4D Purpose
The question of values and purpose has become increasingly critical in both psychology and business.
4D Purpose explores the relationship between values and behaviour and their evolution over time. It leapfrogs generic and “universal” values to deep drivers of action for a specific group in a specific context.
Good for questions like…
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How can we create a meaningful segmentation that goes to the core of behaviours?
Real life example: How can clinicians be segmented based on what matters to them deeply - rather than based on prescription behaviour alone?
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How can a company connect with the values of its audience?
Real life example: How can a pharma company flex their core purpose in the language of different specialties, without losing itself or becoming contradictory?
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How can the same treatment be presented to different specialties in a way that retains consistency, while still being very targeted? How can a consumer brand reach many different “niche” audiences without being bland or generic?
Real life example: How can a cohesive communication campaign be developed for a treatment sold to Neurologists and Psychiatrists, whose practices are so different?
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How can a company define its purpose so that values, employees, customers and shareholders are aligned, clear and deeply felt?
Real life example: Defining new core values after COVID due to public exposure and scrutiny
Details
Structure and Method
The 4D Purpose Framework identifies values within a given group by looking that group’s specific drives, scripts and shadow, how they correlate with observable behaviours to form purpose, and how they interplay and change over time.
In Practice
Research is built from at least 24 depth interviews with the group being profiled. Each online or in person interview lasts 2.5 hours and is preceded by a journaling pre-task on their journey. The process from the start of fieldwork takes 8-10 weeks.
Results and Outputs
Data gathering and analysis result in a map that illustrates what attracts people to a group, what they learn by belonging, the difficult things they repress, and how purpose morphs over time.
Behind each 4D purpose element, there is a solid psychological insight, a measurable behavioural observation and specific implications.
