Chapter 6

Personality and Lifestyles

CONSUMER
BEHAVIOR, 9e
Michael R. Solomon

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-1

Chapter Objectives
When you finish this chapter, you should understand
why:

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.
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-2

Personality

Personality: a persons unique psychological

makeup and how it consistently influences
the way a person responds to his/her
environment

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-3

Freudian Systems
Personality = conflict between gratification
and responsibility

Id: pleasure principle

Superego: our conscience
Ego: mediates between id and superego
Reality principle: ego gratifies the id in
such a way that the outside world will find
acceptable

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-4

Freudian Systems (continued)

Marketing Implications

This ad focuses on
the conflict between
the id and the
superego

Ads often times use

symbolism to
motivate product
purchases
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-5

Motivational Research
and Consumption Motives

Power-masculinityvirility

Security
Eroticism
Moral puritycleanliness

Social acceptance
Individuality

Status
Femininity
Reward
Mastery over
environment

Disalienation
Magic-mystery

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-6

Motivational Research

Criticisms
Invalid or works too well
Too sexually based
Appeal
Less expensive than large-scale surveys
Powerful hook for promotional strategy
Intuitively plausible findings (after the fact)
Enhanced validity with other techniques
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-7

Neo-Freudian Theories

Karen Horney
Compliant versus detached versus
aggressive

Alfred Adler
Motivation to overcome inferiority
Harry Stack Sullivan
Personality evolves to reduce anxiety
Carl Jung
Developed analytical psychology
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-8

Carl Jung,
Father of Analytical Psychology

Disciple of Freud
Established concept of collective
unconscious

Explained the creation of archetypes

Old wise man
Earth mother
Young & Rubicam uses the concept of
archetypes in its BrandAsset Archetypes
model
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-9

Figure 6.1 BrandAsset Valuator Archetypes

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-10

Figure 6.1 BrandAsset Valuator Archetype

(continued)

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-11

Trait Theory

Personality traits: identifiable characteristics

that define a person

Traits relevant to consumer behavior:

Innovativeness
Materialism
Self-consciousness
Need for cognition
Frugality
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-12

Are You an Innie or an Outie?

Idiocentrics

Allocentrics

(individualist orientation)

(group orientation)

Contentment

More satisfied with current life Less satisfied with current

life

Health
Consciousness

Less likely to avoid unhealthy

foods

More likely to avoid

unhealthy foods

Food Preparation

Spend less time preparing

food

Love kitchen; spend more

time preparing food

Workaholics

More likely to work hard and

stay late at work

Less likely to work hard

Travel and
Entertainment

More interested in traveling to

other cultures

Visit library and read more

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-13

Problems with Trait Theory

Prediction of product choices using traits of

consumers is mixed at best
Scales not valid/reliable
Tests borrow scales used for mentally ill
Inappropriate testing conditions
Ad hoc instrument changes
Use of global measures to predict specific
brand purchases
Shotgun approach (no thought of scale
application)
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-14

Brand Personality

Brand personality: set of traits people

attribute to a product as if it were a person

Brand equity: extent to which a consumer

holds strong, favorable, and unique
associations with a brand in memoryand
the extent to which s/he is willing to pay
more for the branded version of a product
than for a nonbranded (generic) version

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-15

Table 6.2 Brand Behaviors and Possible

Personality Trait Inferences
Brand Action

Trait Inference

Brand is repositioned several times or changes

slogan repeatedly

Flighty, schizophrenic

Brand uses continuing character in advertising

Familiar, comfortable

Brand charges high prices and uses exclusive

distribution

Snobbish, sophisticated

Brand frequently available on deal

Cheap, uncultured

Brand offers many line extensions

Versatile, adaptable

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-16

Lifestyles

Lifestyle defines a pattern of consumption

reflecting a persons choices of how one
spends time and money

Lifestyle marketing perspective: people sort

themselves into groups on the basis of:
What they like to do
How they spend leisure time
How they spend disposable income

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-17

Colorados Lifestyle Marketing

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-18

Lifestyles as Group Identities

Forms of expressive symbolism

Self-definition of group members = common
symbol system
Terms include lifestyle, taste public,
consumer group, symbolic community,
status culture
Each person provides a unique twist to
be an individual

Tastes/preferences evolve over time

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-19

Building Blocks of Lifestyles

Product usage in desirable social settings

Consumption style
Patterns of behavior
Co-branding strategies: brands team up

with other companies to promote their

products understand this
Product complementarity: symbolic
meanings of different products relate to
one another
Consumption constellations: define,
communicate, and perform social roles

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-20

Figure 6.2 Consumption Style

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-21

Discussion

What consumption
constellation might
characterize you and
your friends today?

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-22

Psychographics

Psychographics: use of psychological,

sociological, and anthropological factors to:

Determine market segments
Determine reasons for choosing products
Fine-tune offerings

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-23

Best Buy Psychographic Segments

Jill: busy suburban mom who buys
electronics for family
Buzz: focused, active younger male
interested in buying latest gadgets
Ray: family man who likes his technology
practical
BB4B (Best Buy for Business): small
employer
Barry: affluent professional male wholl
drop tens of thousands of dollars on a home
theater system
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-24

Forms of Psychographic Analysis

Lifestyle profile
Product-specific profile
General lifestyle study
Product-specific study

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-25

AIOs

Grouping consumers according to:

Activities
Interests
Opinions
80/20 Rule: lifestyle segments that produce
the bulk of customers
Heavy users and the benefits they derive
from product

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-26

Table 6.3 Lifestyle Dimensions

Activities

Interests

Opinions

Demographics

Work

Family

Themselves

Age

Hobbies

Home

Social issues

Education

Social events

Job

Politics

Income

Vacation

Community

Business

Occupation

Entertainment

Recreation

Economics

Family size

Club membership

Fashion

Education

Dwelling

Community

Food

Products

Geography

Shopping

Media

Future

City size

Sports

Achievements

Culture

Stage in life cycle

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-27

Psychographic Segmentation Uses

To define target market

To create new view of market
To position product
To better communicate product attributes
To develop product strategy
To market social/political issues

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-28

Figure 6.3 VALS2TM

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-29

Discussion

Construct separate advertising executions

for a cosmetics product targeted to the
Belonger, Achiever, Experiencer, and Maker
VALS types.

How would the basic appeal differ for each

group?

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-30

Global Psychographic Typologies

Global MOSAIC identifies segments across

19 countries

RISC measures lifestyles/sociocultural

change in 40+ countries
Exploration/Stability
Social/Individual
Global/Local

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-31

Discussion

Extreme sports. Day trading. Blogging.

Vegetarianism. Can you predict what will be
hot in the near future?

Identify a lifestyle trend that is just surfacing

in your universe.

Describe this trend in detail, and justify your

prediction.

What specific styles and/or products are part

of this trend?
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-32

Geodemography

Geodemography involves using data on

consumer expenditures and other
socioeconomic factors with geographic
information about the areas in which people
live to identify consumers who share
common consumption patterns
Birds of a feature flock together
Can be reached more economically (e.g.,
90277 zip code in Redondo Beach, CA)

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-33

Discussion

Geodemographic techniques assume that

people who live in the same neighborhood
have other things in common as well.

Why do they make this assumption, and how

accurate is it?

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-34

Food Cultures

Food culture refers to patterns of food and

beverage consumption that reflects the
values of a social group

Differences in international food cultures:

In China, milk chocolate has less milk
In United States, Campbells soup is saltier

than in Mexico
In Germany, food must be healthier

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-35

Figure 6.4 European Food Cultures

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-36

PRIZM by Claritas, Inc.

66 clusters of U.S. zip codes

Example: Young Influential, Money and

Brains, Kids and Cul-de-Sacs

Ranked by income, home value, and
occupation

Maximize effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and

impact of marketing communications

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-37

Table 6.4 Comparison of PRIZM Clusters

Furs and Station Wagons

Tobacco Roads

New money, parents in 40s and 50s

Racially mixed farm town in South

Newly built subdivisions with tennis courts,

swimming pools, gardens

Small downtowns with thrift shops, diners,

and laundromats; shanty-type homes without
indoor plumbing

High Usage
Country clubs
Wine by the case
Lawn furniture
Gourmet magazine
BMW 5 Series
Rye bread
Natural cold cereal

High Usage
Travel by bus
Asthma medicine
Malt liquors
Grit magazine
Pregnancy tests
Pontiac Bonneville
Shortening

Low Usage
Motorcycles
Laxatives
Nonfilter cigarettes
Chewing tobacco
Hunting magazine
Chevrolet Chevette
Canned stews

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Low Usage
Knitting
Live theater
Smoke detectors
Ms. Magazine
Ferraris
Whole-wheat bread
Mexican foods

6-38

Behavioral Targeting

Behavioral targeting refers to the serving of

customized ads (primarily online) based on
the prior activity on those sites by the target

Data collected are anonymous but still

privacy proponents express concern

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-39

Chapter Summary
Consumer personality influences the way one
responds to marketing stimuli

Lifestyles are an important aid to many marketing

strategies

Psychographics go beyond simple demographics to

help marketers understand different consumer
segments

Identifying patterns of consumption are valuable

components of a lifestyle marketing strategy

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

6-40