Age was not the segmentation. Discretion was.

Three research-based personas across age cohorts, for a supplement brand in a category where buyers rarely discuss the problem out loud.

In a category built on discomfort, the usual demographic split tells you very little. Two men the same age, with the same income, in the same city, can have completely different purchase paths depending on how willing they are to be seen buying the product.

Built three personas covering the 20-30, 30-45 and 45-65 cohorts. Each one covered the demographic profile, the psychographic profile, a day-in-the-life narrative, the fears attached to the product, the buying behaviour and the media consumption.

The segments separated less by age than by how each handled discretion. The youngest researched openly online and followed fitness and wellness creators. The middle segment researched privately, never asked friends, and treated discreet delivery as close to a dealbreaker. The oldest bypassed e-commerce entirely, buying in pharmacies on a pharmacist's recommendation.

That split determined the channel allocation, the purchase path and the creative tone for each segment. It also stopped the brand from spending online against a group that does not buy online.