) A fe Personality and Consumer Behavior ARKETERS have long tried to appeal to con- sumers in terms of their personality charac- teristics. They have intuitively felt that what consumers purchase, and when and how they consume, are likely to be influenced by their personality fac- tors. For this reason, marketing and advertising people have frequently depicted (or incorporated) specific personality traits or characteristics in their marketing and advertising messages. Some recent examples are an appeal to other. Girectedness forthe Tata Tea “aago re” campaign, an ap- Peal to low dagmatismlor open mindedness) for HSBC ‘Worlds Local Bank” campaign (headline: Diferent People Different Solutions), ‘an appeal to drivers! cence snonconformity or sensation seeking with the Hye? ot headline: "The Greatest Explorers Hod No Maps" aa appeal by BEDAT & Co wristwatches to consumer foe uniqueness (headline: "Very Famous Among: People"—www.bedat.com). Figure 5.1 presensa would be particularlyappealing to enthusiasiews | involved collectors (e.g., some stamp, coin, ai lectors). This personality trait is known as “fixate tion.” Its discussed in greater detail later inthe! This chapter provides the reader with anu! of how personality and self-conceptarerelatedt## ects of consumer behavior. It examines vial reviews several major personality theories # how these theories have stimulated marketing study of consumer personality. The chapters Portant topics of brand personality, how Ht ’ cepts of self and self-image influence Co" oe and behavior. The chapter concludes with" “ual personality or virtual self Scanned with CamScannerLearnine Objectives I To Understand tow Personality Reflects Consumers’ inner Differences, 2) To Understand How Freudian, Neo-Freadian, and Tait Theories Each Explain the influence of Personality on Consumers’ Attitudes and Behavior, Ta Understand How Consumers Can Cy, 0 _ ting a Particular Set of Persy, sh Soi) To Understand How Personality Reflects Consumers’ Identities Reflecting a of Per on Responses to Productand Marketing Messages. To Understand How Marketers See) ‘i kt Cr, "Brand Personalities-Like Traits, le Understand Hw the Products ang “That Consumers Use Enhance Theip Sl age What Is Personality? corists in a variety of ways So mality has been approached by theorists in a varie — LEARNING aaa eer tcane of heredity and early childhood experiences on Personligt aaa here have stressed broader social and environmental influences and te ane Objective opment; others have stress it wer time. Some theorists prefer to view person, ersonalites develop continuously over i ler ev ea To Understand How — rifed wholesothers focus on mite wide on wr me er tt |. However, Personality Reflects {0 arrive ata singe definion, However, we propre tat personality cin be tne ‘hs inner poychologiel characterises fro es ee Differences. ‘The emphasis in this definition is on inner characi thos: specie quit utes, traits factor, and mannerisms that distinguish one individual from other individ discussed later in the chapter, the deeply ingrained characteristics that we call personaly, likely to influence the individual's product choices: They affect the way consumers rey marketers’ promotional efforts, and when, where, and how they consume particular pas or services. Therefore, the identification of specific personality characteristics associated wit, consumer behavior has proven to be highly useful in the development ofa firms mare xs mentation strategies THE NATURE OF PERSONALITY In the study of personality, three distinct properties are of central importance: (1) peril reflects individual differences; (2) personality is consistent and enduring; and (3) personality change. Personality Reflects Individual Differences Because the inner characteristics that constitute an individual’s personality area uniqae ination of factors, no two individuals are exactly alike. Nevertheless, many individuals! similar in terms of a single personality characteristic but not in terms of others. For isi Stine People ean be described as “high” in consumer ethnocentrism (eg. ilingnss © _ 4 foreign-made product), whereas others can be described as “low in ehnocentin ¢ afraid or reluctant to buy a foreign-made product), Personality is a useful concept bi enables us to categorize consumers se to different groups on the basis of one ot £2 traits If each person were different in terms of all Personality traits it would be impos, group consumers into Segments, and there would be little reason for marketers Products and promotional campaigns targeted to particular segments. Personality Is Consistent Preto and Enduring ing" .n individual’ ; An ini tals peony tends to be both consistent and enduring, Indeed, mes sou: eerste as always cared a great deal about her clothes from the ira - © contention that personality has both consistency at © 0 Scanned with CamScannerPersonality and Consumer Behavior 121 Both qualities are essential if marketers are to explain or predict consumer behavior in terms of personality. Although marketers cannot change consumers’ personalities to conform to their products, if they know which personality characteristics influence specific consumer responses, they can attempt to appeal to the relevant traits inherent in their target group of consumers. Even though consumers’ personalities may be consistent, their consumption behavior of- ten varies considerably because of the various psychological, sociocultural, environmental, and situational factors that affect behavior. For instance, although an individual's personality may be relatively stable, specific needs or motives, attitudes, reactions to group pressures, and even responses fo newly available brands may cause a change in the person's behavior. Personality is only one of a combination of factors that influence how a consumer behaves. Personality Can Change Under certain circumstances personalities change For instance, an individual's personality may be altered by major life events, such as marriage, the birth of a child, the death of a parent, or a change of job and/or profession. An individual's personality changes not only in response to abrupt events but also as part of a gradual maturing process—“She’s more mature, and now she’s willing to listen to points of view other than those she agrees with,” says an aunt after not seeing her niece for several years. ‘There is also evidence that personality stereotypes may change over time. More specif- ically, although it is felt that men’s personality has generally remained relatively constant over the past 50 years, women's personality has seemed to become increasingly more mas- culine and should continue to do so over the next 50 years. This prediction indicates a convergence in the personality characteristics of men and women. The reason for this shift is that women have been moving more and more into occupations that have traditionally been dominated by men and, therefore, have increasingly been associated with masculine personality attributes. Theories of Personality LeaRNING Objective [RE ti onderstand tow Freudian, Neo-Freudian, and Trait Theories Each Explain the influence of Personality on Consumers’ Attitudes and Behavior ‘This section reviews three major theories of personality: (1) Freudian theory, (2) neo-Freudian. theory, and (3) trait theory.These theories have been chosen for discussion from among many theories of personality because each has played a prominent role in the study of the relation- ship between consumer behavior and personality. FREUDIAN THEORY ‘Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality is one of the cornerstones of modern psy- chology-This theory was built on the premise that unconscious needs or drives, especially sexual and other biological drives, are at the heart of human motivation and personality, Freud con- structed his theory on the basis of patients’ recollections of early childhood experiences, analy- sis of their dreams, and the specific nature oftheir mental and physical adjustment problems. Id, Superego, and Ego Based on his analyses, Preud proposed that the human personality co systems: the id, the superego, and the ego, The id was conceptualized as a "warehouse {ive and impulsive drives—basic physiological needs such as thirst, hunger, and sex-for which ‘he individual secks immediate satisfaction without concern for the specific means of satisfaction. {In contrast tothe i, the superego is conceptualized as the individual's internal expression of society's moral and ethical codes of conduct. The superego's roe is to see that the individual es needs in a socially acceptable fashion. Thus, the superego is a kind of “brake” that re- Strains or inhibits the impulsive forces of the id. “888 Kind of " Finally, the ego is the individual's that attempts to balance the impulsive ‘sof three conscious control. It functions as an internal monitor demands of the id and the sociocultural constraints of 2 interrelationships among the three interacting systems. mn addition to specifying a structure for personality, Freud emphasised tla oa ini aka Scanned with CamScanner122 Consumer Behavior FIGURE 5.2 A Representation of the Interrelationships Among the \d, Ego, and Superego Use) SNACK FOODS Potato chips Tortilla chips Pretzels Snack crackers Cheese curls Nuts Popcorn, ‘Meat snacks Bn Gratification ‘SUPEREGO ‘System 2 distinct stages of infa 1c passes through a number of : — she the ova, ana, phallic, latent, and genital stages. Fen personality is formed as he or ment to conform to the area of the body on which he, childhood development. These lop! beled four of these stages of devel ie vd the child's sexual instincts are focused at the time. | ; tere ording to Freudian theory, an adult’s personality is determined by how well he or i ile pass hh of these stages ( Sees that are experienced while passing through eacl stages (ane Sais nance ra iasanee,ifa child's oral needs are not adequately sted a stage of development, the person may become fixated at this stage and as an adult dslay, personality that includes such traits as dependence and excessive oral activity (ee, ‘gum ches. Jag and smoking) When an individual is fixated at the anal stage, the adult personality may play other traits, such as an excessive need for neatness Freudian Theory and “Product Personality” Researchers who apply Freud’s psychoanalytic theory to the study of consumer personality lieve that human drives are largely unconscious and that consumers are primarily unaware dl their true reasons for buying what they buy-These researchers tend to see consumer purchats and/or consumption situations as a reflection and an extension of the consumer's own pers ality. In other words, they consider the consumer's appearance and possessions—groomi clothing, jewelry, and so forth—as reflections of the individual's personality. Table 5.1 pret the results of a study of 19,000 consumers that examines the link between snack food pero tions and selected personality traits? The findings of the research, for example, reveal that p> tato chips are associated with being ambitious, successful, and a high achiever and impatt with less than the best, whereas popcorn seems to be related to a personality that takes cat Liles lin eel iyi PERSONALITY TRAITS Ambitious successful high achiever, impatient with less than the best Perfectionist high expectations, punctual, conserva , Lively, easily bored with same old rout Rational, logical, contemplative, shy, Conscientious, prin ive, responsible. ine flitatious, intuitive, prefers time alone, led, proper, fair, may Easygoing, empathetic, understanding, ca Takes charge pitches in often, modest, se Gregarious generous, trustworthy, tends may overcommit to projects. 'Y appear rigid but has great integrity, plans ahead, loves 0” Im, even tempered, ‘confident but not a show-off, to be overly trusting, Scanned with CamScanner123 Personality and Consumer Behavior off, (The related topics of the chapter.) pitches in often, and is modest and self-confident but not a shor brand personality, and the self and self-images are considered later NEO-FREUDIAN PERSONALITY THEORY Several of Freud’s colleagues disagreed with his contention that personality is primarily in- stinctual and sexual in nature. Instead, these neo-Freudians believed that social relationships are fundamental to the formation and development of personality. For instance, Alfred Adler viewed human beings as seeking to attain various rational goals, which he called style of life. He also placed much emphasis on the individual's efforts to overcome feelings of inferiority (i... by striving for superiority), Harry Stack Sullivan, another neo-Freudian, stressed that people continuously attempt to establish significant and rewarding relationships with others. He was particularly concerned With the individual’ efforts to reduce tensions, such as anxiety. ; Like Sullivan, Karen Horney was also interested in anxiety. She focused on the impact of child-parent relationships and the individual's desire to conquer feelings of anxiety. Horney proposed that individuals be classified into three personality groups: compliant, aggressive, and detached 1. Compliant individuals are those who move toward others (they desire to be loved, wanted, and appreciated). 2. Aggressive individuals are those who move against others (they desire to excel and win admiration). 3. Detached individuals are those who move away from others (they desire independence, self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and individualism or freedom from obligations). A personality test based on Homey’s theory (the CAD) has been developed and tested within the context of consumer behavior. The initial CAD research uncovered a number of ten- tative relationships between college students’ scores and their product and brand usage patterns. Forexample, highly compliantstudents were found to prefer name-brand products suchas Bayer aspirin; students classified as aggressive showed a preference for Old Spice deodorant over other brands (seemingly because of its masculine appeal); and highly detached students proved to be heavy tea drinkers (possibly reflecting their desire not to conform). More recent research has found that children who scored high in self-reliance—who preferred to do things independently of others (ie.,detached personalities) —were less likely to be brand loyal and were more likely to try different brands’ Many marketers use some of these neo-Freudian theories intuitively. For example, mar- keters who position their products or services as providing an opportunity to belong or to be appreciated by others in a group or social setting would seem to be guided by Horney’s characterization of the compliant individual. To illustrate, imagine an ad for sleepwear that is created to appeal to a compliant individual when it suggests that wearing the sleepwear will lead to “counting compliments,” since compliant individuals particularly wish to be complimented and appreciated. In a similar fashion, Figure 5.3 shows an ad for Carmichael ‘Training Systems® that in its headline is “speaking” to the aggressive individual who seeks to excel and achieve recognition. Specifically, the ad’s headline makes a point of this when it states “Create Your Own Comeback.” TRAIT THEORY Trait theory constitutes a major departure from the qualitative measures that typify the Freudian and neo-Freudian movements (e.g., personal observation, self-reported experiences, dream analysis, projective techniques). ‘The orientation of trait theory is primarily quantitative or empirical; it focuses on the mea- surement of personality in terms of specific psychological characteristics, called traits. A trait is defined as “any distinguishing, relatively enduring way in which one individual differs from an- other.”* Trait theorists are concerned with the construction of personality tests (or inventories) that enable them to pinpoint individual differences in terms of specific traits. Selected single-irait personality tests (which measure just one trait,such as self-confidence) are often developed specifically for use in consumer behavior studies. These tailor-made personality Scanned with CamScannera vr FIGURE 5.3 Source: Courtesy of Carmichael Training Systems QUESTION: Why /s Appealing to an Aggressive Consumer a Logical Pasition for This Product? CREATE YOUR OWN COMEBACK. 37 years old. Three kids. Lots of business travel Sound familiar? Lance sa busy alee anid so are you Now through our Create Your Own Comeback" promiton, you can take advantage of spect package of waning to's the same ones Lance relies on inuding coaching cams, esting, and cutting-edge technology. Ingtng and emcnetng ‘the athlete in Every Be} CD Go to wwnwarainright.com/comeback fr this specs offer and to share your comeback story. 866355-0645 | rannghtcn tests measure such tats as consumer innovativeness (how receptive a persons to new 3 related capes) consumer materialism (the degree of the consumer's attachment lo" possessions”), and consumer ethnocentrism (the consumer's likeli or rejet foe made products). 1er’s likelihood to accept or rej yo of interest to n ers having regan Study of over 1,000 US. adults found very different traits amo clam chowder).7 ‘the nonce 7 : a the traits associated with six different types of SOUPS yy standing of consumer belreg a M°ASUES Of personality traits are used to expand Oi Scanned with CamScanner125 Personality and Consumer Behavior eee eae CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP LOVERS + Watch a lot of TV + Are family oriented + Have a great sense of humor + Are outgoing and loyal + Like daytime talk shows ‘+ Most likely to go to church TOMATO SOUP LOVERS + Passionate about reading * Love pets + Like meeting people for coffee ‘© Aren’t usually the life of the party \VEGETABLE/MINESTRONE SOUP LOVERS *# Enjoy the outdoors ‘= Usually game for trying new things © Spend more money than any other group dining in fancy restaurants * Likely to be physically fit ‘# Gardening is often a favorite hobby CHILL-BEEF SOUP LOVERS * Generally preferred by males * Are the most social of all soup lovers * Are the life of the party '* Love telling jokes. ‘+ Watch sporting events ‘+ Wateh sitcoms on TV NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER LOVERS + Most conservative of all soup lovers + Pride themselves on being realistic and down-to-earth * Can occasionally be cynical Source: Gwen Carden, "Your Favorite Soup Reveals Your Personality." Sioux City Joural, January 2, 2001, Personality and Understanding Consumer Behavior LEARNING Osjecrive To Understand How Personality Reflects Consumers’ Responses to Product and Marketing Messages, Marketers are interested in understanding how personality influences consumption behavior because such knowledge enables them to better understand consumers and to segment and ta get those consumers who are likely to respond positively to their product or service communi- cations. Several specific personality traits that provide insights about consumer behavior are examined next. CONSUMER INNOVATIVENESS AND RELATED PERSONALITY TRAITS. Marketing practitioners try to learn all they can about consumer innovators—those who are open to new ideas and to be among the first to try new products, services, or practices—for the market response of such innovators is often a critical indication of the eventual success or fail- ure of a new product or service. Personality traits that have been useful in differentiating between consumer innovators and noninnovators include consumer innovativeness, dogmatism, social character, need for Scanned with CamScanneri nati ‘king, and. variety, (eaateness, optimum stimulation level, sensation seeking, and variety-noyey (Chapter 13 examines nonpersonality characteristics that Gistinguish between”, Sey, innovators and noninnovators.) However, according to a re sae Of the le feet frequently domain specific (ie. inno tage consumer innovativeness, innovators are {req erlapping. likely (ono'@on ey Particular product or service category) with some ov Y Between tiny closely related products and services.* ie & Consumer Innovativeness 7 Consumer researchers have endeavored to develop measurement instruments level of consumer innovaiveness because such measures of personality tris poy tant insights nto the nature and boundaries of aconsumer's“wilingness to innovaieng he Years, the trait of consumer innovatveness hasbeen linked to the need Fr stimulation ty seeking, and the need for uniqueness—three other tral uring consumes lati? chapter. Table 5.3 presents two alternative scales Re nae casting ante : first scale measuring general innovativeness and the s speci is, product-specific) innovativeness. ete fe i iveness have treated this construc, le previous studies of consumer innovati Sing search effort examining high-technology products, develope personality trait, a recent res aera erarchical model consisting of three levels of personality, 1. Global innovativeness—a personal trait that exists independent of any context; on thay represents the “very nature”of consumers’ innovativeness 2. Domain-specific innovativeness—a more narrowly defined activity within a specific g. main or product category a 3. Innovative behavior—a pattern of actions or responses that indicate early acceptance change and adoption of innovations (e.g,being among the first to purchase new and ferent products or services). Available consumer research indicates a positive relationship between innovative weg the Internet and buying online.!! Other research exploring the association between pencns, ity traits and innovative Internet behavior has reported that Internet shoppers tend to themselves as being able to control their own future,using the Internet to seek out information, enjoying change, and not being afraid of uncertainty.!2 One study has found that while oali: banking is positively associated with Internet-related innovativeness (je., domain speci A “GENERAL” CONSUMER INNOVATIVENESS SCALE 1. I would rather stick to a brand I usually buy than try something I am not very sure of 2, When I go to a restaurant, I feel itis safer to order dishes I am familiar with. 3. If Tike a brand, T rarely switch from it just to try something diferent, 4, Lenjoy taking chances in buying unfami 5. When I see a new brand on the shelf, I'm brands just to get some variety in my purchase not afraid of giving it a try. ‘A DOMAIN-SPECIFIC CONSUMER INNOVATIVENESS SCALE 1. Compared to my friends, I own few rock albums, 2: In general, am the last in my circle of friends to know the titles of the latest rock albus 3: Ingeneral, I am among the firs in my circle of friends to buy a new rock album when't 5 0 tt Tock album was available in the store, I would be interested enous 5. Twill buy a new rock albus m, even if [haven't heard j 6. Tknow the names of new wa eatd it yet, rock acts before other people d sero Ban Mewarnsat Ole 2 pone Scanned with CamScannerPersonality and Consumer Behav ns negatively related to embracing innovativeness), more general consumer innovativeness wa 5 matin Hankin i -specific innovativeness." Shine hank ings highlighting. the fmportance of dom i a roca mgs hen aseful consideration while marketing, FMCGs and durables cptive to new product It enahles marketers to identify and target “innovators” who are receptive to new Prove categories Cell phones, clectronic toys. plasma TVs, special types of watches like Eco-Drive from Citizen and electric ears are some categories that may benefit from the identification oF jnnovator profile Innovators also form a good hase of consumers who spread the word abou! a category or brand by talking about it. There is a need to ensure that innovators are not only ified with the product but also with the service that is packaged with the product. It may be worth while for marketers to find out if these consumers perceive the henefits offered by new product categories. For example, products like three-in-ones (transistor, tape recorder. and record player) introduced in the late 1960s/early 1970s did not catch on even though a few in- novators bought this product. With small differentiation in the cola market.a brand may come out with a cola fortified with vitamins, and one of the success factors will depend on the “buzz” generated by innovators Additionally, consumer innovativeness can be an important consideration when firms con- template brand extensions (c.g., toothpaste brand begins marketing a line of toothbrushes under the same brand name). For instance, one research study found that consumer innova- tiveness is a key factor influencing brand extensions, and therefore firms bringing out a brand extension should consider developing a strategy that targets the more innovative consumer.'* Another study. examining private or store brand purchasing in Korea, found consumer innov- ativeness to be more important than other factors (such as price consciousness, value con- sciousness, and perceived price variation) when it came to accounting for the attitudes of Korean shoppers toward private brands.'5 Consumer Dogmatism Many marketers are keenly interested in managing consumers’ responses to distinctively un- familiar products or product features, especially marketers of technologically rich products. Within this context consumer dogmatism is a personality trait that measures the degree of rigidity (versus openness) that individuals display toward the unfamiliar and toward informa tion that is contrary to their own established beliefs."6 A person who is highly dogmatic ap- proaches the unfamiliar defensively and with considerable discomfort and uncertainty. At the other end of the spectrum, a person who is low dogmatic will readily consider the unfamiliar or opposing beliefs. Ina recent print ad, McDonald's asks potential consumers to“Be open tonew possibilities,” a concept that should be appealing to low-dogmatic consumers. Consumers who are low in dogmatism (open-minded) are more likely to prefer innovative products to established or traditional alternatives. In contrast, highly dogmatic (closed-minded) consumers are more likely to choose established, rather than innovative, product alternatives. Highly dogmatic consumers tend to be more receptive to ads for new products or services that contain an appeal from an authoritative figure. To this end, marketers have used celebri- ties and experts in their new-product advertising to make it easier for potentially reluctant con- sumers (noninnovators) to accept the innovation. In contrast, low-dogmatic consumers (Wwho are frequently high in innovativeness) seem to be more receptive to messages that stress fac- tual differences, product benefits, and other forms of product-usage information, Exploring dogmatism in a target segment is useful to marketers, especially before they for- mulate broad communication. For instance, among the target segment for water purifiers, there may be some who strongly believe that the process of purification is likely to be hazardous to health. This kind of belief has to be carefully dealt with, using a combination of promotional methods like advertisements, personal selling and, pethaps, demonstration with sophisticated methods and research data, Permission marketing, which involves creating an involvement of the consumer (by obtaining his consent toward receiving information about the company’s of- fering), is likely to be effective in providing a foundation for communication and reducing dog- matism. From among the target segment for water filters,it may be useful to gather data on how ‘many are interested in obtaining information on the brand, which also includes information ad- dressing misconceptions If the brand is able to communicate effectively to the selected cross- section of consumers, there are chances that word of mouth will take over and the positive effects of word of mouth will be associated with the brand. This approach is likely to be more effective than a high-visibility campaign that directly attacks the dogmatic beliefs of consumers. Scanned with CamScanner128 Carmarer Bahar FIGURE 54 Dealing wat Dagenatisen ceseany motes sunter-productive if they generate counter-arguments peyche of dogmatic eee may feel that the brand is attempting to foro tr consumers through an advertising blitzkrieg. Figure $4 reflects the different stages) in addres dogmatism among prospective consumers Apart from fescarch res. kinds of “credibility” models, like eminent doctors and scientists, can also be used to a. ae eer the concept of dogmatism, researchers found that Austrian consuers sx nce (similar to low dogmatism) and extraversn ing high on the traits of openness to experiet i (hich is associated with energy, ambition, venturesomeness, and being outgoing) res stronger to emotional messages. Specifically, the stronger the responses to emotional mess. the stronger attitudinal and purchase loyalty is likely to be. To put it another way.“branss make customers fee! happiness, joy or affection are most likely to get a positive response~ ein Social Character ‘The personality trait known as social character has its origins in sociological research, whi cuses on the classification of individuals into distinct sociocultural types. As used in consu: psychology, social character is a personality trait that ranges on a continuum from inter directedness to other-directedness. Inner-directed consumers tend to rely on their own ine: values or standards in evaluating new products and are likely to be consumer innovators Co versely, other-directed consumers tend to look to others for guidance as to what is appropria ‘or inappropriate; thus, they are less likely to be consumer innovators. ‘The readymade apparel category is one among many that uses “other-directed” appess ‘The Van Heusen ad in Figure 5.5 appeals to the other-directed consumer's need to be ass ciated with a certain class or groups of people (that is, people who are successful in busites and in their personal lives) and to be perceived as such themselves. In this category. Pett England, by projecting itself as the “honest shirt," appeals to the inner-directed consutt Jn the car segment, too, ads largely appeal to other-directedness, say for example, the Cot Altis ad, which says that itis “the only known cure for envy.” In this segment, one of the e\ tions Is the recent Honda New City ad (the race is within”), which suggest that the const” hhas 10 redefine his/her own benchmarks with regard to several aspects of the product. __ Tosum up, inner- and other-directed consumers are attracted to different types of Po er ean entire People Seem to prefer ads that stress product features and 1 enclits (enabling them to use their own values in eva uc wire er Sree ptr ee sain cial acceptance (this is in keey in e ; oft woop Thm ee ae en ek athe a tal OF grot OF er tha fe appeals F Social or group affiliations, rather than the informational content of anad. Need for Uniqueness ‘We all know people who seck to be unique. expe tions oF standart chee a are, unigue: For these people, conformity to others xP, Moreover we would ecreer abearunee or in their possessions. is something t0 be 8°, : ect tha iti easier to express or act uniuely if one does not bi" Scanned with CamScannerFIGURE 5.5 Personality and Consumer Behavior 129 isso mune Lea, Lapy VANHEUSEN ROME RE. orne meg ons sec em ane ee ate EM Se | ERS EUS Te cee eee eas pay a price in the form of others’ criticism. Supporting this perspective, research indicates that when consumers with a high need for uniqueness (high NFU) are asked to explain their choices, and are not concerned about being criticized by others. they are more receptive to mak- ing unique choices (demonstrating theit high NFU).'* Seeing the importance of NFU. other consumer researchers have developed an inventory to measure the trait within the context of consumer behavior. Table 5.4 presents a sample of items drawn from the inventory. Optimum Stimulation Level Some people seem to prefer a simple, uncluttered, and calm existence, whereas others prefer ‘an environment crammed with novel, complex, and unusual experiences. Consumer research has examined how such variations in individual needs for stimulation may be related to con- sumer behavior. Research has found that high optimum stimulation levels (OSLs) are linked 1eW products, to be innovative. to seek purchase- facilities than low OSLs Indeed. "individuals who eck high levels of stimulation are more likely to engage in “exploratory behaviors” during Shopping in order to maintain an optimum level of arousal.” An example of exploratory shop- ping behavior is the “mixing and matching” of items of clothing on a virtual mannequin or rrodel, Another (airly recent study investigating college students’ willinuness to select mass aeeyomizarion of fashion items (€..8 pair of jeans that are especially measured, cut. and sewn certhey offer a better fit oF appearance), found that OSL predicted two factors—students with greater willingness to take risks, to try n related information, and to accept new ret Scanned with CamScannerway of tellus peaple Pen different Lavead ter be dfterent an yeays that eters are tkety i ily Fike become extremely propilar Huse aterest in them When ptoducts.or As far as Pn cone thea, ctestoms and ites HVE 1 END ag sto the pieaduets Ebay. made to be broken al product or brands as a way to ere style that ts all my Hackind products ar brandy se that # ere Favoid products or brands that have already been accepted and purchased by the average consti ts "stomy dnsagree tet. "Consumers’ Heed fu Uniqueness ele eval ‘mr anal Valaatin.” Journal nf Cams Reseurch 2%, ae 1 50 Copyright © 2060. Ane openness to experimentation with appearance (cta,"1 try on some of the newest clothes on to see how | look in the styles") and enhancement of individuality (e.g.."1 try to ty clothes that are very unusual”) OSL, scores also scem to rellect a person's desired level of lifestyle stimulation.” For stance, consumers whose actual lifestyles are equivalent to their OSL scores appear to be qu satisfied, whereas those whose lifestyles are understimulated (ie. their OSL scores are p than the lifestyle they are currently living) are likely to be bored. Those whose lifestyles are overstimulated (ie, their OSLs are lower than current reality) are likely to seek rest ot relet ‘This suggests that the relationship between consumers’ lifestyles and their OSLs is likely tox uence their choices of products or services and how they manage and spend their time. For m. stance, a person who feels bored (an understimulated consumer) is likely to be attracted toa vacation that offers great deal of activity and excitement. In contrast, person who feels ver whelmed (an overstimulated consumer) i likely to seek a quiet, isolated, relaxing, and rejure- nating vacation, ‘The marketing implication of OSL is explained through the example of a vacation thet ranges from high adventure to one offering tranquility and peace. Another application of stimu: {ation levels can be associated withthe management of product lines in FMCG categories ile biscuits chocolates toothpastes and even cigarettes. One ofthe objectives of launching vara of brands (in the form of flavors and tastes) is to ensure that consumers do not change theit brand. It may be worthwhile for a brand to find out through research if loysl consumers need n levels. Revenue from variants is carefully managed for pr Guctline profits, and so stimulation levels of consumers need to be considered The concept sat be further explored with a tral of variants in consumables to check if it renee the questiot “Do consumers who are highly stimulated try out more v; r ints in a specific product category" Sensation Seeking Variety or Novelty Seeking ‘Still another similar to and related to OSL is variety or novell? types of consumer-variety seeking: exploratury P4” ives), vi é “xPerience new. different, and possibly better alte*** then coicarious exploration (eg. securing information about noe or different alternative 2" then contemplating or even daydreaming about ihe option), and use innovativeness (usin? Scanned with CamScannerPersonality and Consumer Behawar 131 eae en easingly oriented toward he- of ndependene on. spittual purus and insitu= from ae cath are mnereasinel linking thesis on Wo OSLs. While Indian spirtual textes all of an the pressure wo become perf rive dren avy from of tne vessages can cna etl ciel etl gril. gots pment ata ers foe te i taking vera forms usualy linking the degradation ot tranqulty among snersiulatel cowummers whe ae the the 5 hedonism. The Ar of Living’ primary target wements for several ctepores ot constant jessaze if love and peace, ISKCON's messages im mand spiel eangsetges om contol product Perhaps these consumers wil ecome less hin the prowanes eee eak Chopra's simulate in the proces of achieving the balance between negra Messe to achive hedonism through mater and eto alism. In his Christmas message of 2000, the Archibishop o Ruste i Cinerbury* mentioned tha Seal advennng.thecalare Sebo monet se Neen a wt already adopted product in a new or novel way). FMCGs like soaps, shampoos. and biscuits have a number of variants, and exploratory purchase ymon in the though there may be loyalists in some of them. An example of vicarious exploration Kinetic Honda, the gearless scooter launched several years back, which car malaya Rally” campaign that emphasized the durability of the product under t Using washing machines for making lassi and paintw/dyes to paint cows during fest amples of use innovativeness. The use innovativeness trait iy particularly relevant to techno- logical products (stch as home electronics products). in which some models offer an abundance ‘of features and functions, whereas others contain just a few essential features or functions. For ‘example, consumer with a high variety-seeking score might purchase a high-definition tele~ vision with more features than a consumer with a lower variety-secking score. Consumers with, high variety-seeking scores are also more likely to be attracted to brands that claim to have novel features or multiple uses or applications Still further, there appears to be relationship hetween variety seeking and time of day, with greater variety-seeking behavior occurring when. the consumer is experiencing arousal lows (as opposed to arousal peaks). And during the time oof day when arousal seeking is relatively minimal, leader brands fare better, while follower brands do better during periods of the day when variety secking is heightened. Intere: there is also research evidence to indicate that variety Seeking is greater when indivicl making choices for others, rather than for themselves. Recent reseatch has also found evidence that variety seeking ean be domain specific. suet as fitness group part larger variety of fruit juice drinks or members of a travel troup selecting a wider variety of alternative holiday activities (e. beach, sports, na- ture) ‘And in general, hungry consumers opt for more variety in their food choices—hunger and visual food! cues increase variety seeking with reypect to food items “The stream of research examined here indicates that the consumer innovator differs from the noninnovator in terms of personal tation. A knowledge of such personality dilfer- ences should help marketers select target segments for new products and then to design dis- linctive promotional strategies lor specific segments. Is are ex COGNITIVE PERSONALITY FACTORS Consumer researchers have been increasingly interested in how cognitive personality factors influence various aspects of consumer behavior. In particular, two cognitive personality traits— need for cognition and visualizers versus verbalizers—have been useful in understanding se- lected aspects of consumer behavior Need for Cognition il et for cognition |A promising cognitive personality characteristic is need for cog - aan craving for of enjoyment of thinking, Available research indicates that consumers who are uel in NFC are more likely to be responsive tothe part of an ad that is ich in product-elated information or description: whereas consumers who are relatively low in NEC are more likely to be attracted to the background or peripheral aspects of un ad, yuch as an attractive malet ot (NFC). It measures a per- Scanned with CamScanner ENT Ome LMLLULU!UlU CUansumers’ need for cognition i useful for marke re nintion sateqses. THIS ASPECT of the gat ri tarables Given the tyPe An Variety of yy snirketer may have (0 dceide on spe 2 Doing research on 9 I help formulate rage af const ies of durables. well-known celebrity a the insights gained wil help Sumer's personality is useful in the 6 a number of cateze oes ee tegory of wasting machines, Semi-agy ea each segment. For exanmplc.in the eatepory of 62 nina eB atten a target segment that #0 Interested in the upper-end “Fuzzy joy “ anes: Research information can give insights ¢ the need for cognition across they, nen th " F sepinent isnot interested in certain product. cepments fahe company finds that a particu Inted information, a different kind of appeal can up hy eustomer-frindly information provided talevision sets and automobiles have compared d n tex eicion) brands launched comparative advertising. Such campollt® 1° effective only if ye ey evtcare interested in product-related information. A brane! may also propagate s mmajrend nett without mich prodict-rlated information), asit will attract prospective con, aeyc eho may not have « high degree of cognition, Indica, the car brand from Tata Motor, Adopted this approach, highlighting the benelit of reduced fuel con's under certain condition, aa eee dle Mercedes is positioned for a niche market, the research on (he need or cop Monean be very useful in deciding promotional methods. the target seamen! ion ilerested in specie features the company can provide a visual demonstration of the brand and customize ae ection through personal selling or the Internet instead of running a bigh-vis}bility adver fling eampaiga with information on product features In this realm, researe) m0" adolescent, compared the effectiveness of a cartoon message and a written message. AS expected, for those Tow ia NFC. the cartoon message was more effective in changing attitudes and subjective norm horeas the written message Was more effective for those high in NFC2* In still another stu, tesearch suggests that consumers who are high in NFCare likely to spend more time processing print advertisements, which resultsin superior brand and ad claim recall® Another recent studs {ising a Taiwanese sample shows thatthe inclusion of diagnostie product information in adver tising (e. information that allows consumers to evaluate product quality and distinguish be tween brands) increases ad persuasion for high NFC consumers, but not for low NFC consumers? Along the same lines, another Taiwanese research effort found that individuals tox Sa NFC will more readily accept a marketer's recommended alternatives. allowing the consumer to more easily make a purchase decision.*t ‘Need for cognition also seems to play a role in an individual's use of the Internet. More precisely, NFC has been positively related to using the Internet to seek product information Current events and news,and learning and education—all activities that incorporate a cognitive element.® Other studies have found that people high in NFC are able to better filter out dis tractions in order to concentrate on their online activities and are more motivated to learn ot- line, and that the addition of interactive properties to a company's Web site will increas information processing for low NFC individuals. Such research insights provide advertises with valuable guidelines for creating online advertising messages (including supporting vist als) that appeal to a particular target audience grouping’s need for cognition. Te used in advertisements This €4M be hackeg retail outlets. Advertising campaigns for hoy, Iiiferent brands: Far example, Santro and'y¢ Visualizers Versus Verbalizers Its fairly well established that some people seem to be more open to and prefer the Wi ten word as a way of securing information, whereas others are more likely to respond 0 prefer visual images or messages as sources of information, Consistent with such indi differences, cognitive personality research classifies consumers into two groups: visualize (consumers who prefer visual information and products that stress the visual, such as me bership in a videotape club) or verbalizers (consumers who prefer written or verbal! infer mation and products, such as membership in book clubs or audiotape clubs). So" marketers sires strong visual mensions in order to attract vsulizers (see FigU ); 010" eu 4 detailed description or point-by-point explanation to attract verbalizers 6 vi fore ee Dalda Light Vanaspati detailing how the new brand has attributes raise cholesterol levels. After a few years, the sub-brand was renamed Daldt et wih dversements built around visuals rather than aibutes Tecent research effort consisting of four separa i es distinctly different types of visualizers, Object etastese aamaat fe Foun tha 600% idual Wo Scanned with CamScanner