allows
Strivers to see how a particular product would look on them, then suggests additional products
that might complement the look all from the comfort of home. Grocery stores can suggest
ingredients to build a meal—or a whole week of meals, through in-store recommendations,
demos, displays and content.
9
T H E SPOTTER
Spotters are savvy and creative as they hunt for hidden gems. For them, it’s about the thrill of
discovery. They are confident and know what they want, but the outcome or experience is more
important than the specific product or service; they’re looking out for a great deal or to discover
something new. Unlike Strivers, Spotters don’t dislike planning, but they tend to plan as they go, as
this is the key to the success of their hunt.
D ESIGNING FOR SPOTTERS
• Need: Spotters care most about discovering great new products or deals, so it’s important to
not bore them with anything unnecessary. Stores should not only have a sufficient variety of
products, but ever-changing merchandise to keep them interested and engaged. Spotters don’t
need straightforward pricing; in fact, they prefer doing complex mental algebra to calculate
savings on the fly. Costco does an excellent job of tailoring both merchandise and pricing to
Spotters by providing a flavor or format that is thrilling enough to justify buying in bulk by doing
the price per serving calculation.
• Digital tools and services: Spotters appreciate tools that allow them to reach their desired
outcome either more efficiently or enjoyably. Digital tools and services focus on meeting
Spotter’s needs in store and online. Target’s cartwheel app allows Spotters to wayfind and
dealfind, and premium label curators like Gilt group aggregate hidden gems and allow Spotters
to quickly peruse and purchase from the comfort of their own home.
• Delightful experiences: Because Spotters prefer to be spontaneous in pursuit of hidden gems,

shopping can take time. Retailers must transform the time spent shopping into a delightful
experience, ending with the desired outcome without feeling rushed. Examples of these experi-
ences can be found in barbershops like the Blind Barber and Bird’s Barbershop, which provide
customers with a drink and a haircut at a great price.
10
T HE EXPLORER
For the Explorer, it’s all about the journey and the discovery, perhaps more than the destination itself.
They plan ahead so that they can take their time shopping and they’re open to deviating from their
plan when they’ve discovered something new. Because of their desire to explore and their willingness
to deviate from the plan, they’re often early adopters of new products, services and tools.
DESIGNING FOR EXPLORERS
• Pleasure meets utility: Explorers are looking for a journey, so they are drawn to experiences
that allow them to easily navigate in-store and online in order to maximize their discovery. For
example, car lease and flexible personal mobility service, Fair, allows users to explore available
vehicles, select one, get approved and pay for the car all in one app.
• Elevated experiences: Explorers are looking to elevate their shopping into something more—
they crave new and unexpected experiences. AirBnB Experiences and community classes at
REI or Home Depot are all logical extensions of the original brand’s promise, but a novel reinter-
pretation of how they deliver on this promise for customers.
• Upstream the planning: Planning ahead makes time for more enjoyable experiences in the
moment. Explorers are delighted by products and services that let them offload some of the
upstream efficiency-oriented activities, so they can get to what they enjoy faster. Some credit
cards rewards programs, including Chase Sapphire Rewards and American Express Platinum
Card, are offering free TSA Pre and Global Entry and access to a travel concierge to make travel
more efficient, in addition to free access to airport lounges and credit for in-air food and bever-
age purchase to make travel more enjoyable.
11
T H E SOCIA LIZER
Socializers are pleasers by nature. They want others to approve and acknowledge them and their
choices; thus, they seek out guidance to make the right choices. While they may plan, they don’t
necessarily stick to it, and when executing their plan, they often struggle to make decisions when
faced with many choices.
D ESIGNING FOR SOCIA LIZERS
• Guidance: Socializers seek expert guidance when faced with indecision, so stores with
engaged, helpful, capable (never pushy) in-store personnel, like Trader Joe’s, help to ease any
discomfort. Ample visual information and reviews on products and services also helps. A great
example of this is Rent the Runway’s review feature, which allows users to describe their body
type and upload photos of how the product actually looks.
• Intelligent matching and recommendations: Beyond simply providing reviews, companies

that serve intelligent product and service matching and recommendations drive value for
Socializers. These recommendations should not only be on trend, but also fit with the user’s
particular needs and tastes. This level of personalization has recently moved from the ecom-
merce space to brick and mortar stores. At a pop-up store in New York, Clarins showcased a
display called the Sensor Mirror Pro that provides product recommendations based on the
shopper’s specific skincare needs. The mirror takes a photo of the shoppers and asks them the
areas they want to improve upon in order to generate personalized recommendations.
• The social factor: Socializers, of course, are delighted by being social. Having their tastes and
preferences validated by the community makes them feel proud and want to share even more.
Sephora’s BeautyTalk is a great example of this, allowing users to share tips, build beauty com-
petence and thus, a more confident self-image.
12
The Archetypes in Action

ARC H ETYPES A PPLIED TO FOUR CO MMO N S H O P P E R JO URN EYS
Archetypes are specific to a customer journey and moment, so the same person can be a Socializer
when buying a car, and a Doer when buying clothing. With this in mind, we focused our interviewees on
their most recent shopping experiences in one of four journeys: buying apparel, shoes and accesso-
ries; evaluating transportation options and buying or leasing a car; buying non-emergency healthcare;
and making use of personal banking and financial services. Within each customer journey, brands can
select to design specifically for their target archetypes when crafting experiences, services and prod-
ucts. There are of course common needs across all archetypes, but designing and optimizing for one
or two specific targets often leads to more distinctive offerings, whereas trying to meet everyone’s
needs result in generic offerings that please no one.
13
Apparel
BUYING A PPA REL, SH OES A N D ACCESSO RIES
The customer journey when shopping for apparel, shoes and accessories can be as varied and non-
linear as any, but almost always starts with a moment of inspiration, followed by research and
consideration, planning then eventually buying. But within this journey, there are many points
where our archetypes diverge.
Research and planning: While over half of all respondents began their journey with research at
home or out-of-store, Explorers are most likely to engage in this step, with 70 percent having done
research prior to shopping, as compared to 40 percent of all other archetypes.
In-store shopping: Once the planning and research is completed, shoppers move to buying,
whether that is online or in a physical retail store. While in the store, 23 percent of all respondents
were likely to conduct further research on their mobile phone, with Explorers and Socializers
most often, and Doers hardly at all. Socializers tend to look for reassurance from their friends and
family that they are making the right decision, something that a mobile phone can facilitate in the
moment. The basic requirement to service these shoppers is connectivity and a mobile friendly
website with information on current inventory. More advanced services such as matching and
pairing clothing and accessories may reassure Socializers and inspire Explorers.
In-store guidance: Just 14 percent of shoppers in physical stores reported speaking with an associate
during their most recent apparel purchase, with Strivers and Socializers more likely, in keeping with
their openness to guidance and help. While we may intuitively think that having more associates in a store
is a good thing, this may not be the case. Doers, Explorers and Spotters make up more than 70 per-
cent of apparel shoppers, and they rarely interact with associates. They are confident in their ability to
accomplish what they set out to do, and do not seek recognition or approval from others. Well-designed
automation may be more appealing to these customers than more staff. We see this trend taking off
in other industries including restaurants, where companies such as frog client Creator built automated
burger making robots for their restaurants with minimal staff. Within other forms of retail, Standard
Market has a staffless store experiment in San Francisco, as does Zippin and of course AmazonGo.
14
Making the purchase: We found that the most common purchase modes were to buy online and
have the goods delivered, or buy and pick up in store. The latter is particularly popular with the
Doer archetype. Explorers and Socializers on the other hand like to buy online and pick up in store,
perhaps in keeping with their openness to trying new things.
0 1%
12% 3 9%
45%
03 %
39% BUY & P I CK UP I N STOR E 12% BUY ONLINE & PICK UP IN STORE
03 % BUY I N STOR E & H AVE I T DELIVE RE D 01% OTHE R
45% BUY ONL I NE & H AVE I T DEL IVE RE D
15
WH AT TH E DATA TELLS US ABO UT F UT URE T RE N DS
Physical retail has a number of advantages over online shopping when it comes to clothing,
shoes and accessories:
• Fit: Respondents by and large cited ‘fear of clothing not fitting well’ as the main reason for not
buying clothes, shoes or accessories online. Online shoe seller Zappos addressed this early on
by offering free returns. Today, Japanese online retailer ZOZO has a unique approach with its
ZOZO Suit—a sensor laden body suit that allows customers to exactly measure their shape and
size at home by pairing the body suit with a mobile app.
• Quality: Concern over quality is the next largest deterrent for online shoppers, with Explorers
having highest concerns over not being able to touch and feel the products. We see an increas-
ing number of apparel, shoe and accessory makers setting up physical stores where customers
can touch and try on products, even if the stores don’t offer inventory. From online retailer
Bonobos setting up physical Guide Shops in several cities, to Nordstrom’s “inventory-less”
stores, we see this as an attempt to marry the best of online and physical retail.
• Experience: Lastly, people are looking for an experience when shopping—especially Explorers,
who are also most friendly to online shopping. The apparel equivalent of experimental prod-
uct store B8ta may be the solution for Explorers. There’s an opportunity for retailers to focus
branding, messaging and design efforts on quality, transparency and simplicity to reassure
Explorers that once they’ve done their research and know what they want, they’ll have the
highest quality experience and product possible, taking a page from online apparel retailer
Everlane’s brand strategy.
16
TAILORING A PPA REL, SH OES A N D ACCESSO RIES S H O P P IN G TO A RCH E T Y P ES
ARCHETYPE LIKES DISLIKES
Nothing! (Except things that break down

Doers Getting in and out, Self-sufficiency.
efficiency)
Being spontaneous, services that High effort, hard to navigate stores or

Strivers
allow them to avoid planning, guidance websites, long lines, complicated returns
Online shopping, tools/apps that ease

Spotters Nothing—except being rushed!
information and, selection.
Whether online or in-store, they love a

Explorers Anything that detracts from their experience.
thoughtfully curated experience.
The experience of browsing, trying

Socializers Confrontation or misdirection
things on, and asking for advice.
17
Automotive
EVALUATING TRA NSPORTATI O N O PT IO N S A N D BUY IN G CA RS
A car is a big purchase, second only to housing for many Americans. It is also a decision that
buyers live with for several years, so it is not surprising to discover that more people feel like
Socializers in this journey than the norm, seeking advice and looking for recognition and approval
from their family and friends. Yet the internet has completely revolutionized transportation, from
buying a car to joining a rideshare service. The enormous asymmetry of information that used to
exist—where the car dealers knew their inventory, fair price, vehicle condition, local demand and
financing options and the buyer knew almost nothing—has begun to change, leveling the playing
field somewhat for buyers. Today’s buyer can access all of this information through an app on their
phone. But because car purchases are infrequent—once every 6 years for the average American
buyer—this new found power is still novel to buyers. One buyer noted, “I was surprised at how
much you can find online in regards to people or car dealerships selling.”
In this study, we were interested in the two major sides of today’s automotive customer journey:
first, buying or leasing a car; and second, those who decide to forego ownership altogether.
18
T YPE OF CA R PURCH ASED BY A RCH E T Y P E
Doer 4 4% 40% 7% 9%
Striver 5 0% 40% 3% 7%
Spotter 43% 44% 6% 7%
Explorer 36% 54% 8% 2%
Socializer 43% 3 8% 1 1% 8%
0% 10% 20% 3 0% 40% 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 10 0 %
S EDA N SUV/TRUCK CROSSOVE R/WAG ON M INIVAN
Explorers are ahead of the pack in moving away from sedans in favor of other
types of vehicles. New entrants would be wise to cater to Explorers who are
often the early adopters of new tools, technology and products.
19
CAR BUYING / LEASING JOURN EY
For most auto consumers, the journey consists of doing research, then making a purchase at
an auto dealership. Despite the bevy of information now available online, the car buying/leasing
experience is still quite complex and frustrating for most. 37 percent of our survey respondents
struggled with aspects of their most recent car purchase, with the largest complaint being the
abundance of choice. Even a shopping savvy Spotter commented that there are “so many options
to choose from, it was a bit overwhelming at first when I was starting to narrow them down.” Some
car makers try to hide the complexity of options in their configurators, but clearly there is room to
improve those tools to better meet the needs of Strivers and Socializers.
Doers, Spotters and Explorers are the most confident navigating the current car purchase journey,
as they enjoy the array of digital tools available to them and feel well armed to enter the dealer-
ship. While Socializers are the most open to help from sales people, they also dislike ‘pushy sales
people’ that turn them off the experience.
While dealerships and car sales-people still face criticism, 75 percent of our survey respondents
bought or leased their car from a dealership, meaning it’s still a cornerstone in the automotive
customer’s journey. Some dealerships are making strides, with respondents noting the relaxed atmo-
sphere, knowledgeable sales people and a non-pushy sales force. A typical satisfied buyer noted, “I
really enjoyed the experience of looking at and trying the new technology. The dealership we went to
did not pressure us into a sale. It was a very relaxed and seamless transaction.” Mercedes was named
for a premium experience, Subaru was mentioned as an on-brand experience, and multiple buyers
complimented Costco’s vehicle purchase program for its clarity and ease.
20
CHOOSING “ NOWNERSH IP”
Of the 500 survey respondents who participated in the automotive and transportation customer
journey, we deliberately over-weighted 10 percent who decided not to buy or lease a car. Of those,
the largest alternative option was not really an alternative at all, in that 64 percent decided to keep
driving their current car longer. 28 percent chose public transportation, 20 percent opted for ride
sharing services, and 17 percent went for cycling, scooters or walking. Not surprisingly the non-car
alternatives tended to be used by urban and suburban Americans rather than rural.
While the sample size is really too small to say anything definitive about archetypes, Explorers
were over represented in new forms of transportation such as ride sharing, and least likely to have
decided to hang onto their existing vehicle. Directionally, as companies develop new products,
services and market fit, they could cater to Explorers. This is especially true for autonomous
ride-sharing services. Auto disruptors and incumbents alike should attract Explorers with expe-
rience-focused ride services—autonomous or not—to better understand foreseen concerns with
autonomous vehicles, specifically safety and control. Recently, frog engaged with Dallas-based
start-up Alto to do exactly that, creating one of the first experience-driven ride hail services.
21
TAILORING A RCH ETYPES TO T H E CA R BUY IN G / L E AS IN G E XP E RIE N CE
Self-sufficient research, logical

Doers Bad customer experience, being rushed.
decision making.
Minimal preparation, for others to do Laborius research, spending too much time
Strivers
the work. on the process.
Spotters Discovery, haggling. Nothing—except being rushed!
Discovery and choice—they love the

Explorers Nothing!
experience as much as the outcome!
Information and advice, both from

Socializers Feeling overwhelmed with options.
salespeople and peer reviews.
22
Retail Healthcare
EVALUATING RETA IL H EA LTHCA RE O PT IO N S
The consumer journey for healthcare has always been a complex one, with changing rules and
regulations, bountiful options, and often opaque coverage adding to consumers’ confusion. But the
rising cost of healthcare, coupled with a commitment to customer-centricity in other industries, is
shifting patient expectations in how care is delivered, driving consolidation among incumbent care
providers and creating opportunities for new entrants. The meteoric growth of Retail Healthcare—
minute clinics, urgent care facilities—offers accessible choices in where, when and how care is
delivered. This area of healthcare services has taken off in part because it has never been easier
for Americans to access information about their health and care options courtesy of Dr. Google. In
addition, the proliferation of sensors and quantified-self tools is driving a new awareness of health
and data insights. This awareness is resulting in increased accountability—from patients, providers
and payers.
For our study, we focused on two large portions of retail healthcare: proactive care, and insur-
ance coverage. The respondents echoed many of the common issues we hear around healthcare,
namely the inconvenience to get to the doctor, inability to schedule appointments when needed,
high cost of care, impersonal and un-empathetic care providers, and unpleasant environments in
which care is delivered.
23
MOST REC ENT DOCTOR VISIT BY A RCH E T Y P E
Doer 8 1% 3% 7% 7% 2%
Striver 67 % 1 1% 14% 7% 1%
Spotter 69 % 8% 20 % 3%
Explorer 66% 6% 1 5% 13 %
Socializer 6 1% 1 8% 14% 6% 1%
0% 10% 20% 3 0% 40% 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 10 0 %
MA DE A N A P P OI NT ME NT AT REGULAR CLINIC VISITE D E R
VI S I T ED URGENT CA R E VISITE D WALK-IN CLINIC OTHE R
Doers are organized and like to see their primary care physician, but could be enticed into retail
clinics with the right incentives and customer experience. Explorers seem to be warming to
the concept already. Insurers may do well to entice Spotters and Socializers out of urgent care
clinics and emergency rooms respectively, and into lower cost retail walk in clinics.
24
P ROACTIVE CA RE
Of the 500 people who shared information on their most recent doctor’s visit, the care option most
selected was making an appointment with their Primary Care Physician (70 percent), with Doers
making up the majority, likely because they are proactive planners. Retail clinics could cater to
Doers by pairing a seamless, easy, on-demand, no wait appointment system with a contextual, per-
sonalized profile that allows professionals to show they know and understand the Doer as a person
and a patient. Forward, a new healthcare startup built “for humans, by humans,” is experimenting
with such a model. In this subscription-based clinic, healthcare professionals establish a healthy
baseline for their users, then through ongoing consultations that look at the whole person, they set
and revise goals according to progress.
The archetype least likely to make an appointment in advance are Explorers, which was not
surprising as they plan in advance so that they can take their time and enjoy an experience. As
Healthcare is not currently an enjoyable experience, they are less apt to plan for it. Explorers are
more likely to make a planned trip to Walgreens and decide to stop into the Retail Clinic if a pre-
ferred provider is there. One respondent said, “I love the nurse practitioner at our Walgreens. She
is friendly and caring and informative. So helpful.” Ensuring positive waiting room environments for
urgent care and retail health clinics might drive Explorers to engage with these services more than
their usual doctor’s appointments.
While the sample was small and directional, surprisingly, 20 percent of Spotters chose to visit the
urgent care clinics. Our working hypothesis is that Spotters are savvy enough to know that urgent
care is cheaper than an emergency room co-pay but more expensive than a doctor visit co-pay, so
they use urgent care clinics to address those non-life threatening emergencies that arise. There’s
an opportunity for urgent care clinics to allow consumers to compare co-pays and time-to-access
across their various healthcare options to see when it’s most expedient and economical to visit
urgent care, similar to the car insurance precedent set by esurance. While urgent care won’t always
be the best choice, it will go a long way to debunking the perception that “nothing is free” and you’ll
“have to pay a high fine” at urgent care.
25
INSURA NC E COVERAGE
Nearly all of the survey participants were covered by private or public health insurance, mirroring
the national average of 90.9 percent coverage in 2017. 48 percent of our sample are covered by
employer health insurance programs, and unsurprisingly, the most planned of the archetypes—
Doers and Explorers—are covered by their employers. There’s an opportunity for private insurers
and benefits representatives to work with payers to manage the cost to cover some employees,
specifically Doers. This archetype is the most likely to make appointments with their doctor, a
proxy for being proactive about their health. While they may not be as open to adopting and using
wearables as Explorers would be, if insurance companies can offer better insurance based on
activity and health monitoring wearables, Doers may be persuadable to use this technology.
Spotters’ savviness extends to health insurance coverage. They know how to secure needed and
cost-effective coverage, 47 percent of Spotters in our sample are on Medicaid or Medicare, more
than any other group, and none are uninsured. On the other hand, Strivers’ and Socializers’ strug-
gle extends to securing coverage. While the sample is small, these groups have the most uninsured
(6 percent, 7 percent respectively) and Medicare (23 percent, 29 percent respectively) partici-
pants of all the groups. Perhaps there’s an opportunity to migrate some of the uninsured Strivers
and Socializers to the healthcare marketplace to purchase coverage by translating and simplifying
coverage and making it less daunting. Oscar Health provides users with a free telemed appoint-
ment if they indicate they want to “talk with a doctor.” The company’s “find care” search engine
allows users to browse doctors, hospitals, medications, and once they select a provider, it shows
map results for in-network providers.
26
TAILORING A RC H ETYPES TO T H E RE TA IL H E A LT H E XP E RIE N CE
Making appointments, personal

Doers interaction with doctors, spending Long wait times, and inefficiencies.
time and having them remember you.
Minimal preparation, for others to do Laborius research, spending too much time
Strivers
the work. on the process.
Urgent care centers, tools to help

Spotters them navigate time savings vs. cost Not much outside of the usual complaints.
savings.
Like finding quality care where it’s Making appointments, the generally poor
Explorers
easy and accessible. experience of most medical retail.
Information and advice, tools to help

Socializers Feeling overwhelmed with options.
navigate.
27
Consumer Finance
SELECTING A FINA NC IA L SERV ICE P ROV IDE R
The competitive landscape in banking and finance is pressuring the status quo of the traditional
financial consumer journey. Non-banks are emerging as formidable competitors. Digital-only
banking is reframing customer priorities. Changing expectations and new experiences like virtual
assistants and conversational UI are pushing the boundaries of how banking customers interact
with their banks. Robo-Advisors’ perspectives on investing are shaping who is qualified to invest.
Technology, data, algorithms and design have enabled financial services new forms to democratize
complex processes and tailor experiences to individual skill-levels, so that anyone can pay, lend,
trade and file. The line between physical and digital financial services continues to blur allowing
customers to access their money whenever, wherever and however they want.
28
P HYSICA L VS. DIGITA L BA NK IN G
Just like retail, digital service adoption continues to grow, but it doesn’t mean physical services are
going away. While more than 70 percent of U.S. adults access banking services online, 84 percent
of Americans also use bank branches.
Interestingly, Socializers primarily engage with bank branches (28 percent), and Strivers don’t (19
percent), choosing instead to access their checking/savings account online (27 percent). These
two archetype groups share many behaviors that reflect how confident they are when engaging
with services. However, because Socializers don’t always know what they want, it makes sense that
they consult the higher-touch option in order to establish direction—in person. On the other hand,
Strivers know what they want but haven’t done the upfront planning to achieve it, so they would
prefer the more convenient, on-demand option—online.
As expected, Explorers use online, mobile and in-store channels evenly across the board, and are
comparatively the earliest adopters of mobile payments and banking. While one might assume that
Doers would use mobile banking given its ease and immediacy, our data shows that they use it less
than the overall average. Our hypothesis is that Doers don’t see enough value in mobile banking to
entice them away from their current routines. Doers value the feeling of being personally known
to their bank branch staff, so there may be opportunity for banks to use personalization on mobile
banking services to attract more usage from Doers. A hybrid of AI and humans working together
could help banks design experiences that appeal to this sizeable group. Data provides a means of
knowing what is important to customers at scale, and creating adaptive experiences both physical
and digital. As always, reliability and consistency across channels will be critical for Doers.
29
US E OF DIGITA L TOOLS
As personal finance apps proliferate, the challenge of “stickiness” remains. The majority of our
study participants have at least one but fewer than three payment, banking and investment apps
on their phone. Spotters are disproportionately using mobile payment services and online-only
banking, likely because of low fees and compelling offers. Socializers are using services like Venmo,
possibly due to the social element of the service. Well-designed mobile experiences that are fun to
use and have a competitive and social element to them can drive further adoption amongst these
experience and socially-motivated groups. In essence there’s an opportunity to bring the right level
of human and digital interaction to build trust and drive engagement, and knowing when to use the
right intervention to connect with customers can greatly increase the impact.
The majority of Strivers and Doers tend to download only 1-2 apps to their phone, but continually
engage with them. For Doers, this behavior is likely driven by routine—they have a tried and true
routine which makes it harder for new apps to breakthrough. For Strivers, this is perhaps due to
indecision—they have a desired outcome in mind but struggle to make the right choices to achieve
this outcome. For both of these archetypes, there is an opportunity for banks to curate and recom-
mend additional digital tools, both their own and third party apps. But the digital strategy to drive
adoption is to build links or functionality within their existing account management apps, rather
than try to convince Doers and Strivers to adopt entirely new apps.
Spotters and Explorers have comparatively more (3-4) consumer finance apps on their phones
than average. While Spotters have multiple apps, they don’t use them frequently. Explorers and
Socializers have and use multiple apps; in fact, their digital behavior looks very similar. Socializers
have the most apps, with 17 percent reporting 5-8 apps on their current phone, whereas 7 percent
of total respondents had 5-8 apps. Is the difference in how Explorers and Socializers experience
apps driven by how confident they feel managing their money? How can financial institutions drive
digital tool engagement amongst Socializers and Explorers? They have the tools, now they need
to find enough value in them to use them. For Socializers, tools should build their confidence and
know-how and have a social component to provide encouragement. For Explorers, tools should
be pleasurable to use and show how in-the-moment actions can/will further them to a goal or
outcome they already have in mind.
30
F IN A NC IA L SERVICES A PPS VS. L EV E L O F E N GAG E ME N T BY A RCH E T Y P E
Doer 58% 64%

5% 4%
Striver 5 0% 59%
7% 8%
Spotter 53% 54%

9% 9%
Explorer 37 % 3 8%
6% 13 %
Socializer 4 0% 51%
17 % 11%
0% 10% 20% 3 0% 4 0% 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 10 0 % 1 10 % 1 20 % 13 0 %
1 A P P ON P H ONE 1 APP USE D IN PAST M ONTH
5+ A P PS ON P H ONE 5 + APPS USE D IN PAST M ONTH
Across all archetypes, the vast majority of Americans have 1-3 financial services apps on their
phone, and make use of one or two regularly. Explorers and Socializers are the most likely have
5+ financial services apps downloaded, and are also most likely to be power users of those apps.
31
P ERM ISSION FOR NEW ENTRA N TS
In this study, we set out to understand which tech giants have the brand permission to extend
offerings in the consumer financial services space, specifically mobile payments, banking and
investment services. We found that payments is the soft underbelly of consumer financial services
as it gets harder for tech giants to enter other aspects of Americans’ financial lives. Some people
are open to banking services from Amazon and Google (25 percent, 22 percent respectively) but
this would be a harder lift for Apple and Facebook as fewer consumers are open to trying banking
from them (17 percent and 12 percent respectively). Google and Amazon seem to have the most
consumer trust with some respondents claiming they would even consider investment services
from these firms (20 percent and 17 percent respectively) but this seems to be the toughest offer-
ing for tech giants to crack.
In terms of archetypes, Explorers tend to be early adopters and are therefore more open to finan-
cial services from tech giants. Doers are the least open to considering a banking product from one
of these companies, likely driven by their tried and true routine. We thought we would see more
trust in Facebook from Spotters and Socializers, but Facebook’s recent issues with data security
are likely to deter every archetype group, regardless of whether or not they’re socially motivated.
New entrants into financial services should double down on the experience and discovery ele-
ments of their offering to attract early adopters – the Explorers.
32
TAILORING A RC H ETYPES TO T H E F IN A N CIA L S E RV ICES E XP E RIE N CE
Routine, interacting with a person at

Doers Going out of their way to try new tools.
their local branch.
Digital tools that make personal Laborius research, spending too much time
Strivers
banking easy and accessible. on the process.
Spotters Low-fee, digital-only products. Not much outside of the usual complaints.
Explorers Adopting new digital tools. Not much.
Socializers In-person banking and guidance. Feeling overwhelmed with options.
33
Conclusion
F IND YOUR FIT
People’s expectations of retailers rise year by year, as they become accustomed to navigating
thoughtfully designed customer journeys with high degrees of personalization. And they take those
high expectations to all the brands and companies they interact with, including providers in areas
we don’t traditional think of as “retail,” such as healthcare and financial services. In some sense,
every business is now competing with Google, Apple and Amazon because those are the companies
setting the bar for consumer expectations. In this new landscape, designing for simple demograph-
ics doesn’t cut it, and a “one size fits all” approach is no longer adequate. Companies must cater to
specific archetypes and accept that people will take on different archetypes by customer journey.
If this sounds overwhelming, don’t despair. At frog, we work with diverse clients every day on
determining the right target customer archetypes and designing exceptional products and expe-
riences just for them. Along with our 50 years of design experience, we also bring deep design
research capabilities that allow us to help our clients find that perfect fit. Human-centered design,
which puts people first and foremost in the design process, coupled with the use of technology,
allows companies to build and deliver exceptional customer experiences. The key to success lies in
identifying which archetypes are your most attractive customers, and then designing experiences
that are optimal for them. It is safe to bet that customer expectations will continue to rise. By
building in the right measures to an experience, you can track the metrics you are interested in –
be it customer loyalty, engagement, share of wallet or number of customers – and continue to
optimize the experience for your key archetypes.
34
References
1 In October 2018, we fielded a 2,000 respondent survey reflective of the US population. The survey
takers were directed into one of four shopping customer journeys and as part of that stream evalu-
ated a set of statements about their attitudes and beliefs using MaxDiff as the survey technique. frog
then clustered the respondents using the part worth utilities derived from the MaxDiff in order to
map them to one of the five archetypes defined by the qualitative research.
35
frog is a global design and strategy firm. We transform businesses at scale
by creating systems of brand, product and service that deliver a distinctly
better experience. We strive to touch hearts and move markets. Our passion
is to transform ideas into realities. We partner with clients to anticipate the
future, evolve organizations and advance the human experience.
To start a conversation about designing for consumer archetypes,

contact frog.marketing@frogdesign.com
www.frogdesign.com
Published by frog © 2018 frog design, Inc. All rights reserved. All brand and product names are
service marks, trademarks, or registered marks of frog in the United States and other countries.

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R E TA I L

WRI TTE N A N D R ESE A RCH E D BY

DEFINING ARCHETYPES BY MAPPING BEHAVIORS

07 The Five Shopper Archetypes

13 The Archetypes in Action

WHAT THE DATA TELLS US ABOUT FUTURE TRENDS

TAILORING APPAREL, SHOES & ACCESSORIES SHOPPING TO ARCHETYPES

TYPE OF CAR PURCHASED BY ARCHETYPE

CAR BUYING / LEASING JOURNEY

TAILORING ARCHETYPES TO THE CAR BUYING / LEASING EXPERIENCE

MOST RECENT DOCTOR VISIT BY ARCHETYPE

TAILORING ARCHETYPES TO THE RETAIL HEALTH EXPERIENCE

PHYSICAL VS. DIGITAL BANKING

USE OF DIGITAL TOOLS

FINANCIAL SERVICES APPS VS. LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT BY ARCHETYPE

PERMISSION FOR NEW ENTRANTS

TAILORING ARCHETYPES TO THE FINANCIAL SERVICES EXPERIENCE

WHAT IS A N A RCH ETYPE?

In our research, we found that shopping behaviors can be reduced to tendencies

The Five Shopper Archetypes

The Doer The Striver The Spotter

The Explorer The Socializer

D ESIGNING FOR DOERS

DESIGNING FOR STRIVERS

D ESIGNING FOR SPOTTERS

• Delightful experiences: Because Spotters prefer to be spontaneous in pursuit of hidden gems,

DESIGNING FOR EXPLORERS

D ESIGNING FOR SOCIA LIZERS

• Intelligent matching and recommendations: Beyond simply providing reviews, companies

The Archetypes in Action

WH AT TH E DATA TELLS US ABO UT F UT URE T RE N DS

TAILORING A PPA REL, SH OES A N D ACCESSO RIES S H O P P IN G TO A RCH E T Y P ES

ARCHETYPE LIKES DISLIKES

Nothing! (Except things that break down

Being spontaneous, services that High effort, hard to navigate stores or

Online shopping, tools/apps that ease

Whether online or in-store, they love a

The experience of browsing, trying

T YPE OF CA R PURCH ASED BY A RCH E T Y P E

Spotter 43% 44% 6% 7%

Explorer 36% 54% 8% 2%

0% 10% 20% 3 0% 40% 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 10 0 %

S EDA N SUV/TRUCK CROSSOVE R/WAG ON M INIVAN

CAR BUYING / LEASING JOURN EY

CHOOSING “ NOWNERSH IP”

TAILORING A RCH ETYPES TO T H E CA R BUY IN G / L E AS IN G E XP E RIE N CE

ARCHETYPE LIKES DISLIKES

Self-sufficient research, logical

Spotters Discovery, haggling. Nothing—except being rushed!

Discovery and choice—they love the

Information and advice, both from

MOST REC ENT DOCTOR VISIT BY A RCH E T Y P E

0% 10% 20% 3 0% 40% 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 10 0 %

MA DE A N A P P OI NT ME NT AT REGULAR CLINIC VISITE D E R

VI S I T ED URGENT CA R E VISITE D WALK-IN CLINIC OTHE R

TAILORING A RC H ETYPES TO T H E RE TA IL H E A LT H E XP E RIE N CE

ARCHETYPE LIKES DISLIKES

Making appointments, personal

Urgent care centers, tools to help

Information and advice, tools to help

P HYSICA L VS. DIGITA L BA NK IN G

F IN A NC IA L SERVICES A PPS VS. L EV E L O F E N GAG E ME N T BY A RCH E T Y P E

Doer 58% 64%