MKTG203 LECTURE 5

LECTURE 5:

Chapter 4: Personality and Self-concept:

“Do the products you purchase define who you are, or do you define the products?”

Critical theory that you can argue the case  not right or wrong…

- You want to adapt to the characteristics of that brand, of that segment, to the
people who wears it. Consume socially, social consumption and the fact that
we fit in.

Why we consume:
Utilitarian benefit: functionality and important reasons.
Symbolic consumption: whatever it encounters that brand meaning is adopted by the
consumer. A lot of brands we buy are due to this, trendy, cool…
Social consumption: we display what we have to others in order to share identity with
others.

Products can define us defining the brand attributes and attaching it to your
personality, but we can define the product to by showing and demonstrating that we
wear it, you become the signature, obvious face.

Down to earth:
Honesty:
Wholesomeness:
Cheerfulness:
Daring:
Spiritedness: Thrills
Imagination:
Contemporary:
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Reliability:
Intelligence:
Success: Nike
Class: Mercedes-Benz
Charm:
Masculinity:
Toughness:

Brands are value expressive.

WHAT IS PERSONALITY?
Is the unique dynamic organisation of characteristics of a particular person, physical
and psychological, which influence behaviour and responses to the social and
physical environment. Of these characteristics, some will be entirely unique to the
specific person and some will be shared with others.
On the market we look to the key characteristics of the brand that sets it apart and
makes it competitive. Personality is not a random accumulation of bits. There is a
structure and there is a rational of who you are, what you are. There is a process
behind personality cause overtime personality is stable, but it can gradually change.
It’s a psychological concept of how we see ourselves, how we see everything around
us and how we choose to act and socialise. Personality shapes how we react.

The nature of personality:

Theories of Personality: 3
streems of theories have contributed to our understanding of personality and its
application in marketing:

1. Trait Theory: characteristics you were burn with, genetically oriented from
birth.
2. Freudian Theory: argues that we are founded by urgens.
3. Neo-Freudian Theory: the fact that we are social being we interact with others
and there are characteristics of socialisation (individualistic, compete).
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Freudian Theory: based of Sugmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality.

Built on the premise that unconscious needs are at the heart of human motivation
and personality. Freud believed human personality contained three interacting
systems:

 you can only ever see 10% of

the personality over the water.
90% of personality is under the
water, not visible to others.
- Conscious: part of the mind
that hold what you are now
aware of.
- Preconscious: just under,
short-term and long-term
memory. The way we process
information, how we recall it and
we retrieve it when we need it.
Bring it to the conscious level.
- Unconscious: desires, urges and our need for gratification.
The Id: original part of
personality that was present
at birth. Instinctual level of
the core personality.
The Superego: deals with
society, values, norms and
believes. Is this the correct
decision according to
society. Moral guide, moral
principle. Morally acceptable
and acceptable to society.
The Ego: something that
puts a daunter, problem
solver. Works to solve
problem and stops you from
fulfilling every desire you
have, rational level.

Neo-Freudian Personality Theory:

Neo-Freudian believe social relationships are fundamental to the formation and
development of personality.
Karen Horney also focused on anxiety, classifying individuals into three groups:
- Compliant individuals: making you feel special, like pandora, tiffany.
- Aggressive individuals: aggressive individuals compete against one an
another. Aggressive personality more common in some context (Australia,
US).
- Detached individuals: solo pursued, detached individuals Everest, north face,
Patagonia.

Trait Theory:
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A trait is anything distinguishing, relatively enduring way in which each individual

differs from another. Trait theory focuses on quantitative measurements of
personality. They describe personality as a combination of particular traits. Trait
theorists use personality tests (or inventories) to identify differences in traits. This
approach assumes people have many dimensions to their personality.

Big Five Personality Dimensions:

Openness to experience:
how inventive, and how
curious you are as an
individual (inventive/curious
vs. consistent/cautious).
Appreciation for art, emotion,
adventure, unusual ideas,
curiosity, and variety of
experience. It reflects the
degree of intellectual curiosity,
creativity and a preference for
novelty and variety.

Conscientiousness: (efficient/organized vs. easy-going/careless). A tendency to

show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement; planned rather than
spontaneous behaviour; organized, and dependable.

Extraversion: (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved). Energy, positive emotions,

surgency, assertiveness, sociability and the tendency to seek stimulation in the
company of others, and talkativeness.

Agreeableness vs argumentative: (friendly/compassionate vs. cold/unkind). A

tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and
antagonistic towards others.

Neuroticism: (sensitive/nervous vs. secure/confident). The tendency to experience

unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, or vulnerability.

Consumer Social Character: is a trait that ranges on a continuum from inner-

directness to outer-directness.
Inner-directed consumers rely on their inner values in evaluating new products and
are likely to be innovators.
Outer-directed consumers look to others for direction and are follower.
These two types of individuals are likely to be attracted to different styles of
promotional messages.
Hofstede  different cultures can be easily classified on dimensions of group or
collectivist orientation versus individual orientation.

Need for Uniqueness (NFU):

Some people seek to be unique. These people are unconcerened about criticism
from other.
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Researchers have developed an inventory to identify NFU. Here are some sample
items form this scale:
- ‘When products or brands become extremely popular, I lose interest in them’.
- ‘I avoid brands that are purchased by the average consumer’.
- ‘I like to create a style that is all my own’.

Personality Traits Relevant to Consumer Behaviour:

Materialism: popular trait to study amongst consumer researchers. Refers to the

extent to which material goods are important to consumers life.
- Most western cultures are generally thought of as being relatively
materialistic.
It is seen as consisting of three separate dimensions:
1. Possessiveness: a tendency to retain control and ownership over
possessions.
2. Nongenerosity: an unwillingness to share with others.
3. Envy: resentment that arises as a result of another’s belonging and a desire to
acquire similar possessions.

Frugality:
- The extent to which consumers exhibit restraint when purchasing and using
resources.
- Consumers high on this trait deny short-term purchasing whims.
- Focus on resourcefully using what they already own.
- These consumers tend to engage well in behaviours such as: timing their
showers and brining leftovers from home to have for lunch at work.

Need for cognition:

An individual’s tendency to
desire, engage in and enjoy
effortful cognition.

Consumer self-concept:

Self-image:
configuration about
the beliefs about
yourself. Who you
are, what you
represent and what
you are trying to
be?
Actual self-image:
feeling of belief that
we are protected
about, what we are
now. how you would describe yourself now.
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Social self-image: what you display in different social concepts. who you are and
what tend to display in different social concepts?
Ideal self-image: what you want, aspire to be. You many never achieve it, you may
always be working towards it.