Today, we launched 25 Brands Unwrapped.
For the next 25 days, we are conducting a daily audit of America’s most famous brands. We aren't using traditional focus groups; we are using Cambium AI to generate 1,000 synthetic customer personas anchored in real US Census data.
Q: What is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear Target?
Top Responses: Convenience (470), Convenient (329), Store (95), Tienda (19), Affordable (16).
Q: How would you describe the "typical" customer of Target?
Top Theme: "Mostly young families and bargain hunters looking for a one-stop shop."
Key Descriptors: Middle-class, busy parents, practical, students.
Q: If you could rename Target to describe what they actually are, what would you call it?
Everydaymart (96)
Onestopshop (91)
Everythingmart (88)
Q: Complete this sentence: "Target used to be great, until..."
Dominant Sentiment: "...until they started cutting corners on quality and raising prices."
Secondary Sentiment: "...until prices crept up and items felt cheaper."
Q: Describe Target in exactly three words.
Convenient (926)
Affordable (595)
Trendy (205)
Q: On a scale of 0-10, how much do you trust Target?
Average Score: 5.81 / 10
Breakdown: 79% of respondents rated the brand exactly a "6." Trust is "lukewarm" rather than broken.
Q: If you could fire the CEO of Target, would you?
No: 94.8%
Yes: 5.2%
Q: Do you know the name of Target’s CEO?
No: 98.0%
Yes: 2.0%
Q: Does the CEO’s public behavior make you less likely to buy from Target?
No: 89.0%
Yes: 11.0%
Q: Do the executives at Target seem out of touch with reality?
Yes: 54.2%
No: 45.8%
Q: If you met the CEO, what is the first question you would ask them?
Top Question: "How will you keep prices affordable for seniors and people on fixed incomes?"
Q: Has the quality of Target declined recently?
Yes: 86.7%
No: 13.3%
Q: If Target raised its prices by 10%, would you still buy it?
No: 74.9%
Yes: 25.1%
Q: What is the maximum price you would pay for a Target product before walking away?
Average Value: $42.25
Q: How long do you expect a Target product to last?
Common Answers: 2 years, 3 years, 1 year.
Q: If you could change one thing about the product, what would it be?
Top Theme: Durability and materials.
Representative Quote: "Make it more durable and use better materials so it lasts longer."
Q: What is the one thing we could add to make it worth double the price?
Top Responses: "Extended Warranty," "Higher-grade materials," "Lifetime guarantee."
Q: If a competitor offered a similar product at a slightly lower price, how likely would you be to switch?
Likely (Score 4): 65.7%
Q: Who is the biggest threat to Target?
Amazon: 801 mentions
Walmart: 58 mentions
Q: What is the best alternative to Target?
Walmart: 819 mentions
Amazon: 99 mentions
Q: Why haven’t you switched to a competitor yet?
Top Reason: Convenience / Proximity.
Quote: "I stay because Target is convenient, the store layout is familiar, and they often have the items I need in one trip."
Q: Are you loyal to Target because you like it, or because you’re stuck?
Like it: 60.0%
Stuck: 40.0%
Q: Do you think Target’s best days are ahead of it or behind it?
Behind: 50.7%
Ahead: 49.3%
(A near-perfect split in consumer confidence).
Q: Is Target too "woke"?
No: 76.3%
Yes: 23.7%
Q: Is Target too conservative?
No: 100.0%
Q: Do Target’s values align with your own?
No: 92.7%
Yes: 7.3%
Q: If Target went out of business tomorrow, would you care?
No: 79.4%
Yes: 20.6%
Q: Do you think Target will exist in 10 years?
Yes: 100.0%
The data reveals a brand that is stabilized but vulnerable.
With a Trust Score of 5.8 and a massive 75.8% of customers willing to switch for a lower price, has Target lost its pricing power? Customers are shopping there because it is "Convenient" and "Trendy," not because they are loyal.
Come back tomorrow for Day 2.
Curious what 1,000 synthetic personas would say about your brand? Get in touch with us at Cambium AI.