Personality

Dr. Deepa Rohit, Associate

Professor Weschool
Learning Objectives

● Meaning of consumer personality

● Nature and characteristics of personality
● Theories of personality
● The meaning of self concept, self image and brand
personality
● Application to develop brand personality
Meaning
● Personality reflects repeated pattern of thoughts,
emotion, and behaviour which are stable and consistent
over a period of time and across different situations
● Defined as a sum total of the outer physiological and
inner psychological characteristics that determine and
reflect how a person reacts to his environment
Characteristics
● It represents inner psychological characteristics that
determine and reflect how we think and act
● A consumer’s personality is made up of not only
genetically, but also via socialisation process
● Personality reflects individual differences
● It is largely consistent and ensuring unless some
circumstances
Personality Influence

Product &
01 Brand Choice

02 Consumption
Pattern 03 Place of Shopping

04 Time of Buying
Theoretical Perspective

Freudian Theory Trait Theory

Neo-Freudian
Theory
Freudian Theory
● Sigmund Freud – Father of Psychology
● The premise of the theory is that unconscious needs and drives
especially sexual and other biological drives are at the heart of
human motivation and personality
● Human personality consists of the id, ego and superego
● The id – warehouse of primitive and impulsive drives
● The superego – individual’s internal expression of society’s moral
and ethical code of conduct – “Correct”
● The ego – the individual’s conscious control
● Application in promotion strategy
 Trait Theory
● Individual’s personality is made up of definite pre-
dispositional attributes or traits he/ she possesses
○ Traits are identifiable,
○ Relatively stable, consistent,
○ Common to individuals yet differ in strength and amount,
○ People with similar traits may behave similarly
○ Traits are measurable
○ Combination of traits is responsible for differences
between people
 Trait Theory
● Allport – Founder of Trait approach
● He identified around 18000 traits which finally brought down
to 16 traits by Raymond Cattell
● Big-Five Personality Traits –
○ Openness to Experience- outgoing, liberal, creative,
tendency to enjoy art and new experiences
○ Conscientiousness- organised, purposeful, hardworking,
diligent
○ Extraversion- seek stimulation, sociable
○ Agreeableness- altruistic, easy going, cooperative
○ Neuroticism- easily experience negative efforts and
unpleasant emotions
Consumption Related
Personality Traits
Consumer Behaviour

1. Consumer Innovativeness – (Dogmatism, Need for

uniqueness)
2. Consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence
3. Need for cognition
4. Consumer Materialism
5. Self-consciousness
6. Consumer Ethnocentrisms
Self –Concept & Self – Image
 Self-Image

● Self-image is how people perceive themselves

● Consumers relate products that are consistent with their self-images
or to enhance self-image

Ideal Self Social Self

Actual Self
Image Image
• How a consumer perceives • How a consumer would like • How a consumer feels
himself to perceive himself others to perceive him
Brand Personality

● Products and brand personification are forms of

Anthropomorphism – attributing human characteristics to
something which is not human
● Brand Personification occurs when consumers attribute human
traits or characteristics to a brand
● Brand Personality – the set of human characteristics
associated with the brand
● Brand Identity + Brand Image  Brand Personality
Brand Personality – Aaker