Consumer Personality and Self

Image
Chap. 6. Ramanuj Majumdar,
Consumer Behaviour

What is Personality?
Personality can be described as the inner
psychological characteristics that reflect
how a person responds to his
environment.

Inner characteristics can be

specific personal qualities, attributes
traits, and mannerisms that
distinguish one individual from other
individuals.
Personality reflects individual

Implications for Marketing

Influences product usage or
when/where/how one consumes a
particular product/ service; influences
individuals brand choices and response to
marketers advertising and promotional
efforts.
Enables marketers to categorize
consumers into different broad types or
groups on the basis of one or more traits.

Theories of Personality

Freudian Personality Theory

Neo Freudian Personality Theories
Trait Theory

Freudian Personality Theory

built on the premise that unconscious needs or
drives, especially sexual and other biological
drives , are the basic factors are human
motivation.
Human Personality results from a dynamic
interaction between inner psychological drives
( e.g., hunger, sex, aggression ) and social
pressures to comply with norms, rules , and
moral codes.
Human personality consists of three systems:
Id, Ego, and Superego

Freudian Personality Theory (contd.)

Id : Warehouse of primitive or instinctual drives for which
the individual seeks immediate gratification; operates
according to the Pleasure Principle.
Ego: Individuals conscious mind balances the impulsive
demands of the id and sociocultural, issues arising from
superego. Ego mediates between the id and the
superego and acts as a referee between temptation and
virtues and balances the opposing forces according to
the Reality Principle.
Superego: It is an individuals internal expression of
societys moral and ethical codes of conduct.
Counterweight of the id is the persons conscience.

Freudian Theory and Consumer Personality

Researchers applying Freudian theory
conjecture that purchases and/or consumption
situations are a reflection and extension of the
consumers own personality.
A person channels his desires through buying or
using products that signify these underlying
desires.
This is the connection between symbolism and
motivation.
The brand stands for or represents a
consumers true goal.

Neo- Freudian Personality Theories

According to this school of thought,
( Alfred Adler, Harry Sullivan, Karen
Horney et al.) , social relationships
are fundamental to the formation
and development of personality.
Adler contended that human beings
try to attain certain lifestyle.

Trait Theory
Trait : any distinguishing , relatively enduring
way in which one individual differs from another.
Personality linked to how consumers make
their choices or to consumption of a broad
product category
Approach of trait theory basically empirical;
focus on measurement of personality through
various qualitative techniques ( self-reported
techniques; personal observation; projective
techniques)to point out certain individual
differences in terms of specific traits.

Specific Personality Traits

Traits

Marketing Implications

1. Innovativeness: degree
to which a person likes
to try new things I
novelty seeking)
2. Dogmatism: Degree of
rigidity a consumer
displays towards
unfamiliar products as
also towards information
contrary to his/her own
established beliefs

1. Innovativeness: Degree to
which consumers are
receptive to new products,
services and practices
2. Dogmatism: If low in
dogmatism( open-minded),
they are likely to switch
brands and to experience
new alternatives; if high in
dogmatism, they are
receptive to advertisement
for new products- the ads
must contain an appeal from
an expert on the subject.

Specific Personality Traits ( contd.)

Traits
3. Social Character:
Inner or outer
directedness in terms
of seeking guidance
from others

Marketing Implications
3. Social Character: Ranges
on a continuum.
Inner Directedness
- Such personalities rely on
own values when evaluating
products.
- They prefer ads that
emphasize on product
features/ personal benefits.
Other-directedness:
- They look to others for
conformity
- They prefer ads that show
social acceptance.

Specific Personality Traits ( contd.)

Traits
4. Need for uniqueness:
Such people strive to be
unique.
5. Optimum Stimulation
Level (OSL): The level
or amount of novelty or
complexity which
consumers seek in their
personal experiences

Marketing Implications
4. Need for uniqueness:
Consumers who avoid
appearing to conform to
expectations or standards
of others
5. Optimum Stimulation
Level:
Reflects a persons level of
life style. High OSL
customers tend to accept
risky and novel/new
products more readily than
low OSL customers

Specific Personality Traits ( contd.)

Traits
6. Variety or novelty
seeking: Consumers
can be classified as
high to low variety
seeking. This has
implications on
purchase behaviours

Marketing Implications
6. Variety or Noveltyseeking: measures consumers
degree of variety seeking
- Exploratory purchase
behaviour ( brand switching)
- User innovativeness ( buys
new product or an already
adopted product in a new or
novel way)
- Vicarious exploration ( a
tendency to obtain
information on new and
different alternatives, then
contemplating on the option

Specific Possession Traits

1. Materialism: emphasis on acquiring/owning
products; regarding possessions as essential to
identities or lifestyles
2. Self-consciousness: degree to which a person
deliberately monitors and controls the image of the
self that is projected to others
3. Need for Cognition: degree to which a person
puts in effort to process different information before
purchase act
4. Frugality: denying short-term purchasing whims
and choosing to resourcefully use what the
consumers already own

Personality-Related Consumer Issues

Gender: Perceived gender of product/ brand helps marketer
to select visual and copy-text for various marketing
messages
Geography: Geographic association of products
E.g., Liptons Darjeeling tea, Dehradun rice, Alfanso mango,
Mysore sandal soap, Lonavala chicky, Dharwar Peda, Tirunelveli
Halwa
Colour: Personality factors associated with specific colours
E.g.: Blue appealing more to female consumers
Yellow associated with novelty, warmth
Black for sophistication
Red & Brown: bright colours conveying excitement,
masculinity, strong personality
Grey, white, shades of tan or other
muted
colours( sophisticated) for fine dining restaurants

Self-image
Individual has enduring self-image or perception of selfassociated with individuals consumption pattern
Consumers prefer to buy products/ services and
patronize retailers closely corresponding to their self
image
Marketing Implications:
1. One or multiple selves: can target products to
match a variety of consumer personalities or selfimages
2. Make-up of the self-image: unique traits, skills,
habits, possessions, relationships, and ways of
behaviour- developed through background, upbringing,
experience and interaction with others.
- useful for segmentation and positioning

Self-image (contd.)
Marketing Implications ( contd.)
3. Extended self: Possessions used to extend self by
- Actually: allowing the person to do difficult
to
accomplish things
-Symbolically: Make the person feel bigger;
confer status/ rank;
make him feel immortal-live
forever
endow with magical powers
4. Altering self-image: Use of self-altering products to express
individualism or uniqueness by:
- creating new self
- Maintaining the existing self
- Extending the self
- Taking the appearance of a particular type of person

Different self-images
Actual
Selfimage

lSocial
Selfimage

Ideal
Selfimage

Ideal
Social
Selfimage

Expecte
Expected
d
Self-image

oughtto
Selfimage

Marketing Implications
Consumer Imagery:
- Consumers choose brands which reflect
their self-image.
- Use projective techniques to identify
consumers view of themselves
valuable
insights for product and promotion options
- Functional values and symbolic values

Personality Selection

PSYCHOLOGI
CAL

PRODUCT

TARGET
SEGMEN
T

PERSONALITY

FUNCTIONAL

ECONOMIC

BRAND

BRAND PERSONALITY
Personality created to appeal target customers
Association with brand:

-Character/Personality
-Emotional
Positioning of brand
- Social
-Values
Benefits provided
-Attributes
-Quality

Consumer Expectations
PRODUCT

Expectations

Clothes

Sharp Appearnce, style,attractiveness, ruggedness

Cars

Comfort, social status, value for money, family

product, performance

Mobile phones

Durability, style, social status

Insurance

Peace of mind, secure future

Cellular service

Conmectivity, closeness to loved ones

Computer

Pleasure, profit from miracle of modern technology

house

Comfort, contentment, good investment,pride of

ownership

Constituents of Brand Personality

Name & Logo: customer appeal, brand
identification with a particular group or
character
Colour & Packaging: different colours to
reflect different dimensions of personality;
symbols on packaging
Performance
Premium Image
Advertising

Projected Personality of Brands

Brand

Amul
Mahindra Scorpio
Thums up
Titan
Liril
Lux
Bajaj Pulsar
Dove
Brittannia

Personality

Humour
Rugged
Bravery/Daring
Style/Elegance
Freshness and Lime
Beauty/ Glamour
Power
Softness
Love and Affection

Celebrity Endorsement
Endorser
Amitabh Bachan
Shah Rukh Khan
Sachin Tendulkar

Dhoni
Aishwarya Rai
Kareena Kapoor
Aamir Khan

Personality
Charisma, larger than
life
Stylish, successful
Determination, Style,
Cricketing Icon
Cool leadership, power
play
Beauty Personified
Stylish, sensual
Perfectionist

User Imagery
Who /What type of person uses a
particular brand
E.g., Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Rolls Royce
Communicates lifestyle of user
E.g., Thums Up, Kingfisher, MTV, Pogo

Symbols & Logos

Mascots
Unique/easy to recognize
Worth remembering
Simple, capture wider meaning
In tune with the time
Punchlines
Elements
Build Brand Personality through
Advertising

Dimensions of Brand Personality

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Ego- Power, Dominance, control, status

Affiliation- Love, warmth, caring, friendship
Efficient-superior features and performance
Romantic and GlamorousExpression- Active, hedonism, stimulation,
rugged, tough

6. Repression- passive, pessimistic, reassurance

7. Traditional and wholesome

Dimensions of Brand Personality ( as proposed

by Jennifer L. Aaker
BRAND
PERSONALI
TY

SINCERIT
Y

EXCITEME
NT

COMPETEN
CE

Down-toearth
Honest
Wholeso
me
Cheerful

Daring
Spirited
Imaginati
ve
Uptodate

Reliable
Intelligen
t
Successf
ul

Vodafone
Kodak

Thums
Up
Pepsi

Sony

SOPHISTICATI
ON

RUGGED

Upper class
Charming

Outdoor
sy
Tough

Parker
Raymond
s

Levis

Brand Image
As part of
Advertising experience
Shopping experience
Consumption experience