Censydiam in marketing: how to build positioning based on motivations

Emotional motivations are increasingly determining customer choice and the effectiveness of communications, especially in the saturated Ukrainian market. Businesses that take into account motivations instead of just demographics gain an advantage in positioning and loyalty growth. In this article, we will analyze what the Censydiam wheel is, how to interpret its motivation vectors, when the tool gives the greatest return, and how to consistently implement it in the marketing processes of Ukrainian businesses.

What is the Censydiam wheel?

The Censydiam wheel is a convenient visual model for systematizing the motivations that drive consumer behavior. It doesn’t just list motivations. The wheel helps you see how emotions and aspirations are distributed in a market category and how these motivations relate to your brand.

Censydiam is a circle divided into segments. Each segment corresponds to a specific group of internal stimuli: belonging, desire for security, need for self-expression, etc. The center of the wheel shows the overall emotional context of the category. The position of the brand on the wheel illustrates what motivations the audience attributes to you. The movement of this position over time reflects changes in perception or the influence of competitors.

How to read the wheel in practice:

1. Identify the dominant segments in your category.
2. Find where your brand is located on the wheel.
3. Identify «white zones» – motives with demand, but with a small presence of competitors.
4. Formulate tactics: strengthen strong motives or develop a position in the selected «white zone».

Why motivations are important for business

Demographics provide a useful context. Motivations answer the question of «why» – why a customer chooses this particular product or service. Understanding motivations allows you to build positioning that works on an emotional level. This is especially important in the saturated Ukrainian market.

Key benefits of focusing on motivations:

1. More accurate communications. Messages are created for specific emotional triggers. This increases the effectiveness of advertising and content.
2. The best product solution. You develop product features and service solutions that truly meet customer expectations and needs.
3. Fewer price wars. When a brand operates with motives, it offers not only function but also meaning. This reduces price sensitivity.
4. Identification of «white zones». Motive analysis shows unfilled spaces in the category. You can build differentiation there.
5. More effective localization. For the Ukrainian market, the motivational approach helps to adapt international messages to local cultural codes.

Thus, the practical impact of the motivational approach on business is manifested in several areas at once. Marketers get a clear guideline for creativity and message formulation, the product team determines which features and services should be developed, and the sales department acquires emotionally relevant arguments that increase the persuasiveness of commercial offers.

Key motivation vectors and their importance

Let’s take a closer look at each motivation vector and its importance for business.

For better understanding, here are illustrative examples for B2B and B2C businesses.

Satisfaction

The pleasure vector is associated with impulsivity, instant gratification, and hedonistic needs. Brands that appeal to this vector sell not so much a product as an emotion «here and now». For businesses, this means focusing on quick wins, visually powerful images, and simple calls to action. It is important to build communication so that the client immediately feels the desired effect – taste, comfort, or entertainment. For example, a confectionery brand is promoting a new dessert as a «minute of pleasure» with bright packaging and a «today only» promotion.

Unity

The unity vector is responsible for the desire for connection: closeness with family, friends, and participation in the community. It builds trust and loyalty. Brands that work with this motive create stories that bring people together, develop formats for sharing, and encourage users to create their own content. In practice, these are loyalty programs, UGC formats, and communications that reinforce the feeling of «we are together». For a practical understanding, you can imagine a delivery service that promotes family dinner sets and encourages customers to share photos with the brand’s hashtag, forming a community.

Belonging

Belonging is the desire to be part of a group or system. Brands use this motive to provide customers with signs of identification: symbols, certifications, club privileges. This strategy increases loyalty and reduces the likelihood of switching to a competitor. Practical tools include clubs, badges, affiliate programs, and exclusive content «for your own». For example, an equipment manufacturer, is launching a loyalty club with personal discounts and special events for members.

Protection

The protection vector focuses on a sense of security, reliability, and predictability. It reduces consumer doubts and increases the willingness to make a purchase. For a brand, this is an opportunity to emphasize certifications, guarantees, return policies, and service packages. Communications should demonstrate the evidence base of reliability: cases, reviews, SLAs. For example, an IT solutions provider that focuses on 24/7 support and business continuity guarantees to reduce customer risks.

Control

Control is characterized by the desire for order, discipline, and controllability of processes. The audience of this vector appreciates tools for monitoring, reporting, and standardization. Brands can offer checklists, dashboards, templates, and simple integration mechanisms that make processes predictable. This increases trust among customers who make decisions based on data. For example, a SaaS product offers an analytical dashboard with ready-made reports and automatic alerts so that managers have full control over processes.

Recognition

The recognition vector is associated with the desire to be noticed, receive awards, and feel unique. Brands that work with this motive are able to sell status and premium products. In practice, these are limited edition lines, ambassador programs, and communication through opinion leaders. This approach increases margins and creates the emotional value of the offer. For example, let’s imagine a clothing brand that produces a capsule collection of 100 pieces with individual certificates of authenticity.

Power

The power vector is associated with the desire to influence, manage and have authority in one’s field. Products that appeal to this motive position themselves as tools to influence or enhance the status of a leader. Communication should demonstrate real-world impact metrics, leadership case studies, and the ability to expand credibility. For B2B, this often means access to analytics, decision-making tools, and networking opportunities. For example, a consulting company is promoting a program for executives that presents case studies of changes that have led to a significant increase in the company’s market influence.

Vitality

Vitality reflects energy, readiness for action, and the desire for new achievements. Brands that speak the language of vitality motivate the audience to take action, offer intensive formats and quick result cycles. This is suitable for products that promise progress, development, and visible results in a short time. The tone of communication should be encouraging and inspiring. For example, let’s imagine a startup accelerator that offers a three-week intensive with specific mentoring sessions and growth metrics for participants.

To implement this, start by diagnosing brand perception by vectors:

• Gather data on what motivations customers and partners associate with your brand;
• compare them with the category portrait;
• based on the diagnosis, identify one or two dominant vectors that are already working for you and one or two auxiliary vectors that can be strengthened or developed;
• test messages focused on the selected dominant vectors on representative segments of the target audience (evaluate not only the reaction, but also behavioral metrics such as clicks, conversions, and interaction time);
• translate the confirmed motives into a product roadmap and communication plan: identify changes in product characteristics, priority channels and message format, and KPIs for monitoring.

When to use Censydiam

Censydiam becomes especially valuable when the question is no longer «what» a product does, but «why» people choose it. Let’s analyze six application scenarios that will help you assess the relevance of the tool for your business.

1. Rebuilding brand positioning.

It is worth using when you feel that your positioning has become «flat» – that is, it is based mainly on functions, price, or technical characteristics and no longer evokes emotional commitment. In such a situation, the Censydiam wheel helps you formulate a new emotional promise that differentiates the brand in the market and clearly resonates with the needs of the target audience.

As a result, you get a map of emotional associations, a list of priority motivations, and a set of working hypotheses about the tone and key messages. For this purpose, we recommend a full Censydiam session with a combination of qualitative and quantitative blocks for validation. At the same time, risks should be taken into account: the new promise should match the real business capabilities, and insights should be integrated into the business model to avoid a gap between strategy and execution.

2. Launching a new product.

It is recommended if you need to quickly determine what emotional triggers encourage people to try a new product and what primary communication to choose for the pilot. The Censydiam wheel helps to identify the motives that ensure the «first click» or test drive of a product, and based on them, form messages, packaging, and promotional hypotheses.

The result is a prioritized list of motivations for testing, recommendations for MVP positioning, and a short set of creative options for a pilot campaign. Mobile Brand*Dip sessions and small quantitative slices are suitable for rapid validation, but they are supplemented with prototype UX tests if necessary. Risks include jumping to conclusions based on a limited sample and ignoring behavioral metrics when scaling.

3. Formation of a communication strategy.

It is used when existing creatives or advertising flows do not produce the expected effect, or when you need to segment messages by emotional drivers of different audiences. Censydiam allows you to translate general hypotheses into clear, motive-oriented messages and determine which formats and channels best convey the desired emotion.

As a result, a clear system of motivational messages is formed, priority communication channels and hypotheses for step-by-step A/B testing of each motive are determined. The recommended approach is to combine segmentation by motivation vectors with qualitative testing of creatives and field A/B experiments in key channels. The main risks are using the same message for all audiences and underestimating the importance of the format of emotion transmission for a particular channel.

4. Product portfolio analysis.

It is used when you need to assess which positions in the portfolio cover the emotional needs of customers and where there are gaps that limit sales growth or margins. The Censydiam wheel helps to match products with motivation vectors and identify opportunities for packaging, upselling, or feature refinement.

The result is a map of the product portfolio by motivation, a list of priority changes in features and services, and recommendations for restructuring the offer. For this purpose, a product-motif matrix analysis, quantitative customer surveys, and segment sales analysis are used. Risks include making changes to the product without confirmed demand and an excessive shift in focus from operational implementation to marketing messages.

5. Monitoring of reputation and image.

When you need to track the dynamics of emotional associations of a brand – especially after external events or during reputational risks. The Censydiam wheel allows you to identify in time which motives are strengthening or weakening and formulate prompt responses in communications and products.

You get regular snapshots of emotional perception, trend signals, and a set of tactical recommendations for PR and marketing. Recommended practices include pulse surveys on vectors with a fixed frequency and comparative trend analysis. Risks include rare measurements that do not reveal rapid shifts and reactions that do not take into account the emotional logic of the audience.

6. Localization of international campaigns for Ukraine.

It is advisable to use it when you are adapting global messages or introducing an international brand to the Ukrainian market and need to check cultural and motivational relevance. The Censydiam wheel helps to identify local priorities of motivations and adjust the tone, visuals, and key messages of the campaign.

The result is a list of locally relevant motivations, adapted key messages, and recommendations for tone and visual presentation. This requires local research on motivations, qualitative interviews, and testing of adapted creatives. Risks include the verbatim transfer of a global sitcom without testing it on the Ukrainian audience and ignoring regional peculiarities within the country.

How to apply Censydiam in business

Censydiam provides a map of motives – not a «recipe» but a guideline. Work iteratively: formulate questions, quickly test hypotheses, test in the field, and incorporate insights into your product and communication. Next, let’s take a step-by-step look at when and what specific actions should be taken to get the best effect.

Step 1. Clearly formulate a business question

Start with one simple question – what exactly do you want to check and why. It may be a question about brand positioning, product launch, or why customers choose competitors. Determine which metrics are important to you: increased conversion, increased average check, improved retention. When questions and KPIs are summarized in one or two sentences, it’s much easier to work further and you’ll save your budget.

Step 2. Choose a research format

Choose a tool for your tasks and resources. If you need to quickly test an idea, do Brand*Dip or a mobile version. If you need to change your positioning or analyze your portfolio in depth, invest in a full Censydiam session that combines quantitative and qualitative methods. For most small and medium-sized businesses, the best option is to quickly validate hypotheses with several in-depth interviews.

Step 3. Prepare the tools

Design the questionnaire and scenarios so that they immediately provide both emotional insights and comparative metrics. Combine projective questions (associations, images) with motivation scales and standard demographic questions. Add a block for testing short messages or packaging options. A well-designed questionnaire will reduce the time for interpreting the results and provide clear practical directions.

Step 4. Collect data while maintaining quality

Collect responses through reliable Ukrainian panels, social media, or interviews, depending on the format. For quick tests, a compact representative sample is sufficient. For strategic decisions, a larger sample is needed. Be sure to control the quality – cut off frivolous responses and check the balance of key audience characteristics.

Step 5. Interpret the results and formulate options

Translate the data into a map of motives: which vectors are strong for your brand, where there is room for growth, and which motives remain untapped. Based on this, formulate 2-3 strategic options: strengthen what is already working or purposefully develop a new emotional niche. Describe each option simply: what we are changing, why it will bring results, what KPIs we will measure.

Step 6. Test the messages in the real world

Before a large-scale implementation, test 2-3 message variants for the selected motives in the relevant channels. Analyze not only clicks, but also behavioral results – leads, trial purchases, time on page. Based on the tests, adjust the wording and choice of channels. An iterative approach helps reduce risks and increase the efficiency of communication costs.

Step 7. Implement insights and set up monitoring

After confirming effective messages, consolidate the positioning in the brand brief and product roadmap. Translate the motives into specific features, services, or guarantees. Set up a dashboard with KPIs to monitor perception and business metrics. Schedule repeat measurements in 6-12 months to track the dynamics and adjust the strategy.

This is a sample. For Censydiam, design questions are important, as they force the respondent to operate with images, metaphors, and emotions.

So, starting with a simple one and moving gradually through the logical chain: clear question → quick check → field test → integration into the product and communication – you will get a real positive effect from using the Censydiam wheel.

Example of application

Let’s imagine that a manufacturer of industrial refrigeration systems for restaurants and grocery chains has high technical quality but weak emotional attachment of customers. Competitors compete mainly on price. A study based on the Censydiam model reveals that customers are dominated by the «protection – reliability» motive, and the brand has a low association with this vector. Let’s look at how to use this finding in practice.

1. Internal synchronization.

The manufacturer gathers a short working session between marketing, product, service, and sales. At this meeting, the team agrees on one or two key business metrics (for example, the share of contracts without price reduction, the percentage of customers on a service subscription), identifies the project owner, and sets the pilot’s timeframe for 2-3 months. This gives immediate focus and understanding of who is responsible for what.

2. Diagnosing the position on the wheel.

The team conducts a mini-Censydiam: 10-12 in-depth interviews with key customers and a mobile Brand*Dip for 200-300 relevant respondents. At the same time, they compare the associations with what competitors are communicating. As a result, the team gets a clear picture: what motives dominate the category, how much the brand is associated with «protection» and where the «white zones» are.

3. Translating insights into a product.

Based on the results, the manufacturer develops specific service solutions. In parallel with marketing materials, the team prepares SLAs: response time, troubleshooting time, regional coverage areas. They introduce a package service model (basic, extended, and premium) and set up spare parts stocks in regional hubs. They also launch simple monitoring tools so that the customer feels in control.

4. Message hierarchy.

Marketing formulates a key promise («Uninterrupted operation of your kitchen is our responsibility») and supports it with evidence: SLA, case studies, reviews, certifications. Each advertising headline is accompanied by a fact, such as response time, an example of an incident resolution, and SLA fulfillment statistics. The call to action is clear: «Get a free risk audit» or «Order a pilot package».

5. Pilot and polygonal tests.

The manufacturer launches a pilot in 1-2 regions or with 10-15 key customers. The pilot combines A/B tests of landing pages and commercial offers, the work of the sales department according to updated scripts, and technical monitoring of SLA fulfillment. For each transaction, the team monitors not only conversions but also the quality of the lead, the percentage of price-related bounces, and the agreed recovery time.

6. Communication where decisions are made.

Along with the pilot, marketing communicates in relevant channels: industry conferences, professional publications, LinkedIn, and direct B2B mailing. The sales team receives a one-page memo with SLAs, FAQs, and case studies with real-world performance. The materials are made available right where negotiations and decisions are made.

7. Measurement of results and scaling.

After a set period (e.g., 3 months), the team compares the pilot metrics to the baseline. They measure

• • change in brand perception (the share of respondents who associate the brand with «reliability»);
  • commercial KPIs (share of transactions without a discount, average check, % of customers on a subscription);
  • operational indicators (SLA fulfillment, average recovery time).

Based on the results, decisions are made to scale service packages and increase inventory in the regions.

When motivational insights are translated into specific services and an evidence base, the brand gets real protection from price competition. Customer confidence grows, the pressure for discounts decreases, and the average contractual check rises due to service solutions. The main condition for success is not to leave insights in the presentation, but to make visible, measurable changes in the product, service, and communication.

To summarize, Censydiam is a tool for those brands that are ready to work with the emotional side of choice. It allows not only to «know» the customer, but also to formulate relevant promises. For small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine, Censydiam provides a practical advantage when used in conjunction with quantitative metrics and local checks.

Olha Tyshchenko

Editor

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