Personality and self concept By : Pooja Gupta Nitin Parihar Piyush Kr Mondal Rahul Gupta Rachita Ram

A special thanks to:

Mr. Annaji Sarma Associate professor M.F.Tech(Management)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Personality

An individuals personality relates to perceived personal characteristics that are consistently exhibited, especially when one acts in the presence of others. In most, but not all, cases the behaviors one projects in a situation is similar to the behaviors a person exhibits in another situation. In this way personality is the sum of sensory experiences others get from experiencing a person (i.e., how one talks, reacts). While ones personality is often interpreted by those we interact with, the person has their own vision of their personality, called self concept, which may or may not be the same has how others view us.

DefinitionThose inner psychological characteristics that both determine and reflect how a person responds to his or her environment

Consumers make purchase decisions to support their self concept. How customers view themselves gives marketers insight into products and promotion options that are not readily apparent. For example, when examining consumers a marketer may initially build marketing strategy around more obvious clues to consumption behavior, such as consumers demographic indicators (e.g., Age, occupation, income). However, in-depth research may yield information that shows consumers are purchasing products to fulfill self-concept objectives that have little to do with the demographic category they fall into (e.g., Senior citizen may be making purchases that make them feel younger). Appealing to the consumers self concept needs could expand the market to which the product is targeted.Marketing Implication

Nature of personalityConsistent and enduringIndividual differences Can change

Theories of personalityFreudian theory- psychoanalytical theory of personality

Was constructed on the basis of patients recollections of early childhood experiences, analysis of their dreams and specific nature of their mental and physical adjustment problems.

EGOIDSUPEREGOGRATIFICATIONsatisfaction

Freudian Theory And ProductHuman drives- unconsciousDont know the reason of their purchaseBut ascribe personality traits eg With specific color

Neo-Freudian theoryPersonality is developed fundamentally by social relationships According to Alfred AdlerHuman being- attaining rational goals overcoming feelings of inferiorityAccording to Harry Stack SullivanPeople continuously attempt to establish a significant and rewarding relationships with others.

Karen Horney- CAD TheoryImpact of child parent relationships, especially: the individuals desires to conquer feeling of anxiety

3 classification of individuals

Compliant - brand loyalAggressive - special productDetached - try different brands

TRAIT THEORYIt is primarily quantitative or empirical in nature.

Focuses on measurement of personality in terms of psychological characteristics called traits.

Trait can be defined as any distinguishing relatively enduring way in which one individual differs from another.

Test have been defined to measure trait such as CONSUMER INNOVATIVENESS, CONSUMER MATERIALISM,CONSUMER ETHNOCENTRISM.

PERSONALITY AND UNDERSTANDING CONSUMER DIVERSITY

Several specific personality traits that provide insights about consumer behaviour have been examined by researchers. Some of these traits are:

CONSUMER INNOVATIVENESS: its measurement provides insights into the nature of consumers willingness to innovate. It has also been linked to three other traits ,need for stimulation ,need for uniqueness and novelty seeking.

DOGMATISM:

Consumers responses to unfamiliar products or product features is of keen interest to many marketers.

Dogmatism is a personality trait that measure the degree of rigidity that individuals display towards the unfamiliar and towards information that is contrary to their own established beliefs.

For eg high dogmatic individuals approach the unfamiliar defensively and are more likely to choose established goods rather than innovative goods.

SOCIAL CHARACTERIt is concerned with the identification and classification of individuals into distinct sociocultural types.It is a personality trait that ranges on a continuum from inner directedness to outer directedness.

Inner directed individuals rely on their own values and standards to evaluate a product on the other hand, outer directed individuals tend to look to others for guidance in order to make a decision.

The trait can be studied to design different promotional techniques to appeal to people with different trait characteristics.

NEED FOR UNIQUENESS

People with this trait tend to avoid confirmity to others expectations and standards either in appearance or in their possessions. For them it is better to express or act uniquely.

Supporting this a recent study on consumers need for uniqueness under which individuals with high NFU make unconventional choices.

The study revealed that consumers make unique choices when they are not concerned about being criticised about others.

OPTIMUM STIMULATION LEVEL

Consumer research has examined how variations in individual needs for stimulation may be related to consumer behaviour.

Researchers have found that high OLSs are linked with greator willingness to take risks,to try new products and to accept new retail facilities and the opposite for people with lower levels of optimum stimulation.

VARIETY AND NOVELTY SEEKING

Consumer variety seeking are of different types:-

Exploratory purchase behaviour:switching brand to experience new,different and possibly better alternatives.Vicarious explorations:securing information about the new and different alternatives and then contemplating or day dreaming about the optionUse innovativeness:using an already adopted product in a new or novel way.

COGNITIVE PERSONALITY FACTOR Cognitive personality factors influence various aspects of Consumer Behaviour

In particular, two Cognitive Personality Traits

Visualizers versus Verbalizers

Need of cognition

Visualizers versus Verbalizers Visualizers--- Consumer who prefers visual information and products that stress the visual, such as membership in a video casette club. VerbalizersConsumers who prefer written or verbal information and products,such as membership in book or audiotape club.

Some people seem to be more open to and prefer the written wordas a way of securing information, whereas other are more likely torespond to and prefer visual images or messages as source of info.

Need for Cognition Which measures a persons craving for an enjoyment of thinking NC are more likely to be responsive to the part of an ad that is rich in product related information or description.

NCLow in NC--Likely to be attracted to the background of an ad.High in NC--likely to be partial to cool colors.

Consumer Materialism to Compulsive ConsumptionConsumer have become increasingly interested in exploring severalinterrelated consumption and possession traits.

These traits range from Consumer MaterialismFixatedConsumerBehaviourConsumer Compulsive Behaviour

Consumer MaterialismIt means people being materialistic

Showing off possession and value acquiring Self centered and selfish Seek lifestyle full of possession Not satisfied with their personnel possessions

Fixated Consumer BehaviourSomewhere being materialistic and being compulsive with respect toBuying or possessing objects. Deep interest in a particular object or product. Willingness to go considerable length. A dedication to searching out the object or product (e.g. coin, stamp, antique collections or vintage watch etc .

Compulsive behaviourKind of abnormal behaviour,have an addiction in some respect they Out of control and their action may have damaging consequences. Uncontrollable gambling Drug addiction Alcoholism Food and eating disorder Impulsive buying

Consumer EthnocentrismIt is also called as CETSCALE

Ethnocentric consumer-- they feel that it is inappropriate or wrong to purchase Foreign made products because of economic impact on the domestic economy.

Non-Ethnocentric consumer they tend to evaluate Foreign made products more objectivity for their extrinsic characteristics.

BRAND PERSONALITYA brand personality is the set of traits people attribute to a product as if it were a person. Advertisers keenly interested in some questions?How do people think about brands?How consumers connect to a brand before they roll out campaigns?

Some personality dimensions that can be used to compare and contrast the perceived characteristics of brands in various product categories :

Old fashioned, wholesome ,traditionalSurprising,lively,with it.Serious,intelligent,efficientGlamorous,romantic,sexyRugged,outdoorsy,tough,athletic.

Brand behaviors and possible personality trait inferences Brand ActionBrand is repositioned several times or changes its slogan repeatedly. Brand uses continuing in its advertising.Brand charges a high price and uses exclusive distribution.Brand frequently available on deal

Trait InferenceFlighty,schizophrenic

Familiar,comfortable

Snobbish,sopisticated

Cheap,uncultured

Brand offer many line extensionsBrand sponsors show on PBS or uses recycled materials.Brand features easy-to-use packaging or speaks at consumers level in advertising.Brand offers seasonal clearance saleBrand offers five-year warranty or free customer hotline.Versatile, adaptable

Helpful, supportive

Warm, approachable

Planful, practical

Reliable,dependable

Animism

This practice found in many cultures whereby inanimate objects are given qualities that make them somehow alive .

Two types of animism can be identified to describe the extent to which human qualities are attributed to the product:LEVEL 1: People believe the object is possessed by the soul of a being-as is sometime the case for spokespersons in advertising. This strategy allows the consumer to feel that the spirit of the celebrity is available through the brand.

Level 2:objects are anthropomorhized ,or ,given human characterstics .A cartoon character or mythical creation may be treated as if it were a person, and even assumed to nave human feelings.

SELF AND SELF IMAGEConsumers have a variety of enduring images of themselves.

These self images, or perceptions of self , are very closely associated with

personality in that individuals tend to buy products and services and

patronize retailers whose images or personalities relate in some meaningful

way to their self images.

In essence consumers seek to depict themselves in brand choices

they tend to approach products with images that could enhance their

self concept and avoid those products that do not.

Essentially involves following concepts :

CONCEPT OF ONE OR MULTIPLE SELVES

NOTION OF EXTENDED SELF

OPTIONS OF ALTERING SELF IMAGE

ONE OR MULTIPLE SELVES HISTORICALLY , INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN THOUGHT TO HAVE A SINGLE SELF IMAGE

HOWEVER TODAY IT IS MORE ACCURATE TO THINK OF PEOPLE HAVING MULTIPLE SELVES

IN TERMS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, the idea that an individual embodies A number of different selves suggests that marketers should target their Products and services to consumers within the context of a particular self, andIn certain cases , a choice of different products for different selves.

THE MAKE UP OF THE SELF IMAGEIndividuals develop their self images through interactions with other people Initially their parents, and then other individuals or groups with whom they relate over years.

It is generally believed that consumers attempt to preserve or enhance their self images By selecting products and brands with images or personalitiesthat they believe are congruent with their own self images and avoiding products that are not

RESEARCH REVEALS :

1) More women than men (77% versus 64%) feel that brands reflect their personalities.

2) Consumers who have strong links to a particular brand a positive self brand connection see such brands as representing anAn aspect of themselves.

For marketers such connections are very important in formation of consumer loyalty program and a positive relationship with consumers.

A variety of different self images have been recognized in the consumer behaviour Literature for a long period :

ACTUAL SELF IMAGE

IDEAL SELF IMAGE

SOCIAL SELF IMAGE

IDEAL SOCIAL SELF IMAGE

TWO OTHER TYPES OF SELF IMAGES :

EXPECTED SELF :It is future oriented combination of what is (actual self image) and what consumersWould like to be (the idea self image)

OUGHT TO SELF :Consists of traits and characteristics that an individual believes it is his or her duty Or obligation to possess.

These two selves provide consumers with a realistic opportunity to change the self,They both are more likely to be more valuable to marketers than the actual orIdeal self image as a guide for designing and promoting products.

THE EXTENDED SELFIT is seen that consumers possessions confirm or extend their self images.This suggests that human emotion can be connected to valued possessions.

It has been suggested that possessions can extend the self in number of ways :

ACTUALLY, by allowing the person to do things that otherwise would be very difficult or impossible to accomplish.

SYMBOLICALLY, by making the person feel better or bigger.

by CONFERRING STATUS OR RANK.

by BESTOWING FEELING OF IMMORALITY by leaving valued possessions to young family members.

5. By ENDOWING THE MAGICAL POWERS.

ALTERING THE SELFSOMETIMES CONSUMERS wish to change themselves to become a different Or improved self and therefore use self altering products and services to confirmTo ot take on to the appearance of a particular type of person.

Related concept : SELF VANITY :Associated with acting self important , self interested or admiring ones own Appearance or achievements. Hence involves 2 concepts :

PHYSICAL VANITY excessive concern for a positive inflated view of ones physical- appearance. ACHIEVEMNET VANITY excessive concern for a positive inflated view of ones personal achievements.

SELF MONITORINGServes as a moderating variable when it comes to how well a person is guided by Situational cues regarding social appropriateness.

LOW SELF MONITORS are individuals who are typically guided by their inner feelings.

HIGH SELF MONITORS claim they act differently in different situations and with different People.

Consequently high self monitors might be more prone to employ a self altering product In order to enhance their ideal social self image.

Altering ones self , particularly ones appearance or body parts , can be accomplished By cosmetics, hair restyling or coloring, getting a tattoo, switching from eyeglasses to Contact lensse, undergoing cosmetic surgery, or a makeover.

VIRTUAL PERSONALITY OR SELFThe notion of a VIRTUAL PERSONALITY or VIRTUAL SELF provides an individual with the opportunity to try on different personalities or different identities..If the identity fits or the personality can be enhanced , the individual may decide to keep the new personality in favor of his or her old personality.

From consumer behaviour point of view , it is likely that such opertunities to try out A new personality or alter the self may result in changes in selected forms of purchase Behaviour . This may in turn offer marketers new opertunities to target various online selves

www.outofservice.com/big five - the big five personality test

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