Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
When students finish this chapter they should understand why:
A consumers personality influences the way he or she responds to marketing stimuli, but
efforts to use this information in marketing contets ha!e met with mied results"
Consumers lifestyles are key to many marketing strategies"
Psychographics go beyond simple demographics in helping marketers understand and
reach different consumer segments"
#dentifying patterns of consumption can be superior to knowledge of indi!idual purchases
when crafting a lifestyle marketing strategy"
CHAPTER SUMMARY
$he study of personality is one of the most interesting undertaken in studies of consumer
beha!ior %it is also one of the more difficult eplorations&" $he concept of personality refers to a
persons uni'ue psychological makeup and how it consistently influences the way a person
responds to his or her en!ironment" When marketers attempt to use personality in formulating
marketing strategy, se!eral difficulties may arise" Among the most common difficulties are the
differences in personality traits among consumers and problems with measurement of the traits"
A !ariety of schools of thought %such as (reudian psychology& ha!e been applied to these studies"
)nly mied results ha!e been achie!ed" *e!eral schools of thought are eplored in the chapter"
#n addition to the personality of the consumer being of interest to the marketer, brands are also
thought to ha!e personalities" Brand equity refers to the etent that a consumer holds strong,
fa!orable, and uni'ue associations about a brand in memory" Personality dimensions can be used
to compare and contrast the percei!ed characteristics of brands %such as old fashioned, rugged,
outdoors, sey, etc"&" $he creation and communication of a distincti!e brand personality is one of
the primary ways marketers can make a product stand out from the competition and inspire years
of loyalty to it"
+,-
PERSONALITY AND
LIFESTYLES
C H A P T E R
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
A consumers lifestyle refers to the ways he or she chooses to spend time and money and how his
or her !alues and tastes are reflected by consumption choices" /arketers use lifestyle research as
a means to track societal consumption preferences and also to position specific products and
ser!ices to different segments" /arketers can segment by lifestyle differences, often by grouping
consumers in terms of their AIOs %acti!ities, interests, and opinions&"
Psychographic techni'ues attempt to classify consumers in terms of psychological, sub0ecti!e
!ariables in addition to obser!able characteristics %demographics&" A !ariety of systems, such as
VALS, ha!e been de!eloped to identify consumer 1types2 and to differentiate them in terms of
their brand or product preferences, media usage, leisure time acti!ities, and attitudes toward such
broad issues as politics and religion"
#nterrelated sets of products and acti!ities are associated with social roles to form consumption
constellations" People often purchase a product or ser!ice because it is associated with a
constellation that, in turn, is linked to a lifestyle they find desirable"
Place of residence often is a significant determinant of lifestyle" /any marketers recogni3e
regional differences in product preferences and de!elop different !ersions of their products for
different markets" A set of techni'ues called geodemography analy3es consumption patterns
using geographical and demographic data and identifies clusters of consumers who ehibit
similar psychographic characteristics"
$he chapter concludes by discussing lifestyle trends with respect to consumer beha!ior for the
new millennium" $hese ma0or trends are characteri3ed as being: a decline in concern for the
en!ironment, an emphasis on the !alue of time4sa!ing products, decreased emphasis on dieting
and nutritional foods, and a more laid4back lifestyle and casual work en!ironment"
CHAPTER OUTLINE
1. Personality
a" Personality refers to a persons uni'ue psychological makeup and how it
consistently influences the way a person responds to his or her en!ironment"
+& $here has been debate about whether personality changes with situations and
circumstances"
a& 5o people appear to act consistently6 7esearch results are mied"
.& 8!en though inconsistencies ha!e been found in personality research, it still
continues to be included in marketing strategies"
-& Personality dimensions are usually employed in concert with a persons
choices of leisure acti!ities, political outlook, aesthetic tastes, and other
indi!idual factors to segment consumers in terms of lifestyles"
Discussion Opportunity!plain your o"n personality# Are you consistent or inconsistent "ith
respect to this identified personality$ %i&e e!amples# As' some students to do the same#
+,9
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
Discussion Opportunity(a&e students collect a series of pictures from ads in maga)ines that
"ould display your personality# &eryone should post these pictures on a sheet of poster board
and display them around the room# ach student should e!plain his or her ideas of himself or
herself# Does the class agree "ith the assessment$ (o" "ell do you really 'no" one another$

2. Consumer Behavior on the Couch: Freudian Theory
a" *igmund (reud de!eloped the idea that much of ones adult personality stems from
a fundamental conflict between a persons desire to gratify his or her physical
needs and the necessity to function as a responsible member of society" :is
principles %note that these terms do not refer to physiological portions of the consumers
brain& included:
+& $he id %which is entirely oriented toward immediate gratification&" #t operates
on the pleasure principle %beha!ior guided by the primary desire to maimi3e
pleasure and a!oid pain&"
a& $he id is selfish"
b& $he id is illogical %it acts without regard to conse'uences&"
.& $he superego %which is the counterweight to the id&" #t is a persons conscience"
a& #t internali3es societys rules"
b& #t works to pre!ent the id from seeking selfish gratification"
-& $he ego %which is the system that mediates between the id and the superego&"
$he ego tries to balance these two opposing forces according to the reality
principle, whereby it finds ways to gratify the id that will be acceptable to the
outside world" /uch of this battle occurs in the unconscious mind"
b" $he (reudian perspecti!e hints that the ego relies on symbolism in products to
make the compromise between the demands of the id and the prohibitions of the
superego"
c" $here is a connection between product symbolism and moti!ation %according to
(reudian theory&"
Discussion OpportunityAs'* +hat are some products that are usually sold by telling you that
the use of the product "ill ma'e you attracti&e to the opposite se!$
Discussion OpportunityAs'* +hat are some products that ma'e their appeals primarily to the
id$ +hat are some products that ma'e their appeals to the superego ,bring in e!amples if you
can-$ Do products ma'e an appeal to the ego$ If so. ho"$ Describe a mediation e!perience
"here the ego functioned#
d" $he first attempts to apply (reudian ideas to understand the deeper meanings of
products and ad!ertisements were made in the +;,<s and were known as
motivational research"
+& $his research focused on interpretations from the subconscious %unconscious
moti!es&" $his form of research relies on depth interviews with indi!idual
consumers"
.& 8rnest 5ichter pioneered this form of inter!iew"
-& /oti!ational research was attacked for two reasons:
a& *ome felt that it does work, in fact, it worked too well" #t ga!e marketers
+,,
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
the power to manipulate"
b& )thers felt that the analysis techni'ue lacked rigor and !alidity"
9& Positi!es were that:
a& #t was less epensi!e than traditional forms of moti!ational research"
b& #t was thought to aid in marketing communications"
c& *ome of the findings seem intuiti!ely plausible after the fact"

*****Use Table !" #ere *****
Discussion OpportunityBring e&idence of symbolism ,"hich might be considered to be
/reudian- that you ha&e found in maga)ine ad&ertisements#
Discussion OpportunityAs'* +hy is the /reudian school often associated "ith se! and
se!uality$ +hat ramification does this hold for mar'eting$ Does se! sell$ According to /reud.
"hy or "hy not$
=eo4(reudian $heories
e" $hose who studied after (reud felt that an indi!iduals personality was more
influenced by how he or she handled relationships with others than by unresol!ed
seual conflicts" (amous ad!ocates of this thought4path %=eo4(reudians& were:
+& >aren :orney?she proposed that people can be described as mo!ing toward
others %$%&pliant&, away from others %deta$hed&, or against others
%a''ressive&"
a& Alfred Adler?proposed that many actions are moti!ated by peoples desire
to o!ercome feelings of inferiority relati!e to others"
b& :arry *tack *ulli!an?focused on how personality e!ol!es to reduce
aniety in social relationships"
.& Carl @ung?de!eloped analytical psychology" :e belie!ed people were shaped
by the cumulati!e eperiences of past generations" Central to his ideas was the
$%lle$tive (n$%ns$i%(s %a storehouse of memories inherited from our
ancestral past&"
a& *hared memories create archetypes?uni!ersally shared ideas and
beha!ior patterns"
b& $hese memories would be about birth, death, and the de!il %as shown in
myths, stories, and dreams&"
+& *ome brands ha!e personalities" $he measuring of such personalities has been
problematic" Aarious methods ha!e been used, including the BrandAsset Archetypes
model used by Coung D 7ubicam"
*****Use Fi'(re !" #ere *****
Discussion OpportunitySee if you can find illustrations of 0aren (orney1s and 2arl 3ung1s
theories in contemporary ad&ertising# Indicate "hy you thin' the ads apply# Sho" e!amples if
possible#
+,6
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
$rait $heory
f" )ne approach to personality is to focus on the 'uantitati!e measurement of
traits or identifiable characteristics that define a person" Common traits are:
+& E)tr%versi%n and intr%versi%n
.& Inn%vativeness
-& *aterialis&
9& Self+$%ns$i%(sness
,& Need f%r $%'niti%n
6& Fr('ality
E& Envir%n&ental ,%ns$i%(sness -new trait.
Discussion OpportunityAs'* +hat traits define you as a person$ %i&e e!amples#
g" $he trait dimension most rele!ant to consumer beha!ior is the etent to which consumers
are inner4directed !ersus outer4directed#
+& #nner4directed indi!iduals consume to epress a uni'ue sense of self and tend to be
classified as idiocentrics %ha!ing an indi!idualistic orientation&"
.& )uter4directed indi!iduals consume to please others and fit in and tend to be classified
as allocentrics %ha!ing a group orientation&"
-& $hese two orientations differ in the areas of contentment. health consciousness. food
preparation. "or'aholism. and tra&el and entertainment"
h" Fsing traits has only met with mied success" 8planations include:
+& /any of the scales are not sufficiently !alid or reliable"
.& Personality tests are often de!eloped only for specific populations"
-& $ests may not be administered under the best conditions"
9& 7esearchers make changes in the research instruments to adapt them to their
own situations"
,& /any trait scales are only intended to measure gross, o!erall tendencies"
6& /any of the scales are not well planned or thought out"

Brand Personality
i" Products, like consumers, ha!e personalities"
ii" A brand personality is the set of traits people attribute to a product as if it were a
person"
+& Brand equity refers to the etent that a consumer holds strong, fa!orable, and
uni'ue associations about a brand in memory" 8amples of personality
dimensions include old fashioned, wholesome, traditional, and li!ely, among others"
.& Consumers seem to ha!e little difficulty in assigning personality 'ualities to
all sorts of inanimate products"
-& (orging a successful brand personality is key to building brand loyalty but it is often
difficult" /any younger consumers can detect if a brand is not li!ing up to its claims and is
inauthentic" As a result, consumers rebel and today they !ent on the #nternet" 7esearchers call
this the 15oppelganger brand image2 G one that looks lik the original but is in fact a criti'ue of
it"
9& $he creation and communication of a distincti!e brand personality is one of
the primary ways marketers can make a product stand out from the competition
+,E
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
and inspire years of loyalty to it" $his is called animism %whereby inanimate
ob0ects are gi!en 'ualities that make them somehow ali!e&" #t is an old
practice"
Consumers tend to anthr%p%&%rphi/e ob0ects, in other words gi!e them human
characteristics"
*****Use Table !0 #ere1 Use ,%ns(&er 2ehavi%r ,hallen'e 34 #ere *****
Discussion OpportunityAs' students if they can thin' of products that seem 5to come ali&e#6
(a&e them describe ho" the mar'eter or ad&ertiser creates this illusion# +hat type of impact
does this ha&e on the consumer$ +hat are the dangers of animism$
. !i"estyles and Psychographics
*****Use Fi'(re !" #ere1 Use ,%ns(&er 2ehavi%r ,hallen'e 3 #ere *****
Lifestyle: Who We Are, What We 5o
a" !i"estyle refers to a pattern of consumption reflecting a persons choices of how he
or she spends time and money" #t is %in an economic sense& how one elects to
allocate income"
+& A lifestyle &ar5etin' perspe$tive recogni3es that people sort him4 or herself into
groups on the basis of the things they like to do, how they like to spend their
leisure time, and how they choose to spend their disposable income"
.& $hese choices create marketing opportunities and chances for segmentation"
-& Lifestyles can be thought of as group identities" #t is more than economics and
income disposal choices"
a& Lifestyle is a statement of who one is and who one is not"
b& )ther terms used to describe lifestyle are:
+" Taste p(bli$
." ,%ns(&er 'r%(p
-" Sy&b%li$ $%&&(nity
9" Stat(s $(lt(re
c& Lifestyles are not set in stone unlike deep4seated !alues discussed in
Chapter 9"
d& )ne emerging lifestyle segment is the 1Urban ,%ns(&er!2 $hese are generally +H4-9
year olds mostly African American and are into the hip4hop culture"
Discussion OpportunityAs'* +hat are some different lifestyles that people about your age
,those attending and not attending college- tend to follo"$ +hat are the differences bet"een
your lifestyle and someone "ho is a returning student ,or a normal undergraduate if you are a
returning student-$ A graduate student$
+,H
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
Discussion OpportunityAs'* People "ho 7oin fraternities and sororities are ali'e in many
"ays# +hat ma'es a member of a fraternity ,or sorority- different from another one$ If you met
and tal'ed "ith someone for a fe" minutes. could you accurately guess "hether he or she "as in
a fraternity or sorority or to "hich fraternity or sorority the person belonged$ +hat clues might
the person gi&e you$
b" Products are the building blocks of lifestyles" /any choices are made on this basis"
c" Because a goal of lifestyle marketing is to allow consumers to pursue their chosen
ways to en0oy their li!es and epress their social identities, a key aspect of this
strategy is to focus on product usage in desirable social settings"
Discussion Opportunity(a&e students ma'e a list of ten items you thin' you must ha&e in order
to attain the good life# +hy do you suppose you selected these items$ (o" might mar'eters use
this information$ %i&e an e!ample#
d" People, products, and settings combine to epress a $%ns(&pti%n style"
e" $he adoption of a lifestyle4marketing perspecti!e implies that we must look at
patterns %f behavi%r to understand consumers"
*****Use Table !6 #ere1 Use ,%ns(&er 2ehavi%r ,hallen'e 3"0 #ere *****
+& Co#branding strategies are used by marketers to combine products that appeal to
similar patterns of beha!ior"
.& Product complementarity occurs when the symbolic meanings of different
products are related to each other"
-& $hese products, termed consumption constellations, are used by consumers to
define, communicate, and perform social roles"
*****Use ,%ns(&er 2ehavi%r ,hallen'e 3" and 37 #ere *****
Discussion Opportunity(o" "as the 5yuppie6 of the 89:;s defined in a product sense ,e#g#.
<ole! "atch. B=+. %ucci briefcase. "hite "ine. etc#-$ (o" "as the %eneration > grunge
roc'er of the 899;s defined in a product or lifestyle sense ,e#g#. Doc =arten combat boots. a
smo'er. chains. earrings. tattoos. etc#-$ Bring in pictures or ads to illustrate these t"o lifestyles#
As'* (o" is your generation defined in the ne" millennium$ Be specific#
Psychographics
e" Psychographics in!ol!es the use of psychological, sociological, and
anthropological factors to determine how the market is segmented by the
propensity of groups within the market %and their reasons& to make a particular
decision about a product, person, ideology, or otherwise hold an attitude or use a
medium"
*****Use Table !8 #ere *****
+,;
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
+& Psychographics can help a marketer fine4tune its offerings to meet the needs
of different segments"
.& $he roots of psychographics were in:
a& *%tivati%nal resear$h, which in!ol!es intensi!e one4to4one inter!iews and
pro0ecti!e tests %yields a lot of information on a few people&"
b& 9(antitative s(rvey resear$h %at the other etreme& that uses large4scale
demographic research techni'ues"
-& Psychographics is often used interchangeably with lifestyle"
9& Psychographics focuses on "hy people buy" 5emographics tells us "ho buys"
,& Psychographic analysis can take se!eral forms:
a& A lifestyle pr%file"
b& A pr%d($t+spe$ifi$ pr%d($t"
c& A 'eneral lifestyle se'&entati%n"
d& A pr%d($t+spe$ifi$ se'&entati%n"
*****Use ,%ns(&er 2ehavi%r ,hallen'es 3: and 3"" #ere *****
f" /ost contemporary psychographic research attempts to group consumers according
to some combination of three categories of !ariables?a$tivities; interests; and
%pini%ns %$%&s'"
+& $o group consumers into common A#) categories, respondents are gi!en a
long list of statements and are asked to indicate how much they agree with
each one" Lifestyle is 1boiled down2 by how consumers spend their time, what
they find interesting and important, and how they !iew themsel!es and the
world around them, as well as demographic information"
.& Which lifestyle segments produce the bulk of consumers6 $his is answered
%marketers must be careful to obser!e& by the ()*2) rule where only .<
percent of a products users account for H< percent of the !olume of the
product sold %in other words, the hea!y users&"
-& After 1hea!y users2 are identified and understood, the brands relationship to
them is considered"
Discussion OpportunityAs'* +hy "ould AIOs be important to mar'eters$ (o" could
mar'eters use this information to promote their products$
Discussion Opportunity(a&e students conduct an AIO in&entory on themsel&es# ?hen ha&e
students as' a member of their family or a roommate if he or she agrees "ith the in&entory# +hat
"ere the differences$ +hy did these occur$

g" Fses of psychographic segmentation include:
+& T% define the tar'et &ar5et"
.& T% $reate a new view %f the &ar5et"
-& T% p%siti%n the pr%d($t"
9& T% better $%&&(ni$ate pr%d($t attrib(tes"

+6<
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
,& T% devel%p %verall strate'y"
6& T% &ar5et s%$ial and p%liti$al iss(es"
Discussion OpportunityAs'* 2an you thin' of a company that uses psychographic
segmentation to position its product in the mar'etplace$ Do you thin' it is effecti&e$ +hy or "hy
not$
h" /any research companies and ad!ertising agencies ha!e de!eloped se'&entati%n
typ%l%'ies that di!ide people into segments" Because these are largely proprietary,
howe!er, they are hard to get"
i" )ne well4known and widely used segmentation system is +$!, %+alues and
!i"estyles&, de!eloped at what is now *7# #nternational in California" =ine
lifestyle clusters ha!e been identified" AAL*. etends this concept and uses eight
groups that are determined by psychological characteristics and 1resources2 %such
as income, education, energy le!els, and eagerness to buy&" $he groups include:
+" Thin5ers?satisfied, reflecti!e, and comfortable"
." A$hievers?career4oriented, a!oid risk, self4disco!ery"
-" E)perien$ers?impulsi!e, young, offbeat, lo!e risk"
9" 2elievers?strong principles, fa!or pro!en brands"
," Strivers?like achie!ers, but with fewer resources, need appro!al"
6"*a5ers?action4oriented, self4sufficiency, do4it4yourselfers"
E"Str(''lers?bottom4of4the4ladder, immediate gratification"
*****Use Fi'(re !0 #ere1 Use ,%ns(&er 2ehavi%r ,hallen'e 3< #ere *****
Discussion OpportunityAs'* In "hich of the eight VALS@ categories do you thin' a researcher
"ould place you$ +here do you thin' your parents "ould be placed$ (o" might a mar'eter use
this information to appeal to you ,or in the second case. to your parents-$
0" =l%bal *OSAI, is another segmentation system that has de!eloped fourteen common
lifestyles that apply across cultures"
k" A Paris4based organi3ation called RIS, has de!eloped a segmentation system that seeks to
anticipate future change in social climate around the world and to identify signs of change
in one country before it e!entually spreads to others"
+& 7#*C measures the social climate in more than forty countries"
.& $he 7#*C system asks a battery of 'uestions that measure forty 1trends"2
-& $he system places people in a !irtual space described by three aes?
e)pl%rati%n>stability; s%$ial>individ(al; and 'l%bal>l%$al!
9& #ndi!iduals fit into one of ten general category segments in this !irtual space"

*****Use Fi'(re !8 #ere1 -se Consumer Behavior ,hallen'e 3"? #ere *****
l" Consumption patterns change as one mo!es from one region of their country to
another"
+6+
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
+& .eodemography refers to analytical techni'ues that combine data on consumer
ependitures and other socioeconomic factors with geographic information about the
areas in which people li!e in order to identify consumers who share common
consumption patterns" 1Birds of a feather flock together"2
.& A f%%d $(lt(re is a pattern of food and be!erage consumption that reflects the !alues of
a social group" (or instance, many marketers regionali3e their offerings to appeal to
different tastes"
-& ,l(ster analysis allows marketers to identify consumers who share important
characteristics"
9& ,ingle#source data is where a persons actual purchasing history is combined with
geodemographic data"
,& )ne method that is used is P/%01 %Potential /ating %nde2 by 0ip 1ar3et&"
6& $he latest and hottest etension of lifestyle marketing is beha!ioral targeting, which
refers to presenting people with ad!ertisements bas on their #nternet use" 8!en though
the pri!acy issues are still unresol!ed, many consumers seem happy to trade off some
of their personal information in echange for information useful to them"
*****Use ,%ns(&er 2ehavi%r ,hallen'es 30 and 36 #ere1
Use Table !4 #ere *****
Discussion OpportunityAs'* (o" can mar'eters use single4source data systems or P<IA= to
identify segments$ %i&e an illustration of ho" a uni&ersity might use these systems to aid in its
fund4raising efforts#
End-of-Chapter Support Matera!
SUMMARY O" SPECIAL "EATURE BO#ES
+" =et Profit #
$his bo takes a look at research that has shown that intro!erts and etro!erts tend to respond
better to computer4generated !oices that match their personality types" $his feature supports the
section 1$rait $heory"2
." /arketing Pitfalls #
$his bo re!eals the outcry against the .<+. London )lympics logo that could actually be a
blessing in disguise"
+6.
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
-" $he $angled Web
$his bo eamines how hate groups are using the #nternet to epand their reach" )f particular
interest is how such groups are using their core of etremists to target college4bound teens from
middle4 to upper4class homes" $his feature supports the section 1Lifestyle as Iroup #dentities"2
9" /arketing Pitfalls ##
$his bo highlights the problems in collecting psychographic information from consumers"
*ome of the statements in the sur!ey might make them uncomfortable"
," /arketing Pitfalls ###
$his bo summari3es the efforts of 7" @" 7eynolds in targeting a new brand of cigarettes toward a
specific psychographic segment of young women" $his eample demonstrates the irony in how
applying basic marketing principles can end up being etremely contro!ersial for companies that
make certain types of products" $his feature supports the section 1Psychographics"2
6" /arketing Pitfalls #A
$his bo poses an interesting 'uestion regarding information pri!acy" Are consumers willing to
gi!e up pri!acy in echange for a free telephone ser!ice6 Will consumers agree to let a company
e!es drop on their con!ersation in order to push targeted ads6

REVIE$ %UESTIONS
+" 5escribe the id, ego, and superego and tell how they work together according to (reudian
theory" ?he id is entirely oriented to"ard immediate gratificationit is the 5party
animal6 of the mind#?he superego is the counter"eight to the id# ?his system is
essentially the person1s conscience# It internali)es society1s rules ,especially as parents
teach them to us and "or's to pre&ent the id from see'ing selfish gratification# /inally.
the ego is the system that mediates bet"een the id and the superego# It is in a "ay a
referee in the fight bet"een temptation and &irtue#
." What is moti!ational research6 Ii!e an eample of a marketing study that used this
approach" In the 89B;s. a perspecti&e called moti&ational research attempted to use
/reudian ideas to understand the deeper meanings of products and ad&ertisements# ?his
approach "as largely based on psychoanalytic ,/reudian- interpretations. "ith a hea&y
emphasis on unconscious moti&es# A basic assumption is that socially unacceptable needs
are channeled into acceptable outlets# =oti&ational research for the American <ed 2ross
did find that men ,but not "omen- tend to drastically o&erestimate the amount of blood
ta'en from them during a donation# ?he <ed 2ross counteracted the fear of loss of &irility
by symbolically equating the act of gi&ing blood "ith fertili)ation* 5%i&e the gift of life#6
+6-
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
-" 5escribe three personality traits rele!ant to marketers" Some specific traits that are
rele&ant to consumer beha&ior include* inno&ati&eness ,the degree to "hich a person
li'es to try ne" things-C materialism ,amount of emphasis placed on acquiring and
o"ning products-C self4consciousness ,the degree to "hich a person deliberately
monitors and controls the image of the self that is pro7ected to others-. and need for
cognition ,the degree to "hich a person li'es to thin' about things and by e!tension
e!pands the necessary effort to process brand information-# Another trait rele&ant to
consumer beha&ior is frugality# /rugal people deny short4term purchasing "hims.
choosing instead to resourcefully use "hat they already o"n#
9" Contrast idiocentrics and allocentrics" Idiocentrics is ha&ing an indi&idualist orientation
"hile allocentrics is ha&ing a group orientation#
," List three problems "ith applying trait theory to mar'eting conte!ts# ?he use of standard
personality trait measurements to predict product choices has met "ith mi!ed success at
best# In general. mar'eting researchers simply ha&e not been able to predict consumers1
beha&iors on the basis of measured personality traits# ?hese are some e!planations for
these equi&ocal results*
=any of the scales are not sufficiently &alid or reliableC they do not adequately
measure "hat they are supposed to measure. and their results may not be stable
o&er time#
Personality tests are often de&eloped for specific populations ,e#g#. mentally ill
people-C these tests are then 5borro"ed6 and applied to the general population
"here their rele&ance is questionable#
Often the tests are not administered under the appropriate conditionsC people "ho
are not properly trained may gi&e them in a classroom or at a 'itchen table#
?he researchers often ma'e changes in the instruments to adapt them to their o"n
situations. in the process deleting or adding items and renaming &ariables# ?hese
ad hoc changes dilute the &alidity of the measures and also reduce researchers1
ability to compare results across consumer samples#
=any trait scales are intended to measure gross. o&erall tendencies ,e#g#. emotional
stability or intro&ersion-C these results are then used to ma'e predictions about
purchases of specific brands#
In many cases. a number of scales are gi&en "ith no ad&ance thought about ho"
these measures should be related to consumer beha&ior# ?he researchers then use a
5shotgun approach.6 follo"ing up on anything that happens to loo' interesting#
6" 5efine a brand personality and gi!e two eamples" A brand personality is the set of traits
people attribute to a product as if it "ere a person# =any of the most recogni)able figures
in popular culture are spo'escharacters for long4standing brands. such as the 3olly
%reen %iant. the 0eebler l&es. or 2harlie the ?una#
E" :ow does lifestyle differ from income6 Lifestyle refers to a pattern of consumption
reflecting a person1s choices of ho" he or she spends time and money# In an economic
sense. one1s lifestyle represents the "ay one has elected to allocate income. both in terms
+69
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
of relati&e allocations to different products and ser&ices. and to specific alternati&es
"ithin these categories#
H" What is the basic philosophy behind a lifestyle marketing strategy6 A lifestyle mar'eting
perspecti&e recogni)es that people sort themsel&es into groups on the basis of the things
they li'e to do. ho" they li'e to spend their leisure time. and ho" they choose to spend
their disposable income#
;" 5efine psychographics, and describe three ways marketers can use it" +hen mar'eters
combine personality &ariables "ith 'no"ledge of lifestyle preferences. they ha&e a
po"erful lens "ith "hich to focus on consumer segments# +e call this approach
psychographics. "hich in&ol&es the 5use of psychological. sociological. and
anthropological factors # # # to determine ho" the mar'et is segmented by the propensity
of groups "ithin the mar'etand their reasonsto ma'e a particular decision about a
product. person. ideology. or other"ise hold an attitude or use a medium#6
Psychographic studies can ta'e se&eral different forms*
A lifestyle profile loo's for items that differentiate bet"een users and nonusers of a
product#
A product4specific profile identifies a target group and then profiles these
consumers on product4rele&ant dimensions#
A general lifestyle segmentation places a large sample of respondents into
homogenous groups based on similarities of their o&erall preferences#
A product4specific segmentation tailors questions to a product category# /or
e!ample. in a study done specifically for a stomach medicine. the item 5I "orry too
much6 might be rephrased as 5I get stomach problems if I "orry too much#6 ?his
allo"s the researcher to more finely discriminate bet"een users of competing
brands#
+<" What are three specific kinds of A#)s6 =ost contemporary psychographic research
attempts to group consumers according to some combination of three categories of
&ariablesacti&ities. interests. and opinions'no"n as AIOs# Dsing data from large
samples. mar'eters create profiles of customers "ho resemble each other in terms of
their acti&ities and patterns of product usage#
++" What is AAL*., and how do marketers use it6 One "ell4'no"n segmentation system is
?he Values and Lifestyles ,VALSE- System. de&eloped at S<I International in 2alifornia#
?he original VALSE system "as based on ho" consumers agreed or disagreed "ith
&arious social issues such as abortion rights# After about 8; years. S<I disco&ered that
the social issues it used to categori)e consumers "ere not as predicti&e of consumer
beha&ior as they once had been# S<I searched for a more po"erful "ay to segment
consumers. and the company disco&ered that certain lifestyle indicators such as 5I li'e a
lot of e!citement in my life6 "ere better predictors of purchase beha&ior than the degree
to "hich a person agreed or disagreed "ith a social &alue# ?he current VALS@E system
uses a battery of F9 items ,FB psychological and four demographic- to di&ide D#S# adults
into groups. each "ith distincti&e characteristics#
+6,
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
Alcohol drinkers !ary sharply in terms of the number of drinks they may consume, from
those who occasionally ha!e one at a cocktail party to regular imbibers" 8plain how the
H<J.< rule applies to this product category" According to te!t. the :;G@; rule states that
only @; percent of a product1s users account for :; percent of the product sold# /or this
question. alcohol drin'ers &ary according to the number of drin's consumed# 2onsumers
may be hea&y. moderate. or light users# Applying the :;G@; rule. "e assume that :;
percent of the alcohol is drun' by @; percent of the drin'ers ,"ho constitute the hea&y4
drin'er segment-# +hat does this mean "ith respect to ad&ertising$ +hat are the legal
and ethical considerations of mar'eting to these 5hea&y drin'ers6$
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHALLEN&E
4iscussion 5uestions
+" What consumption constellation might characteri3e you and your friends today6
<esponses to this one are "ide open# But students should be directed to de&elop a
constellation of products that are complementary "ith respect to the symbolic meaning
that they hold for the consumer# +hat are the social roles that a person holds$ (o" are
those social roles defined. communicated. and performed through product consumption#
." Ieodemographic techni'ues assume that people who li!e in the same neighborhood ha!e
other things in common as well" Why is this assumption made, and how accurate is it6
Although members of the D#S# culture share a common national identity. purchase and
consumption patterns of different regions ha&e been shaped by unique climates. cultural
influences. and resources# /or e!ample. a student from =innesota going to a uni&ersity
in the South "ill quic'ly recogni)e that the regional drin' is iced tea or 2o'e rather than
hot chocolate or pop# Similarly. the easterner "ill ha&e a &ery different attitude to"ard
space and cro"ding than residents of ?e!as or He" =e!ico# 3ust as "e ha&e come to
reali)e that cultural differences bet"een countries are significant. regional differences
are recogni)ed as influential ,e#g#. different names for the same thingpop. soft drin'.
soda. soda pop. soda "ater. co'e. tonic-#
-" Beha!ioral targeting techni'ues gi!e marketers access to a wide range of information
about a consumer be tell them what Websites he !isits" 5o you belie!e this 1knowledge
power2 presents any ethical problems with regard to consumers pri!acy6 *hould the
go!ernment regulate access to such information6 *hould consumers ha!e the right to
limit access to these data6
Students are li'ely to ha&e &aried responses to this question# Some may &ie" this as big
brotherGbig company snooping on their li&es# Others "ill &ie" it as part of the public
domain# ?he instructor should encourage students to e!amine both sides of the argument#
+66
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
?he instructor should bring in the go&ernment in&ol&ement in such matters of pri&acy#
(o" do they feel about their uni&ersity or college sharing information collected about
them "ith outside entities$ Should this information be sold$ Should students ha&e the
right to 'no" to "hom the information "as gi&en or sold$ Should the campus ,or off4
campus- boo'stores be allo"ed to share or sell information about students$ +hat type of
information must a uni&ersity or college legally 'eep confidential and not sell or
distribute ,"ithout permission-$ (o" has information from the Internet changed our
&ie" on "hat information "e "ill pro&ide and "hat "ill not be supplied$
9" *hould organi3ations or indi!iduals be allowed to create Web sites that ad!ocate
potentially harmful practices6 *hould hate groups such as the White Aryan 7esistance be
allowed to recruit members online6 Why or why not6

?his is a question for the class that is bold and "ants to e!plore contro&ersial issues# On
the one hand is the principle of free speech as guaranteed by the 2onstitution# 2urrent
la" e!tends this principle to almost all a&enues of the Internet# <ecent federal
legislation. ho"e&er. has strongly and firmly prohibited hate crimes# An interesting "ay
to approach the dilemma posed in this question is to ha&e a debate or in&ite a response
from a member of a local or regional A2LD office# ?his al"ays spar's contro&ersy#
Please remember that this question must be handled carefully and at all costs must not be
used offensi&ely# Set some ground rules on this one# Best used "ith ?he ?angled +eb
special feature bo!#
Application Kuestions
," Construct a brand personality in!entory for three different brands within a product
category" Ask a small number of consumers to rate each brand on ten different personality
dimensions" What differences can you locate6 5o these 1personalities2 relate to the
ad!ertising and packaging strategies used to differentiate these products6
?he first thing students "ill ha&e to do to ans"er this question is to establish the ten
personality dimensions# ?hey are free to construct these as they choose. ho"e&er. some
suggestions are offered by the material in the chapter# ?he differences "ill be the result of
differences obser&ed# It "ill be easier for them if they choose products from a brand
category "ith "hich they are familiar# ,=any times students "ill 'no" more about the
brand than "hat is sho"n in the ad&ertisement#- Be sure the students demonstrate 5ho"6
personalities relate to the ad&ertising and pac'aging used by the mar'eter to differentiate
these products#
6" Compile a set of recent ads that attempt to link consumption of a product with a specific
lifestyle" :ow is this goal usually accomplished6
Students should be able to find a &ariety of ad&ertisements to represent the lin' of product
consumption "ith specific lifestyle# !amples include lu!ury cars. cruises. polo. and golf
lin'ed to an affluent lifestyleC used cars and furniture. small apartments. stereos. and
+6E
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
boo's lin'ed to the uni&ersity student lifestyleC =iller beer lin'ed to the young. single.
sports4fanatic male lifestyle#
E" Political campaigns may use psychographic analyses" Conduct research on the marketing
strategies used in a recent, ma0or election" :ow did the campaigning segment !oters in
terms of !alues6 Can you find e!idence that communications strategies were guided by
this information6
Students should recogni)e the po"er of psychographic analyses in defining target
consumers and positioning political candidates for office# ?hey should search for
campaign literature that is designed for different targets and that might e&en contradict
each other. loo'ing for ob&ious and subtle differences# ?his type of polling data is
difficult to get because it is closely guarded by the candidates and their pollsters. but
often 7ust by &ie"ing the ads one can identify the target audience# ?he students might also
li'e to comment on recent political scandals that been rampant in +ashington# +hat do
these scandals ,and the ability to retain public confidence during or after the scandal-
tell us about &alues$ +hat data "ere students able to get from the most recent
presidential election$ 2omment on the communications strategies used by the t"o
candidates#
H" Construct separate ad!ertising eecutions for cosmetics products that target the Belie!er,
Achie!er, 8periential, and /aker AAL*. types" :ow would the basic appeal differ for
each group6 =ew 1types2 %or more often, updated !ersion of old types& emerge from
popular culture on a regular basis, whether they are shredders, tuners, or geeks" #n recent
years, for eample, some analysts identify the resurrection of the hipster" )ne source
describes a person who following this lifestyle as someone with a 1complicated: hairstyle
%dyed black or white4blonde& who reads =ylon maga3ineL listens to indie rockL ma0ored
in art or writingL drinks Pabst Blue 7ibbon beersL wears tight black pants, scar!es, and
ironic $4shirtsL and is addicted to coffee and cigarettes G and denies being a hipsterM :ow
!alid is this lifestyle type in your area6 Can you identify people who belong to it or to a
similar group6
Students should re&ie" the information in the te!t before trying to design ad&ertising
campaigns for the &arious VALS@ types#
?hin'ers?satisfied, reflecti!e, and comfortable"
Achie&ers?career4oriented, a!oid risk, self4disco!ery"
!periencers?impulsi!e, young, offbeat, lo!e risk"
Belie&ers?strong principles, fa!or pro!en brands"
Stri&ers?like achie!ers, but with fewer resources, need appro!al"
=a'ers?action4oriented, self4sufficiency, do4it4yourselfers"
Strugglers?bottom4of4the4ladder, immediate gratification"
+6H
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
In order to 5study6 the hipster. the instructor can suggest students &isit certain types of
old boo' or record stores. local coffee houses and possibly certain types of indie4roc'
playing pubs# Students might ha&e to loo' li'e them to be able to discuss some the
psychographic issues "ith them# Some students might be uncomfortable "ith this type of
assignment#
;" Fsing media targeted to the group, construct a consumption constellation for the social
role of college students" What set of products, acti!ities, and interests tend to appear in
ad!ertisements depicting 1typical2 college students6 :ow realistic is this constellation6
Students should en7oy de&eloping a consumption constellation for their role segment# ?he
instructor might point out ho" the students ser&e as 5e!perts6 "ith respect to this
segment and ho" their constellation might differ from that constructed by their
professors. parents. or business e!ecuti&es#
+<" 8treme sports" 5ay trading" Chat rooms" Aegetarianism" Can you predict what will be
1hot2 in the near future6 #dentify a lifestyle trend that is 0ust surfacing in your uni!erse"
5escribe this trend in detail and 0ustify your prediction" What specific styles andJor
products are part of this trend6
Depending on "hen this e!ercise is assigned. the responses "ill &ary considerably# =any
trends tend to be short li&ed# ?his "ill be particularly true of trends that ha&e not actually
become popular yet# =any students "ill li'ely identify an underground trend simply
because they identify "ith it# ?his is all o'ay# ?he ob7ecti&e of this e!ercise is to describe
a trend according to lifestyle and psychographics and to identify styles and products that
"ould be congruent "ith this description#
CASE STU'Y TEACHIN& NOTES
Chapter 6 Case ,tudy: The 1agic o" iPod
,ummary o" Case
Before reading this case, e!eryone will know something about the iPod cra3e" Although not the
pioneer of /P- players, Apple has risen to the top rapidly" 7egardless of the onslaught of
competiti!e tactics, Apple still holds o!er E< percent of the market" $his case attempts to
illustrate some of the reasons why" Customers are not buying iPods because they are
technologically superior or because they are cheaper" $hey are neither" $hey are buying them for
image reasons" #Pods ha!e personality, and users become attached to them in an emotional way"
$his has sparked a tremendous industry for accessory products" #t has also spawned a brand
community that, gi!en the youth of the brand, is unri!aled"

,uggestions "or Presentation
+6;
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
$his case can be used to illustrate so many of the concepts from this chapter" But most
specifically, this case was designed to use as a teaching tool for the two concepts identified in the
discussion 'uestions: brand personality and lifestyles" $his case can be made !ery fun and
rele!ant by including current news items, pictures, and ads" $he instructor might also wish to
arrange for some students who own iPods to be prepared to talk about their own use andJor
relationship with their iPod"
,uggested $ns7ers "or 4iscussion 5uestions
+" 5escribe the personality of the iPod" Compare this to other high4image brands"
+hat are the traits that people ,students- attribute to this product$ As illustrated in the
case. some users may ascribe &ery personal characteristics to their o"n iPod. and only
to their iPod# (o"e&er. there "ill li'ely be some general personality traits that "ill li'ely
emerge# S&elte. se!y. intelligent. cool. hip. stylish. artistic. fle!ible. efficient7ust to name
a fe"#
." According to the information in this case, do iPod users seem to ha!e a uni'ue lifestyle6
5escribe it" 5iscuss the changes that iPod has had on music4listening lifestyle in general"
Actually. by the time students read this case. it should be apparent that iPod is defying
mar'et segments and lifestyles# 2ertainly. people that are using them are at least
moderately techno4sa&&y# (o"e&er. e&eryone from teens to aging professors has
embraced the product and the lifestyle# Because of this. there is hardly a unique customer
type or a unique lifestyle# Students may offer up that there are many identifiable
lifestyles#
?he impact that iPod has had on the "ay people listen to music is another story# Ho
longer do people listen to 5albums6 or 2Ds# Ho longer do people ha&e to decide "hat
music they should ta'e "ith them# People ha&e it all in one place and are mi!ing it up
constantly# ?hey are more li'ely to buy music on a song4by4song basis# Also. the iPod
generation is more li'ely to be e!posed to a broad &ariety of music. gi&en that s"apping
and sharing among co4users is ta'ing place#
Addtona! Support Matera!
STU'ENT PROJECTS
%ndividual Pro8ects
+" :a!e students collect print ad!ertisements that portray some of the aspects of (reudian
principles in action" 5o they seem effecti!e6 #s the message lost in the eecution6
+E<
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
." Ask students to eamine ad!ertisements and determine which appear to be (reudian or
=eo4(reudian in nature" :ow is this determined6 What were the messages in the
ad!ertisements6
-" :a!e each student de!elop a description of their own pleasure principle as it relates to
consumption" #n other words, how is their pleasure maimi3ed and pain minimi3ed when
they buy certain types of products6 What are the things that marketers do to appeal to
this6
9" :a!e students select an ad or series of ads from a well4known campaign" Based on the ad,
how ha!e archetypes been formed among consumers6
," :a!e each student characteri3e three different people that they associate with %friends,
coworkers, classmates, family members, etc"& based on traits %trait theory&" 8ach of the
three should be distinct" :ow could this information be used by an ad!ertiser6
6" Ask students to list three products that seem to ha!e personalities" 5escribe the
personalities" What types of people buy these products6 #s there a match between the
consumers personality and that of the brand or product6
E" Ask students to compile a selection of recent ads that attempt to link consumption of a
product with a specific lifestyle" #n class, ha!e students demonstrate what they ha!e
found" 5iscuss how the goal of linking product consumption to a lifestyle is usually
accomplished"
H" Ask students to think of a specific lifestyle %your own, your parents, your aspirations,
etc"& and then make a list of products and ser!ices that are linked in the consumers mind
to that specific lifestyle" %(int* Cou might decorate your li!ing room, design a wardrobe,
think of options for a car, etc"&
;" :a!e students select a product category" $hen, ha!e them de!elop a simple sur!ey asking
respondents how much they would be willing to pay for: +& a generic !ersion of the
product, .& a minor brand in the market, and -& the market leading brand" :a!e them
distribute this to ten indi!iduals" :a!e them tally the results as a demonstration of brand
e'uity"
+<" $his chapter mentions that psychographic analyses can be used by politicians to market
themsel!es" What are some of the marketing strategies and techni'ues used by politicians
in recent elections6 5id the candidates design special appeals to attract the attention of
special target markets6 What communication strategies were used6 5iscuss your
obser!ations with the class"
++" $ell students that the owners of a fast4food chain ha!e asked your class to prepare a
psychographic profile of families li!ing in the communities surrounding a new location
they are considering" %Cou?the instructor?should select any area that the students
+E+
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
would most likely know"& Construct a ten4'uestion psychographic in!entory appropriate
for segmenting families in terms of their dining4out preferences"
+." :a!e students analy3e their own patterns of food and be!erage consumption" What !alues
does this consumption reflect6 5o your consumption patterns fit neatly within an
identifiable food culture6 8plain"
+-" Ask students to eamine their lifestyle andJor that of their family from a geodemographic
perspecti!e" Analy3e your lifestyle according to the geographic le!els of your
neighborhood, 3ip code, city, and state"
+9" :a!e students eamine their usage of the #nternet" What elements from personality and
lifestyle would be important to this usage6 :ow can marketers use this information6 :ow
can marketers obtain this information6
+," Based on the ideas behind Ilobal /)*A#C, ha!e students research the target group of
global teenagers" What are the characteristics of this group6 :ow ha!e similarities
de!eloped6 :ow are marketers targeting this group6
+6" :a!e students use the principles of P7#N/ to de!elop a description of their own home
3ip code"
+E" :a!e students identify a co4branded pair of products" Based on (igure 6"., ha!e the
students identify the 0ustification for these two products to be linked"
.roup Pro8ects
+" :a!e students de!elop print or !ideo ad!ertisements that apply (reudian and $rait theory
principles for products or ser!ices that target college students" :a!e them eplain if their
ad!ertisements will work effecti!ely" Ask them to test the ad!ertisements with other
students that are not in the consumer beha!ior class"
." Let students call the local newspaper and ask about ad!ertising inserts that are specific to
a certain area of the cityJtown" #f they do ha!e such a ser!ice, are the ads different6
:ow are they different6 5o they match the P7#N/ for the area6
-" Bring in some maga3ines targeted toward specific regional or local groups %Southern
Li&ing. =id"est Li&ing. Progressi&e /armer. Sunset, Ingrams, Ari)ona (igh"ays. etc"&"
:a!e student groups look through the maga3ines and describe the types of articles and
ad!ertisements contained in each" :ow effecti!e are the maga3ines in reaching their
target market6 :ow do they use lifestyles6
+E.
Chapter 6: Personality and Lifestyles
9" Fsing A#) segmentation, ha!e groups of students design a new ad!ertising campaign for
a chain of restaurants targeting young professional college graduates" :a!e them eplain
the process they went through"
," As an in4class acti!ity: Ask all students to classify themsel!es as idiocentric or
allocentric" )nce e!eryone has done this, then ha!e them form groups of four to si
people with other that ha!e the same classification that they do" :a!e students e!aluate
themsel!es in groups according to the , points of difference between the two groups
described in the tet"
6" *tudent groups should identify three eamples of lifestyle marketing on the #nternet"
:a!e members of the group demonstrate at least one of these sites in class" *how how the
site uses lifestyles to the organi3ations ad!antage"
eLAB
%ndividual $ssignments

+" Aisit www"claritas"com and click on the F*A$oday link for Nipcode look up" Learn
about the lifestyles of people who li!e in your neighborhood" 5o you fit any of the
categories6 #f not, how different are you compared to them6
." Io to 777.ben8erry.com and 777.bluebunny.com" What are the primary differences
between these two popular Web sites6 What lifestyles are segmented6 Which site better
epresses !alues6 Profile the typical consumer of both organi3ations" What are the
differences between the two profiles6 8plain how you constructed the profiles"
-" Io to 777.burtsbees.com" :ow does this site use lifestyle marketing to its ad!antage6
What lifestyle would be most associated with the products shown on this site6 After
reading the history of the founders, how were the founders able to pro0ect their own
lifestyles into the products produced by the company6 :ow could the company epand
its sales into other lifestyle segments6
9" Io to 777.mp.com" Which /P- products seem to be the greatest hit with todays
youth" %(eel free to epand your search to other Web sites to answer the 'uestion" Cou
might try www"ka3aa"com, www"morpheus"com, or www"apple"comJitunesJ&" Are market
segments other than Ien O adopting /P- technology6 8plain" What could /P- add to
their Web site to epand to other generations or lifestyles6 8plain"
," Io to 777.scion.com" 8plore the site and describe in detail the personality of this
brand"
6" Io to 777.bebe.com" Analy3e the product offerings for this company based on the id
and the superego" 5o people who buy this brand do so based on one or the other6 8plain
how the ego may create balance"
+E-
*ection .: Consumers as #ndi!iduals
E" (irst, print out the AAL* types along with their descriptions" :and them to the students
and ha!e them select the type they think they are" After noting their choices, ha!e them
!isit www"sric4bi"comJAAL*Jpresur!ey"shtml and take the sur!ey to determine who they
really are6 #s the self4selection different from the results of the sur!ey6 #f yes, why do
they feel they are different from what the sur!ey states6 Can the differences be
reconciled6
.roup $ssignments
+" Io to 777.gi8oe.com %or 777.hasbro.com& and 777.barbie.com" Which of these
organi3ations has done a better 0ob of lifestyle marketing6 What can you tell about
personality from !isitors to these sites6 :ow do the sites use fantasy to their ad!antage6
:ow ha!e the two sites tried to update their products to meet modern needs6 :ow has the
I" #" @oe site dealt with !iolence %or the a!ersion to it&6 8!aluate the Barbie Web sites
ability to allow a customer to design his or her own doll6 What do you think of this
customi3ation feature6 What do you pro0ect as the future for these two product groups6
." :a!e students go to 777.sric#bi.com*+$!,*presurvey.shtml" :a!e each of them take
the sur!ey and print out the page with the results" $hey should also print the list of AAL*
classifications and description" $hen, ha!e them discuss the outcomes in groups"
*pecifically, they should discuss whether they feel that the results are characteristic of
them"
+E9