Personality & Consumer

Behaviour

Prof. Aparna Kanchan

Learning Objectives

Understand how Personality & self- Concept

influence Consumer Behaviour

To examine various Personality Theories

What is Personality?

The Approach
Dual

influence of heredity & early

childhood experience
Social and Environment influences
Focus on specific traits

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

Emphasis on inner characteristics qualities,

attributes, traits, factors & mannerisms that
distinguish one from the other
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The Nature of Personality

1.
2.
3.

Personality reflects individual differences

Personality is consistent and enduring
Personality can change

Personality Reflects Individual Differences

No two individuals are alike
Many individuals may be similar in terms of
a single personality trait
Eg : High V/s Low

Personality is Consistent & Enduring

Both qualities are essential if marketers are to

explain or predict Consumer Behaviour in terms
of Personality
While Marketers cannot change consumers
personalities to conform to their products, if they
know which personality characteristics influences
specific consumer responses, they can attempt to
appeal to those relevant traits
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Personality can change

Under certain circumstances personalities
can change eg: Marriage, birth of a child,
the death of a parent, or change of
job/profession
Personality changes also a part of a gradual
maturing process

Theories of Personality

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Freudian Theory

Sigmund Freuds Psychoanalytic theory of Personality

Based on patients recollection of early childhood
experiences , analysis of their dreams etc.
Unconscious needs or drives are at the heart of human
motivation
Three interacting systems
Id: primitive and impulsive drives- seeks immediate
satisfaction without concern for the specific means of
satisfaction
Superego: Individuals internal expression of
societys moral and ethical codes of conductsatisfies need in a socially acceptable fashion
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Freudian Theory
Ego:

Individuals conscious control

Functions as an internal monitor that

attempts to balance the impulsive
demands of the Id and the sociocultural
constraints of the superego

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Theories of Personality

Neo-Freudian personality theory

Social relationships are fundamental to the
formation and development of personality
Afred Adler
Viewed human being as seeking to attain various
rational goals Style of life
Placed much emphasis on the individuals efforts to
overcome Feelings of inferiority

Hary Stack Sullivan

Concerned with individuals effort to reduce tensions
such as anxiety

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Karen Horneys CAD Theory

Focused

on the impact of child-parent

relationships,
Individuals can be classified into:(CAD)
Compliant individuals
Aggressive individuals
Detached individuals

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CAD theory

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).
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Theories of Personality
Contd
Cognitive Theories

of Personality

Personality as differences in cognitive

processes (how consumers process and
react to information)

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Need for Cognition (NC)

A persons

craving for enjoyment of

thinking
High NC consumers are likely to:
Relate better to written messages
Want product-related information
Spend more time processing print ads
Enjoy using the internet to get
information
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Visualizers Vs Verbalizers
A persons

preference for information

presented visually or verbally
Visualizers require strong visual
elements in ads
Verbalizers prefer written information,
print ads, question-answer format
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Theories of Personality
Contd

Trait theory
Quantitative approach to personality as a set of
psychological traits
It focuses on the measurement of Personality in
terms of specific psychological characteristics
called Traits
Traits Any distinguishing, relatively
enduring way in which one individual differs
from another
Single-trait or multiple-trait theories
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Trait Theories Contd

Consumer materialism
The extent to which a person is considered
materialistic- attached to worldly possession

Fixed consumption behaviour

Consumers fixated on certain products or
categories of products

Compulsive consumption behaviour

Addicted or out-of-control consumers
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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 ( measures degree of

rigidity V/S openness)

Score higher on need for uniqueness

Have higher optimum stimulation levels
Have higher need for sensation seeking and
variety seeking behaviours
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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

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Consumer Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentric consumers

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

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Research Insight: From Consumer

Materialism 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- (abnormal

behaviour)

Addicted or out-of-control consumers

Eg: Uncontrolled shopping, gambling, drug addiction,
alcoholism, eating disorders)
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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
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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.
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Brand Personality

Personality-like traits associated with brands

Volvo - safety
Godrej Chicken- freshness
Nike - the athlete
BMW performance driven
Levis 501 - dependable and rugged

Brand Personality can either be functional

or symbolic
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Brand Personification
Product

Personality & Gender

Product Personality & Geography
Personality & Colour

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(continued)

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Figure 4-11 (continued)

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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
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Self and Self-Image

Self-image: A persons

perceptions of

his/her self
People have multiple selves
Different selves in different situations

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Different Self-Images
Actual SelfImage

Ideal Self-Image

Ideal Social
Self-Image

Social Self-Image

Expected
Self-Image
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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
continued

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Different Self-Images- Contd

Expected

Self-Image

How you expect to be in the future

Ought-to

Self

The qualities that you think you should

possess

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Possessions Act as Self-Extensions

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
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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
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Internet Insight: Virtual Self

Online

individuals have an opportunity

to try on different personalities
Virtual personalities may result in
different purchase behaviour

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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
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Life Style and Psychographics

Psychographic Segmentation

Segmenting consumers on the basis of

their activities, interests and opinions
Psychographic-demographic profiles
Geodemographic

segmentation

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Life Styles and Marketing

Strategy
Use

life styles for segmentation and

positioning
Develop media campaigns based on
consumer life styles

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THANK- YOU

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