Overview
After identifying predictive high-value signals, the next step is converting those signals into structured audience tiers inside BlueConic. You could even consider applying specific logic to the tiers related to the type of activation you want to do (i.e. onsite activation vs paid media vs CRM)
By completing this process, you will have:
A tiered audience framework (e.g., VIP, High Value, Growth Potential, At-Risk Valuable)
Clear, measurable criteria for each tier
Segments that can be activated across channels and optimized over time.
Before you begin
Ensure the following prerequisites are met:
You have a ranked list of predictive signals from the prior AI Agent output.
The required properties and/or rollups exist in your tenant (e.g., revenue, purchase frequency, recency, engagement, predictive scores).
You can create and save segments in BlueConic.
If your tiering depends on time-based behaviors (e.g., “last 12 months”), confirm that the relevant timeline events or rollup properties are available.
Step 1: Review and Categorize the Signals
Identify the signals that consistently differentiate value for your organization. Typical signals include:
Revenue indicators (e.g., lifetime revenue, subscription value)
Frequency indicators (e.g., transaction count, repeat purchase behavior)
Recency indicators (e.g., time since last purchase, time since last visit)
Engagement indicators (e.g., click depth, content affinity, email interaction)
Predictive scores (if available) (e.g., predicted value, churn risk)
Group signals into logical clusters so you can design tiers around patterns, not single metrics:
Value
Recency
Intent / Affinity
Risk
Step 2: Decide on a Tier Model
A tier model organizes customers into structured value groups so you can apply different activation strategies to each group. Select a tier structure that aligns with your business goals and how you plan to activate audiences.
A common four-tier model includes:
VIP – Highest value customers
High Value – Strong, consistent contributors
Growth Potential – Customers with upside opportunity
At-Risk Valuable – Previously valuable customers showing decline
Adjust the structure based on your business model (e.g., subscription, commerce, publishing) and your activation plan.
Each tier should support a distinct objective, such as:
Protecting revenue
Increasing share of wallet
Driving repeat purchase
Preventing churn
Define the intended action for each tier before finalizing segment criteria.
Step 3: Define Measurable Criteria for Each Tier
Using your ranked signals, translate insights into clear, testable rules.
You can use the AI Agent to propose an initial tier structure based on your predictive signals before finalizing criteria. This can accelerate the process and help validate that your thresholds align with the strongest predictive drivers.
Example AI Prompt
Using the previously identified predictive signals, propose a 4-tier audience structure (VIP, High Value, Growth Potential, At-Risk Valuable) with measurable criteria for each tier.
Provide:
Clear logical conditions
Suggested thresholds
Rationale for each tier
Send the results to [email]@[brand].com.
Example Structure
Below is an example of how tier logic might be structured.
Tier 1: VIP (Top 5%)
Example criteria:
Top customer value decile
High lifetime revenue
High expected future purchases
Tier 2: High Value (Next 10–15%)
Example criteria:
Multiple purchases
Recent transaction
Above-average revenue
Tier 3: Growth Potential
Example criteria:
Single purchase
High engagement score
Moderate predicted value
Tier 4: At-Risk Valuable
Example criteria:
Previously high revenue
Long recency gap
Declining engagement (i.e. visits, email)
Design tiers using signal combinations wherever possible. This reduces noise and makes movement between tiers measurable.
Step 4: Create the Segments in BlueConic
Navigate to Segments.
Create a new segment for each tier.
Add profile property rules and behavioral conditions based on your tier criteria.
Save each segment and use clear naming conventions.
Example naming:
VIP — High Value
High Value — Active
Growth — Engaged
At-Risk — Previously High Value
Where possible, ensure tiers are mutually exclusive to avoid activation conflicts.
Step 5: Apply Tiering to Existing Broad Segments
If you currently use broad segments such as “Active Customers”, convert them into a tiered model. Recommended approach:
Duplicate the existing broad segment or use it as your base segment
Layer in tier-specific rules
Validate audience size and overlap
Activate by tier across channels
This ensures your existing segmentation strategy becomes more precise without starting from scratch.
Step 6: Activate Tiered Audiences
After defining tiers and creating segments:
Activate each segment in the appropriate channels (e.g., onsite personalization, email, paid media, CRM sync).
If applicable, configure a BlueConic Lifecycle for the campaign.
Ensure each profile can belong to only one lifecycle stage at a time.
Enable dynamic movement between stages based on updated profile data.
Using Lifecycles helps control marketing pressure and ensures profiles move between tiers as behavior changes.