Sarah, 39
Living situation
- Age: 39
- Political affiliation: Centre
- Type of innovation adaptation: Early majority
- Professional and financial situation
- Employment Status: Senior Business Systems Analyst, Full-Time Employee
- Household income: $100,000 to $149,999
- Highest degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Housing situation
- Place of residence: Oakland
- Region: California
- Type of residence: Freehold house
- Marital status
- Married
- Household size
- 3 persons
- Effects of economic circumstances
- I have tried to spend less money
- My cost of living has risen noticeably
Personal characteristics & attitudes
- Hobbies and interests
- Outdoor activities
- Travel
- Read
- Technology & Computers
- Pets
- Important aspects of life and values
- Lead an honest and respectable life
- A happy relationship
- Security
- Attitude towards innovation
- I like to stay technologically up to date
- Food attitudes
- I actively try to eat healthy
- When I go grocery shopping, I usually look for low prices and special offers
- I avoid artificial flavorings and preservatives
- Attitudes towards digital media
- Best picture and sound quality is important to me
- I prefer to subscribe to a bundle of streaming services
- Attitudes towards personal finances
- I am well informed about my financial situation
- I could imagine handling all financial matters exclusively online
- Internet settings
- I really appreciate having mobile internet access everywhere
- Mobile phone reception is good in the area where I live
- Attitudes towards services
- I like to use AI tools (such as ChatGPT) to handle everyday tasks
- I am happy to pay for services that make my life easier and more convenient.
- Attitudes to travel
- When I travel, I look forward to unique experiences
- I like being in nature when I travel
- I book travel services on the fly using my smartphone
- Settings for consumer electronics
- When choosing electronic devices, I pay a lot of attention to their energy efficiency
- Settings for insurances
- I trust my insurance company to take care of my claims.
- I am well informed about my personal insurance contracts
- I could imagine managing my insurance exclusively online.
Sarah in detail
Life and character
Sarah is 39 years old, married, and lives with her family—a household of three—in a home they own in Oakland, California, in the economically dynamic San Francisco Bay Area. As a Senior Business Systems Analyst, she works full-time at the intersection of business units, IT, and data; at the decision-making level, she is both a user and a specialist—the person who gathers requirements, evaluates solutions, calculates business cases, and makes recommendations, whose judgment carries significant weight in the selection process, even without a large budget of her own. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA), is an early adopter of innovations, and has a household income between $100,000 and $149,999. Politically, she identifies as centrist—and, in light of a noticeable rise in the cost of living, has recently made a conscious effort to spend a little less.
At her core, Sarah is an analytical, structured bridge-builder whose understanding of value and risk is characterized by clarity and verifiability: An unclear requirement, missing or contradictory data, a process with data disconnects, or a project without a solid business case mean not only extra work for her, but also poor decisions, rework, and a loss of trust among the stakeholders. She therefore thinks in terms of chains of effects and consequences: Which benefits are verifiable, which processes show measurable improvements, where do risks arise—and does it all really pay off in the end?
What sets her apart is her combination of a business perspective and technical understanding. She is interested in technology and computers both personally and professionally, and she likes to stay up to date—though, as an early adopter, she approaches new developments with a measured mindset rather than out of pure enthusiasm. She evaluates new solutions objectively based on their benefits, effort required, and risk; anything that merely sounds good but doesn’t deliver measurable added value or a clean data foundation fails to convince her. She naturally uses AI tools like ChatGPT for research and communication—as tools that lighten her workload without replacing her critical eye.
Her daily digital life is efficient and focused on quality. She wants mobile internet access everywhere, values the best picture and sound quality, and likes to bundle her streaming services into a single subscription. She’s fully on top of her finances and can envision handling all her financial and insurance matters entirely online; she’s happy to pay for services that make her daily life easier. When it comes to electronics, she pays close attention to energy efficiency—a focus on sustainability and cost-effectiveness that is also reflected in her professional life through her emphasis on efficiency and cost-effectiveness. She tends to find advertising annoying; traditional online ads often bother her.
Sarah finds balance in exercise, nature, and family. Outdoor activities and trips that offer unique experiences in nature are important to her; she likes to book travel arrangements spontaneously via her smartphone. Reading is an integral part of her life—books and e-books as well as a printed weekly newspaper—and pets are also part of the household. Safety is one of her core values. When it comes to spending, she is mindful and price-conscious: She tries to eat healthily, avoids artificial flavors and preservatives, and looks for good deals and special offers while shopping—but she also enjoys browsing for fun and thoroughly researches major purchases online, relying on customer reviews.
What motivates them - what drives them?
Values & attitude:
For Sarah, what matters is that decisions are honest, well-founded, and transparent. An honest, respectable life, a happy relationship, and security are her core values. Applied to her work, this means she wants to make recommendations that she can back up with data and defend in front of all stakeholders—objectively, transparently, and in the company’s best interest. She is averse to sugarcoating and gut decisions; she earns trust through adherence to the facts and sound reasoning.
Goals:
Her goal is to make business processes and systems noticeably better, more efficient, and more data-driven—serving as a reliable bridge between business units, IT, and management. Specifically, this means: clear, comprehensive requirements; well-chosen solutions with demonstrable ROI; seamless implementations; and a reliable data foundation for better decisions. In the pharmaceutical and manufacturing context, this means helping to shape end-to-end digitalization—from data collection in production to actionable metrics—in a way that is economically sound, process-driven, and compliant with regulations. It is measured by the success and on-time delivery of its projects, by process improvements and efficiency gains, by the quality of requirements and data, by stakeholder satisfaction, and by the realized ROI of the solutions it supports.
Pain Points / Challenges:
Three things cause the greatest friction in her work: first, unclear, changing, or contradictory requirements and diverging stakeholder interests that slow down projects; second, poor data quality, data silos, and data disconnects, which make it difficult to produce reliable analyses; third, the pressure to demonstrate measurable added value despite tight budgets and tight timelines—including the arduous task of integrating into established legacy systems. Added to this is the constant challenge of reconciling technical possibilities with business realities and communicating changes within the company in a way that is easy to understand. She is highly sensitive to vague value propositions lacking a data foundation, opaque costs, and solutions that do not integrate seamlessly into existing processes.
Digitalization & Technology Adoption:
Sarah is a key driver of digital transformation—she translates business needs into concrete, data-driven solutions. Data analysis and business intelligence, process automation and workflow optimization, cloud-based systems, and—increasingly—AI- and analytics-driven evaluation shape her day-to-day work. As an early adopter, she is open to new technologies but consistently evaluates them based on demonstrable benefits, effort required, and integrability. She thinks in terms of processes and data flows rather than individual tools and prefers solutions that integrate seamlessly into the existing system and data landscape. The fact that she already uses AI as a matter of course makes her an open-minded, competent user of modern analytics and automation approaches.
How does she inform herself?
Media and information behavior:
Research is second nature to Sarah—it’s structured, digital, and focused on practical benefits. Before making major purchases, she first does thorough research online; customer reviews are very important to her, and for her research she uses search engines, online stores, brand websites, and reviews. Professionally, she conducts comparative research: through specialist articles and industry studies, software comparisons and review platforms, webinars, white papers, and case studies, as well as through exchanges within her professional network. Outside of work, she stays up to date through podcasts (preferably on business and economics, news and politics, and comedy for a change of pace), e-books and books, a weekly newspaper, and targeted YouTube content.
Channels & formats:
Sarah can be reached digitally via social media, search engines, online stores, and video platforms; traditional touchpoints such as television, radio, movie theaters, and local brick-and-mortar stores serve as complementary channels, while intrusive online advertising tends to put her off. On social media, she actively uses YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook: she likes and follows people and content creators, comments on posts, and sends private messages—with LinkedIn being her primary professional channel. In terms of content, she’s drawn to formats that combine substance and clarity: concrete case studies with verifiable results, ROI and before-and-after comparisons, easy-to-understand data and process visualizations, how-to content and webinars, as well as clear, unbiased comparisons. Tangible, verifiable benefits convince her more than advertising claims.
Credibility & Trustworthy Voices:
For Sarah, credibility comes from what can be substantiated with data and independent experience: verifiable figures, genuine references and case studies from comparable companies, as well as unbiased evaluations and analyses. What matters most to her are the assessments of peers and colleagues in similar roles, experienced users on review platforms, and recognized industry experts. She isn’t convinced by glossy marketing without evidence; a provider earns her trust through transparency, solid evidence, and the ability to openly answer even critical, detailed questions.
Communication style:
When addressing Sarah, be objective, clear, and fact-based—using numbers, evidence, and tangible benefits rather than buzzwords. She values structure, transparency, and an honest presentation of both strengths and limitations, and she quickly sees through empty promises. She is very open to modern, data-driven approaches, as long as questions regarding benefits, effort, and integration are clearly addressed. What she values most is communication that helps her make an informed recommendation and advocate for it convincingly within her organization.
Which messages work?
Messages that resonate with their core analytical logic are the most effective: “Proven benefits trump gut feelings—with clean data, clear processes, and a transparent ROI.” For them, benefit-based arguments such as the following are persuasive:
* “Here’s how to create a reliable data foundation for better decisions—with consistent, clean data collection instead of silos.”
* “Here’s how to make process improvements measurable—with clear metrics and verifiable before-and-after results.”
* “Here’s how to seamlessly integrate new solutions into your existing system and process landscape—without any disruptions.”
* “Here’s how to demonstrate the ROI of your digital transformation—with transparent figures that will convince management and the procurement department.”
* “How to Combine Efficiency and Compliance—with Solutions That Align Cost-Effectiveness with Regulatory Requirements.”
It is willing to embrace new approaches—provided the benefits are proven: clean data, transparent costs, clear processes, and a provider that integrates efficiency and compliance. What it rejects are vague promises, a lack of data, or solutions that create more friction in day-to-day operations than they resolve.
Which tonality fits?
When communicating with Sarah, it’s best to be objective, clearly structured, and fact-based—on equal footing with an analytically minded specialist. Instead of buzzwords, she needs reliable figures, precise terminology (requirements, data quality, process, ROI), and an honest, transparent presentation. The ideal style makes the benefits measurable while remaining understandable: concrete, neutral, backed by evidence, and with clear prioritization (data quality and demonstrable benefits as the core; seamless integration as a prerequisite; ROI and efficiency as decision-making levers; compliance always taken into account). Self-service via high-quality content, comparisons, and webinars is welcome—but when it really counts, what matters is a knowledgeable contact person who takes your detailed questions seriously.
How does she make decisions—and who else is involved in the decision-making process?
Purchase criteria:
When evaluating new solutions, three factors are particularly important to Sarah: first, demonstrable benefits and ROI with transparent costs; second, integrability and data quality—that is, seamless interaction with existing systems and processes; and third, reliability, security, and compliance. In addition—partly due to her cost-consciousness—she looks for a fair price-performance ratio, unbiased references, and positive reviews.
Risks to be insured against:
Before making a recommendation, Sarah wants above all to rule out poor investments with no proven benefits, integration and data quality issues, failed or delayed implementations, and security and compliance risks. The more clearly a provider demonstrates—through data, references, and a transparent approach—that the solution delivers benefits, ensures integration, and meets compliance requirements, the more likely it is to gain her trust.
Buying Center & Organizational Obstacles:
Formally, Sarah rarely makes budget decisions on her own—but as an analyst and advisor, she has significant influence over which solutions make it onto the shortlist in the first place. The buying center typically includes her department or project lead, IT, management or budget decision-makers (CFO/division head), security/compliance (if applicable), and procurement. Sarah provides the requirements analysis, evaluation, and business case, and is often the one who recommends—or eliminates—a solution internally. Typical organizational hurdles include limited budgets and cost-cutting targets, conflicting stakeholder interests, established legacy systems, and internal coordination loops. Messages are therefore most effective when they provide her with well-documented arguments and figures that she can use to convince management, IT, and procurement alike.
Positioning in the Big Five model
Openness: 7
Relevant adjectives: eager to learn, tech-savvy and data-savvy, open to new ideas with a focus on practical benefits
Conscientiousness: 8
Relevant adjectives: organized, analytical, thorough, detail-oriented and quality-conscious, reliable
Extraversion: 6
Relevant adjectives: communicative and a good facilitator in a stakeholder context, task-oriented, active in networking (especially on LinkedIn)
Compatibility: 7
Relevant adjectives: cooperative, balanced, team-oriented, fair—expects transparency in return
Neuroticism: 4
Relevant adjectives: generally level-headed and resilient, safety- and risk-conscious, seeks clarity even under tight deadlines and cost pressures
Media use & consumption
- Digital advertising touchpoints
- Social media
- Search engines
- Online shops
- Video platforms
- Settings for online advertising
- Online ads often annoy me
- Non-digital advertising touchpoints
- On TV
- Directly in store
- On the radio
- At the cinema/movie theater
- Use of publishing media (last 12 months)
- Podcasts
- eBooks
- Weekly newspaper (print)
- Books (Print)
- Preferences for podcast content by genre
- Business and economy
- News & Politics
- Comedy
- TV usage by duration (per week)
- 6 to 10 hours
- Preferences for films and series by genre
- Comedies
- Docs
- Dramas
- Use of social media by brand
- YouTube
- Activities on social media
- Liked posts from other users or followed people
- Private messages sent
- Commented on posts
- Posts from influencers/content creators liked or followed
- Products/topics talked about online
- Food & drink
- Movies & Series
- Computer, smartphone & technology
- Use of AI
- Online research
- Messaging and communication (e.g., emails, text messages, translations)
- Internet access by type
- Landline Internet connection (e.g., DSL, cable, fiber optic)
- Mobile data connection (e.g., 4G, 5G, smartphone hotspot)
- Shopping Settings
- When I shop, I look out for special offers
- I like to go shopping just for fun
- Online shopping settings
- Customer reviews on the internet are very helpful
- Before making any major purchases, I always do some research online first
- Sources of inspiration for new products
- Social media
- Search engines (such as Google)
- Online shops
- Information sources for product research
- Search engines (such as Google)
- Online shops
- Brand websites
- Customer reviews
- High brand awareness by category
- Smartphones
- Clothing
- PCs and laptops
- Shoes
- Smartphone by brand
- Apple
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