PERSONALITY

&
SELF CONCEPT

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 Personality

• Some theorists prefer to view personality as a

unified whole.
• Others focus on specific traits.
• Definition
• “Those inner psychological characteristics that
both determine and reflects how a person
responds to his or her environment”.

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 NATURE OF PERSONALITY
• Personality reflects individual differences:
 Each individual has a special set of unique characteristics and is
unique by himself.
 Some individual are highly sociable whereas some are low on
sociability.
 Consumers can then be grouped together based on this identified
personality trait
.
• Personality is consistent and enduring:
 An individual’s personality tends to be both consistent and
enduring.
 Helps in predicting consumer behaviour over a period of time in
terms of their personality

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 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

• Freudian theory
– Unconscious needs or drives are at the heart of human motivation

• Neo-Freudian personality theory

– Social relationships are fundamental to the formation and
development of personality

• Trait theory
– Quantitative approach to personality as a set of psychological traits

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 Freudian Theory

• Personality consists of three interacting systems.

• Id – related to physiological or impulsive needs to which one
seeks immediate satisfaction.e.g. thirst, hunger
• Super Ego – individuals internal expression of moral / ethical
codes of conduct; socio–cultural forces. The superego's role
is to see that the individual satisfies needs in a socially
acceptable fashion. Thus, the superego is a kind of "brake"
that restrains or inhibits the impulsive forces of the id.
• Ego – The individuals conscious control. Functions as an
internal monitor that attempts to balance the impulsive
needs and socio cultural constraints.
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Freudian Theory and “Product Personality”
Consumer researchers using Freud’s personality theory see consumer
purchases as a reflection and extension of the consumer’s own
personality.

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 SUPER
ID EGO
EGO

The Quest
Primal desires Reason

Basic Nature
and
Self-Control
for

Perfection

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 Eat a small You’re
I want a bar of on a
chocolate Chocolate
diet

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Eg.: If you are
thirsty
At Id level, you
would grab water
Id from anybody
At Ego level, you
- Warehouse of primitive having a water
may buy a water
desires bottle.
bottle or any other
- Hunger, thirst, etc
drink.
-Immediate gratifications
- No contact with reality

Superego
Ego - Internalize society’s rules,
-Balancing between Id morals, ethics
and Superego - Restrains the impulsive
- Tries to balance them forces of the id
according to reality - Works contradictory to ID
principle
At Superego level,
you ask the person
for water.
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 NEO-FREUDIAN PERSONALITY THEORY

• Neo Freudian’s are those who further developed Freud’s ideas but
presented new ways of looking at personality.

• Neo-Freudians believed that social relationships are fundamental to

the formation and development of Personality.

• We seek goals to overcome feelings of inferiority.

• We continually attempt to establish relationships with others to

reduce tensions.

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Neo-Freudian Personality Theories
Social relationships are fundamental to personality

• Style of life
Alfred Adler • Feelings of inferiority

• People are shaped by cumulative experiences of the

past generations
Carl Jung • Archetypes – ‘Mother nature’, ‘Chanda mama’, myths,
stories, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings

• We establish relationships with others to

Harry Stack Sullivan reduce tensions

• Compliant: move toward others

Karen Horney’s three • Aggressive: move against others
personality groups • Detached: move away from others
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Proposed three personality groups,

• Compliant move toward others, they desire to be loved, wanted,

and appreciated

• Aggressive refers to individuals being an extrovert and getting

noticed in all what he does (desire to excel / win admiration).

• Detached move away from others. They desire independence, self-

reliance, self-sufficiency, and individualism or freedom from
obligations)

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 TRAIT THEORY

• Trait theory is concerned with the construction of personality tests

that allow them to pinpoint individual differences in terms of specific
traits.

• A trait is defined as any unique, comparatively continuing way in

which one individual differs from another.

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• The trait theory is based on three assumptions.
• 1. Individuals possess relatively stable
behavioral tendencies.
• 2. Different people differ in the degree to which
they possess these tendencies.
• 3. When identified and measured, these relative
differences between individuals are useful in
characterizing their personalities.

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 Personality Traits
• 1. Consumer Innovativeness:
• Nature and boundaries of a consumers willingness to
innovate
• 2. Dogmatism:
• Trait that measures the degree of rigidity (vs.
openness) that they show toward an information that is
contrary to their own established beliefs.
• 3. Social Character:
• Ranges from inner-directedness to other directedness.
Inner directed consumers tend to rely on their own inner
values while evaluating new products. While outer-
directed
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 Personality Traits (contd.)
• 4. Need for uniqueness: for such people, conformity to
others expectations or standards either in appearance
or in their possessions is something to be avoided.
• 5. Optimum Stimulation Level: Some people prefer a
simple, uncluttered and calm existence (whereas others
prefer complex and unusual experiences). High OSL is
linked to greater willingness to risks, try new products
….
• 6. Sensation Seeking: characterized by the need for
varied, novel and complex experiences and willingness
to take physical and social risks.
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 BRAND PERSONALITY

• Brand personality is as if 'making the brand come alive'.

• The attribution of human personality traits (seriousness, warmth,

imagination, etc.) to a brand as a way to achieve differentiation.

• Usually done through long-term above-the-line advertising and

appropriate packaging and graphics.

• Brand personality which is strong and favorable will strengthen a

brand but not necessarily stimulates demand

• Identifying consumers’ current brand-personality link or creating one for

new products are important marketing tasks.
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 • These traits inform brand behavior through both prepared
communication / packaging, etc. and through the people who represent
the brand - its employees.

• The way in which it speaks of its products or services shows what kind
of person it would be if it were human.

• A brand without a personality has trouble gaining awareness and

developing a relationship with customer.

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 ECONOMICAL

ATHLETICS

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ROUGH & TOUGH
 A Brand Personality Framework

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 SINCERITY EXCITEMENT
Hallmark, Pepsi,
Kodak, Maggi
Mother Dairy
SOPHISTICATION
Mercedes,
COMPETENCE BMW,
Hewlett Packard Channel
LV
Wall Street Journal
Bournvita
Reebok RUGGEDNESS
Thumbs Up,
Marlboro,
Levis

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 Self Concept

Is defined as the totality of individuals thoughts and

feelings having reference to him/ her as an object.
Life style, in many ways, is an outward expression of
ones self-concept.

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 SELF AND SELF-IMAGE

• A self-images, or perceptions of self, are

very closely associated with personality.

• Individuals tend to buy products and

services and support retailers whose
images or personalities relate in some
meaningful way to their own self-images.

• In real meaning, consumers seek to

represent themselves in their brand
choices-they have a tendency to approach
products with images that could enhance
their self concept and avoid those
products that do not.

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 Components Of Self Concept

Actual Self Ideal Self

Concept Concept

Private Actual Self Ideal self

Self How I actually How I would like
see myself to see myself

Social Social Self Ideal Social Self

Self How others How I would like
actually see me others to see me.

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 Relationship Between Self Concept & Brand
Image Influence

Product
(Brand
Image) Behavior Satisfaction
Relationship Seek products and Purchases
Between Brands that Contribute to
self concept & improve/ maintain Desired self
brand image self concept. concept

Consumer
(self concept)

Reinforces Self-Concept

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• The concept of self image has strategic implications for marketers.The
companies can segment market on the basis of relevant self image and then
position the products in the market.

• Marketers study the needs of customer segmenti.e. matching the product

category and product reflection of self image and then develop offering which
meets both criteria.

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• One or multiple selves
A single consumer will act differently in different situations or with different
people

• Makeup of the self-image

Contains traits, skills, habits, possessions, relationships and way of behavior.
Developed through background, experience ,and interaction with others
consumers select products congruent with this image.

• Extended self
Consumer’s possessions can be seen to confirm or extend their self-images.
For instance, acquiring a desired or sought-after pair of “vintage” Levi jeans
might serve to expand a teenager’s image of self. The teenager might now see
herself as being more desirable and more fashionable.

• Altering the self- image

Clothing, grooming aids or cosmetics & all kinds of accessories (sunglasses,
jewelry, tattoos, or even colored contact lenses) offer consumers the
opportunity to modify their appearances (to create a “makeover”) and
thereby to alter their “selves.”
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