Shaughnessy Lifestyle & Demographics

Urbane Villagers
Wealthy middle-aged urban sophisticates

Located in Canada's largest cities, Urbane Villagers is a prosperous world of stately homes and high-end cars, charity auctions and golf club memberships. The nation's second wealthiest cluster, it's characterized by married couples with university degrees and university-aged children, and it includes a significant percentage of European and Asian immigrants. With their hefty salaries - average household incomes top $166,000 - Urbane Villagers members enjoy the trappings of wealth: designer clothes, vacation cottages and frequent trips abroad. But these Canadians also tend to be involved in their communities, the active and philanthropic members of cultural, political and environmental groups.

Wealthy $166,716
Middle-Aged
Ethnic Presence: Low

Slightly younger and less affluent than Canada's top-ranked lifestyle, Urbane Villagers residents are the greatest contributors to RRSPs and second only to the wealthiest cluster in savings. They are a bit more style-conscious and less formal in their consumption patterns. They're more likely to shop at stores like Banana Republic and Club Monaco, the men more likely to wear cologne, the women more likely to wear less expensive jewelry. Although they are able to afford flying business and first class, they're not above flying economy as well. They rank near the top for buying books, personal computers and Australian wine, and are heavily involved in the arts, as both benefactors and patrons of museums, art galleries and orchestras.

How they think
Urbane Villagers is an affluent but not insular cluster. Residents are most distinguished by their commitment to Community Involvement; they are attached to their local environments as well as the people in their neighborhoods. This feeling of connectedness to place and people gives rise to a number of progressive values, including Global Ecological Consciousness, Ethical Consumerism, a belief in the Primacy of Environemtal Protection and a sense of Belonging to the Global Village. Urbane Villagers residents believe that diversity gives life richness: they strongly reject Ethnic Intolerance and their belief in the Importance of Spontaneity in Daily Life and Sensualism suggests that they are seeking rich new experiences. The threads of diversity, spontaneity and community connectedness weave together strongly; Urbane Villagers residents love the idea of vibrant street life championed by urban theorist Jane Jacobs. These Canadians will be attracted to green products and local business.

Attitudes
"I avoid using the products of companies with a poor environmental record"
"I've taken steps to ensure that I have sufficient money for retirement"
"I have great confidence in my creative abilities"
"I feel a personal responsibility to help those worse off than me"
"Capital punishment should not be reinstated in Canada"

Money & Brains
Upscale and educated professionals and their families

The residents of Money & Brains seem to have it all: high incomes, advanced degrees and sophisticated tastes to match their credentials. Many of these Canadians are married couples with few children who live in older, fashionable homes on small, manicured lots in urban and suburban areas. With 37 percent holding university degrees, Money & Brains consumers exhibit cultured sensibilities in the marketplace. They tend to support the arts, buy lots of books, listen to classical music radio stations, travel abroad and subscribe to business, news and travel magazines. A politically active cluster, residents here rank high for working on community projects, serving as volunteers and writing letters to public officials.

Upscale $91,815
Older
Ethnic Presence: Low

Money & Brains is one of the top clusters for buying financial products. These savvy Canadians invest in virtually every kind of mutual fund available at rates two to three times greater than the general population. But these households are also home to a significant proportion of teenaged children, and surveys reveal the popularity of a number of athletic activities- -from skiing and windsurfing to squash and tennis- -among both grown-ups and their kids. The residents of Money & Brains like to cultivate both mind and body.

How they think
The residents of Money & Brains have cultivated comfortable and fulfilling lives, and their values reflect both their sense of security and their satisfaction with their current state. Having believed in Saving on Principle and Control of Destiny, these Canadians have taken responsibility for their own well-being, financial and otherwise, and have been rewarded. This is an engaged and curious cluster that seeks relationships of equality-not hierarchy-with young people (Equal Relationships with Youth) and strives to better understand itself and others (Introspection and Empathy). Money & Brains residents are looking not only for fulfillment but also fun as they age: they believe in the Importance of Spontaneity in Daily Life and want to cultivate and express their Personal Creativity. Money & Brains residents are more likely to crave experiences-at least, ones they can share-than physical objects. Attitudes

Attitudes
"I am comfortable with new technologies that are entering all aspects of life"
"I've taken steps so that I have sufficient funds for retirement"
"It should be tougher to obtain welfare and employment insurance"
"It is very important that I exercise my right to vote"
"Managing my time is one of my biggest challenges"

Asian Affluence
Established Chinese families in suburbia

The most affluent of the Chinese-dominated lifestyles, Asian Affluence is home to educated, middle-aged families, 34 percent of whom speak Chinese as their first language. Most residents came to Canada in the 1980s and 1990s, settling in a handful of prosperous neighbourhoods in Toronto and Vancouver. With lofty household incomes of $104,000 and homes that have appreciated in value to an average of $370,000, Asian Affluence residents enjoy active - and activist - lifestyles. They travel abroad frequently, drive luxury cars, attend investment shows and go to a lot of classical music concerts. They're also active in community affairs, donating money to political and cultural groups. And these mostly university-educated consumers are early adopters, patronizing high-end stores for the latest in fashion and technology.

Upscale $103,998
Middle-Aged
Ethnic Presence: High (Chinese)

Few clusters have more wanderlust than Asian Affluence. According to surveys, residents rank near the top in a dozen travel categories- -from travelling to Hong Kong and America's western states to flying business class and staying at resort lodges. When these frequent flyers get home, they have the wherewithal to indulge their taste in fine jewelry, books, photography and designer clothes; they like shopping at Talbots Fairweather and The Bay. Though originally from other countries, these residents are now card-carrying Canadians with wallets full of membership cards in various customer rewards programs as well an impressive array of credit cards.

How they think
Asian Affluence is a strongly outer-directed cluster. Scoring high on Ostentatious Consumption and Concern for Appearance, these Canadians are eager to show others that they've made it. They want their possessions and personal appearance to denote status, success, and style. This desire for status spills over into their approach to nationalism: Asian Affluence residents are strong on Importance of National Superiority. These Canadians are uncomfortable with complexity and change; they are among the weakest on Adaptability to Complexity in Life and register little Need for Autonomy. Asian Affluence residents cope with the change and frenzy of modern life by focusing on family (they are very strong on Primacy of the Family) and by pursuing the clear, measurable goals of status and material success.

Attitudes
"When shopping for clothes, I generally look for designer labels"
"I've written an editor of a paper/magazine"
"I enjoy entertaining"
"I tend to be the first to own new electronic products"
"Most alternative therapies, like acupuncture, are more effective than standard medicine"