Personality, Self-Image,

and Life Style

What Is Personality?
The inner psychological
characteristics that both determine
and reflect how a person responds to
his or her environment.

The Nature of
Personality
Personality reflects individual
differences
Personality is consistent and
enduring
Personality can change

Theories of Personality
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

Theories of Personality
Neo-Freudian personality theory
Social relationships are fundamental to
the formation and development of
personality
e.g., CAD theory

Horneys CAD Theory

Using the context of child-parent relationships,
individuals can be classified into:
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).

Theories of Personality
Trait theory
Quantitative approach to personality as
a set of psychological traits
Single-trait or multiple-trait theories

Personality Tests measures

traits as Consumer innovativeness- How
receptive a person is to new
experiences.
Consumer materialism- The degree
of consumer attachment to worldly
pleasures
Consumer ethnocentrismConsumers likelihood to accept or
reject foreign made products.

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
Social character is more of an inner-directed
consumer
Score higher on need for uniqueness
Have higher optimum stimulation levels
Have higher need for sensation seeking and
variety seeking behaviours

Consumer Materialism
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

Research Insight: From

Consumer Materialism to
Fixated Consumption to
Compulsive
Consumption
Consumer materialism
The extent to which a person is
considered materialistic

Fixed consumption behaviour

Consumers fixated on certain products
or categories of products

Compulsive consumption behaviour

Addicted or out-of-control
consumers

Research Insight: From

Consumer Materialism to
Fixated Consumption Behaviour
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

Sample Items to Measure Compulsive Buying

1. When I have money, I cannot help but spend
part or the whole of it.
2. I am often impulsive in my buying behaviour.
3. As soon as I enter a shopping center, I have
an irresistible urge to go into a shop to buy
something.
4. I am one of those people who often responds
to direct mail offers.
5. I have often bought a product that I did not
need, while knowing I had very little money
left.

Consumer Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentric consumers feel it is
wrong to purchase foreign-made
products
They can be targeted by stressing
nationalistic themes

Brand Personality
Personality-like traits associated
with brands
Volvo - safety
Perdue - freshness
Nike - the athlete
BMW - performance
Levis 501 - dependable and
rugged

(continued)

Figure 4-11 (continued)

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

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

Different Self-Images
Actual Self-Image
How you see your self

Ideal Self-Image
How you would like to see yourself

Social Self-Image
How you think others see you

Ideal Social Self-Image

How you would like others to see you

Different Self-ImagesContd
Expected Self-Image
How you expect to be in the future

Ought-to Self
The qualities that you think you should
possess

Possessions Act as SelfExtensions

By allowing the person to do things
that otherwise would be very difficult
By making a person feel better
By conferring status or rank
By bestowing feelings of immortality
By endowing with magical powers

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