Personality, SelfImage and

Lifestyles

OBJECTIVES

A consumers personality influences the way he or

she responds to marketing stimuli.
Consumers lifestyles are key to many marketing
strategies.
Psychographics go beyond simple demographics
to help marketers reach different segments.
Identifying patterns of consumption is superior to
knowledge of individual purchases when a
marketer crafts a lifestyle marketing strategy.

WHAT IS PERSONALITY?

A persons unique psychological makeup and how it

consistently influences the way a person responds
to his/her environment

NATURE
Reflects individual
differences
Consistent and enduring
Can change

THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
1. Freudian theory
Unconscious needs or drives are at the heart
of human motivation
Three interacting systems

Id: primitive and impulsive drives

Superego: Individuals internal expression

of societys moral and ethical codes of
conduct

Ego: Individuals conscious control

Reality principle: ego gratifies the id in such a
way that the outside world will find acceptable

2. Neo-Freudian personality theory

Social relationships are fundamental to the

formation and development of personality
Viewed individuals as striving to overcome
feelings of inferiority & searching for new
ways to obtain love, security and brotherhood.
These feelings motivate the individuals to
perfect themselves and develop methods to
cope with anxieties.
e.g., CAD theory

Horneys CAD Theory

A CAD instrument was developed to measure

consumers interpersonal orientations
Reflected that different products and brands were
used by individuals having different personality
types.
Using the context of child-parent relationships,
individuals can be classified into:
Compliant individuals
Aggressive individuals
Detached individuals

CAD

Compliant Personality
One who desires to be loved, wanted, and
appreciated by others.
Aggressive Personality
One
who moves against others (e.g.,
competes with others, desires to excel and
win admiration).
Detached Personality
One who moves away from others (e.g., who
desires independence, self-sufficiency, and
freedom from obligations).

3. Cognitive Theories of Personality

Personality as differences in cognitive processes

(how consumers process and react to
information)

Need for Cognition (NC)

A persons craving for enjoyment of thinking
High NC consumers are likely to:
Relate better to written messages
Want product-related information
Spend more time processing print ads
Enjoy using the internet to get information

Visualizers Vs Verbalizers

A persons preference for information presented

visually or verbally
Visualizers require strong visual elements in ads
Verbalizers prefer written information, print ads,
question-answer format

4. Trait theory

Any distinguishing, relatively enduring way in which

one individual differs from another.
The concept of trait is based on three assumptionsEvery individual possess relatively stable behavioral
tendencies
These tendencies differs in degrees in individuals
When identified and measured, they help in
characterizing personalities.

Traits relevant to consumer behavior

Consumer Innovativeness

The degree to which consumers are receptive to

new products, new services or new practices.

Consumer innovators are likely to:

Score lower on dogmatism
Score higher on need for uniqueness
Have higher optimum stimulation levels
Have higher need for sensation seeking and
variety seeking behaviours

Consumer Materialism
The extent to which a person is considered
materialistic (the degree of consumers
attachment to worldly possessions)
Possessions seen as for ones identity
Materialistic People
Value acquiring and showing-off possessions
Are particularly self-centered and selfish
Seek lifestyles full of possessions
Have many possessions that do not lead to
greater happiness

Fixated consumption behaviour

Consumers fixated on certain products or
categories of products
Consumers have
a deep interest in a particular object or
product category
a willingness to go to considerable lengths to
secure items in the category of interest

the dedication of a considerable amount of

discretionary time and money to searching out
the product
Examples: collectors, hobbyists

Consumer Ethnocentrism
The consumers likelihood to accept or reject the
foreign products
Ethnocentric consumers feel it is wrong to
purchase foreign-made products
They can be targeted by stressing nationalistic
themes

Compulsive consumption behaviour

Addicted or out-of-control consumers

Eg:
1.

2.

3.

When I have money, I cannot help but spend

part or the whole of it.
As soon as I enter a shopping center, I have
an irresistible urge to go into a shop to buy
something.
I have often bought a product that I did not
need, while knowing I had very little money left.

Brand Personality

Personality-like traits associated with brands

Volvo - safety
Perdue - freshness
Nike - the athlete
BMW - performance
Levis 501 - dependable and rugged

Personality and Marketing Strategy

Identify relevant personality traits

Target consumers with the relevant personality
traits
Develop promotional messages that appeal to
consumers with specific personality traits
Develop a personality for the brand

SELF AND SELF-IMAGE

The possible relationships between how individuals

perceive themselves and what behavior they
exhibit as consumers.
Self-image: A persons perceptions of his/her self
People have multiple selves
Different selves in different situations

DIFFERENT SELF-IMAGES
Actual SelfImage

Ideal Self-Image

Ideal Social
Self-Image

Social Self-Image

Expected
Self-Image

PERCEIVED
SELF IMAGE

PECEIVED
BRAND
IMAGE

COMPARISON

PREFFERED
BRANDS

UNACCEPTA
BLE BRANDS

ALTERING SELF IMAGES

If actual and ideal self-images are different,

consumers may use products to alter their selves
Personality vanity: self interest or admiration for
ones own appearance/achievements

Internet Insight: Virtual Self

Online individuals have an opportunity to try on

different personalities
Virtual personalities may result in different purchase
behaviour

Self Concept and Marketing Strategy

Use self-concept for segmentation and positioning

Market to consumers actual or ideal self-images
Depends on the nature of the product
Promote products as ways of altering or extending
self-image

Life Style and Psychographics

Psychographic Segmentation
Segmenting consumers on the basis of their
activities, interests and opinions
Psychographic-demographic profiles
Geodemographic segmentation
Life Styles and Marketing Strategy

Use life styles for segmentation and positioning

Develop media campaigns based on consumer life
styles