Decision Intelligence
Segmentation by Decision Type
Most segmentation stops at description. Age. Income. Gender. Interests. That tells you who someone is. It tells you almost nothing about how they decide.
We segment at the decision layer — using hundreds of live, behavioural, emotional, and commercial variables — to understand what a customer needs in order to move.
What Actually Goes Into a Decision
A decision isn't one thing. It's a convergence of forces.
1
Practical & Commercial Reality
- Income band & disposable income volatility
- Wallet share (current vs potential)
- Price sensitivity & discount responsiveness
- Purchase frequency & average order value
- Category tenure & switching cost tolerance
These explain constraints, not decisions.
2
Behavioural & Live Signals
- Browsing depth & scroll velocity
- Comparison behaviour & return patterns
- Hesitation patterns & device context
- Time-of-day behaviour
- Entry point (search, referral, social, direct)
- Repeat vs exploratory sessions
These show how someone is behaving right now.
3
Product Relationship Variables
- Product affinity clusters
- Feature vs outcome preference
- Newness vs familiarity bias
- Brand loyalty vs promiscuity
- Upgrade vs replacement mindset
- Bundle receptivity & cross-category openness
These reveal what role the product plays in their life.
The Psychology Behind Every Choice
We have modelled all factors. Allowing you to understand and act on the seen and unseen variables.
1
Psychological & Decision Style
- Impulse threshold & risk tolerance
- Decision fatigue level
- Need for reassurance vs autonomy
- Authority sensitivity
- Identity signalling strength
- Social proof reliance & loss aversion bias
These determine what kind of language works.
2
Emotional & Contextual State
- Emotional baseline (calm, anxious, aspirational)
- Stress vs leisure context
- Self-image sensitivity
- Moral or ethical loading
- Time pressure & cognitive bandwidth
- Confidence vs doubt
Decisions change when emotions change , even for the same person.
3
Commercial Opportunity & Upside
- Wallet expansion potential
- Long-term value trajectory
- Retention leverage
- Upsell vs cross-sell bias
- Loyalty elasticity
- Referral propensity
Not all decisions are equally valuable.
A "segment" isn't one variable. It's the intersection of many — at a specific moment in time.
Decision-Driven Segments
What segmentation looks like when it's decision-led
When these variables converge, clear decision types emerge. Not personas. Not demographics. Decision states.
Reassurance-seeking deciders
Need certainty, reversibility, and safety before moving.
Identity-affirming deciders
Move when the choice reflects who they believe they are (or want to be).
Effort-justifying deciders
Value participation, investment, and earned outcomes.
Impulse-window deciders
Act quickly when emotional alignment and timing converge.
Authority-dependent deciders
Look for signals of legitimacy, expertise, or social proof.
Autonomy-protecting deciders
Resist pressure; move when control is preserved.
The same customer can move between these — context matters.
What Each Segment Actually Needs
What moves a decision forward
Segmentation only matters if it changes what you do.
1
Relief
Remove anxiety and reduce perceived risk
2
Permission
Validate the choice through authority or social proof
3
Confidence
Build certainty through information and reassurance
4
Friction
Add intentional barriers that increase perceived value
5
Time
Allow space for consideration without pressure
6
Recognition
Affirm identity and align with self-image
The mistake is treating them all the same.
What This Changes in Practice
How decision-based segmentation changes outcomes
Messaging
- Language shifts from persuasion to resolution
- Different segments respond to different tones, not louder claims
CRO
- Layouts reduce the right friction
- CTAs soften or sharpen based on decision risk
Offers
- Discounts stop being blunt instruments
- Offers align to motivation, not margin panic
Same traffic. Different outcomes.
This is why we don't ask, "Who is your customer?"We ask, "What decision are they trying to escape from right now?"Everything else follows.