Sinus milieus are target groups that really exist – a model that divides the population into different milieus based on their attitude to life and social situation. The term “Sinus-Milieus” is its own brand, ie there is actually only “the” Sinus-Milieus and not several. The Sinus-Milieus have been used in strategic marketing since the 1980s . They are actively included and used in PR for marketing campaigns as well as for product development.
Sinus-Milieus – The basic model
The Sinus-Milieus consider the truthful worlds of people, ie basic value orientation, attitudes to work, family, leisure, partnership, consumption and politics. All of these points are placed in context with demographic characteristics such as education, occupation and income. As a result, the population is perceived holistically in relation to everything that is significant for human life. Sinus milieus should depict a real picture of society: What do people orientate themselves to and what are their goals in life? What do you want to achieve and what is your attitude towards life? What is your social background? Use Sinus-Milieus to find out what moves your target group and thereby optimize your own marketing.
According to Whicheverhealth, the population is divided into the diverse milieus on the one hand on the basis of the social situation and on the other hand on the basis of basic orientation .
Social situation
The social situation differentiates those responsible as follows:
- Lower layer / lower layer
- Middle middle class
- Upper middle class / upper class
Basic orientation
The basic orientation is primarily concerned with values and lifestyles. Based on this, the classification is based on the following categories:
- Tradition : A distinction is made here between people who either want to stick to traditions or are willing to adapt traditional values to modern ideas.
- Modernization / Individualization : Within modernization, the spectrum ranges from people to whom recognition, status and property are extremely important to people who see their success more in self-realization.
- Reorientation : People within this group either think extremely pragmatically and are extremely fast-paced or focus more on getting to know new and unknown things.
In this way, not only can individual people be placed in the coordinate system, but groups of people can also be identified.
The current sine model – characterization of the milieus with examples
As already mentioned, there are a total of ten different groups. These milieus are basically groups of like-minded people: they either share more or less the same social status and have similar values. People within a certain group express themselves quite similarly on topics such as work, family, partnership, everyday life, consumption and leisure. In addition, they usually give comparable answers to questions about their ideas.
Important to know : Of course, we humans cannot all be lumped together, because even within the Sinus milieus we are not all the same. All properties result from statistical values. Therefore, the typical examples are not to be regarded as realistic descriptions, but rather as so-called stereotypes.
Upper class
The upper class is made up of the following milieus:
Conservative-established milieu (KET)
Here we are dealing with the classic establishment . Isolated from the rest of the population, you see yourself as a “leader”. Great importance is attached to balance and order. This milieu belongs to the upper class and is therefore characterized by high income and property. People in this group are usually part of the upper class – but every now and then there are some from the middle middle class. This group is not only based on traditional values, but is also ready for modernization, but attaches great importance to status and standard of living.
Example of a typical person in the KET milieu : Born and raised in a wealthy family, attended an expensive private school and then studied at a prestigious university. Last but not least, a permanent position in my own family business.
Share of the total population : 10% / 7.0 million people of the German-speaking resident population aged 14 and over
Liberal-intellectual milieu (LIB)
The liberal-intellectual milieu compares itself to an educated elite . The liberal attitude, post-material roots and a critical worldview are paramount. Wealth and status play a rather subordinate role in this milieu, although members of the LIB milieu also belong to the upper class and have a particularly high income. Instead, the desire for self-determination and self-development is of great importance. In addition, liberal-intellectual people are interested in art and culture.
Example of a typical member of the LIB milieu : studying a humanities or social science subject, working in an academic field or in the cultural industry.
Share of the total population : 7% / 5.2 million people of the German-speaking resident population aged 14 and over
Performers’ milieu (PER)
The performer milieu is strengthened by exceptionally high performance. Especially at work, these people are always in competition with their colleagues, because after all, they want to convince. Performers are true networking experts , because they use them to build a network of people around them who will help them climb the career ladder. Members of this milieu lead extremely fast lives, but they always believe that their efforts pay off. It is precisely for this reason that performers have a particularly high income, which enables them to experience excessive consumer behavior.
Example of a typical “performer” : works in the financial sector or in another respected field of work as a manager, has little time for his family or is reluctant to start a family, instead he likes to spend his free time with new, interesting gadgets.
Share of the total population : 8% / 5.6 million people of the German-speaking resident population aged 14 and over
Expeditive environment (EPE)
The expeditives can be found in both the upper and middle classes. They like to push boundaries to change the traditional system. The EPE milieu is increasingly relying on the Internet, because there the members can network globally. Creativity and individualism are just as important as frequent travel.
Example of a classic representative of the EPE milieu : active in the new economy, runs his own blog or podcast and has moved at least two times. Stays abroad are also not uncommon, so digital nomads are often part of this milieu.
Share of the total population : 9% / 6.1 million people of the German-speaking resident population aged 14 and over
