GSBS 6013 Consumer Behaviour Study Notes
GSBS 6013 Consumer Behaviour Study Notes
WEEK THREE – CONSUMER PERSONALITY AND SELF CONCEPT Personality “The unique and dynamic organisation of characteristics of a particular person, physical and psychological, which influence behaviour and responses to the social and physical environment.”
(1) Freudian Theory The theory is built on the premise that unconscious needs and sexual desires are at the heart of human motivation and personality He proposed that human personality contained 3 interacting systems, these are: • Id – It is a ‘warehouse’ of primitive and impulsive drives – The individual seeks immediate satisfaction and gratification such as thirst, hunger, sex and expression – It operates on the pleasure principle and avoids pain • Superego – It is the individual expression of moral and ethical codes of conduct – It restrains and inhibits the impulsive forces of the id – It pursues the internalised good values of society, acts as a ‘brake’ for the Id • Ego – Is the individual’s conscious control – It attempts to balance the id and the superego – Ego develops the individual’s capabilities of realistic thinking Galaxy Chocolate Advert 3D – YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5djjchzmjZE (2) Neo-‐Freudian Personality Theory Neo-‐Freudians further developed the work of Freud, but they disagreed with his contention that personality was primarily instinctive and sexual in nature Neo-‐Freudians believe that social relationships are fundamental to the formation and development of personality (3) Trait Theory
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A trait is “any distinguishing, relatively enduring, way in which each individual differs from another” – Studying a pattern of traits Trait theory is primarily quantitative – whereas Freudian /Neo-‐Freudian approaches are primarily qualitative Trait theorists use personality tests (or inventories) to identify differences in traits
The “Big 5” Model • Neuroticism – The tendency to experience negative emotion effects such as fear, anxiety, sadness and embarrassment… low score indicates calmness, even-‐tempered and relaxed nature • Extroversion – The tendency to interact with the world and enjoy excitement and stimulation… low score indicates introversion, reserved, independent and prefer to spend time alone • Openness to experience – The tendency to seek a variety of experiences and entertain novel ideas… low score indicates a conservative outlook and a desire for the familiar • Agreeableness – The tendency to move towards people and act calmly towards them… low score indicates tendency to be antagonistic, competitive, and sceptical of others intentions • Conscientiousness – The tendency to control impulses and pursue goals, determined, punctual and reliable… low score indicates a lackadaisical in working towards goals Consumer Innovativeness • The success of new products often depends on the adoption of the product by innovators • Personality traits have been useful in identifying innovators • Researchers have developed measurement instruments to gauge the level of consumer innovativeness Consumer Dogmatism • Dogmatism is the degree of rigidity people display towards unfamiliar information or towards information contrary to their established beliefs • Those high in dogmatism (close-‐minded) are more likely to choose established products/brands – They will also be responsive to ads that contain an authoritative appeal (including experts and celebrities) – What are the implications for trusted brands for this type of consumer?? • … More likely to adopt and retain as a preferred brand • Consumers who are low in dogmatism are considered open-‐minded (and more innovative) Consumer Social Character • Social character is a personality 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 tend to look to others for direction on ‘what is right or wrong’ and are likely to be followers • Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence • Defined as the need to enhance one’s image in the opinions of others • These people have a willingness to conform to the expectations of others • They, therefore, seek to gather information by observing others • They tend to seek out brands that are higher in status
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Marketers can attempt to use the need for social acceptance to promote to these people – Create persuasive communications which shows that using the product will enable consumer to fit into his or her social group
Need for Cognition • This is defined as the individual’s tendency to desire, engage in and enjoy effortful thinking
Self Image
Brand Personality: Aaker’s model • Consumers prefer brands which symbolize personality aspects that they find most congruent with their own actual or desired (“aspired to”) personality associations (Belk 1988; Dolich 1969) • “A set of human-‐like characteristics associated with a brand” (Aaker 1997, p. 347) • 5 dimensional instrument to assess the set of human characteristics associated with a brand Sincerity (Arnotts, Hallmark, Kodak, Kleenex) • Down-‐To-‐Earth: family-‐oriented, small-‐town, conventional, blue-‐collar, all-‐American • Honest: sincere, real, ethical, thoughtful, caring • Wholesome: original, genuine, ageless, classic, old-‐fashioned • Cheerful: sentimental, friendly, warm, happy Excitement (Porsche, Absolut, Benetton, Mazda, iPod) • Daring: trendy, exciting, off-‐beat, flashy, provocative • Spirited: cool, young, lively, outgoing, adventurous, • Imaginative: unique, humorous, surprising, artistic, fun • Up-‐To-‐Date: independent, contemporary, innovative, aggressive
Competence (Amex, IBM, Insurance companies, LG) • Reliable: hardworking, secure, efficient, trustworthy, careful • Intelligent: technical, corporate, serious • Successful: leader, confident, influential Sophistication (Lexus, Mercedes, Revlon, Lindt) • Upper Class: glamorous, good-‐looking, pretentious, sophisticated • Charming: feminine, smooth, sexy, gentle Ruggedness (Levi's, Harley Davidson, Pajero, SUVs) • Outdoorsy: masculine • Western: active, athletic • Tough: rugged, strong, no-‐nonsense
Perception: “The process by which an individual receives selects and interprets stimuli to form a meaningful and coherent picture of the world.” Absolute Threshold The lowest level at which we can experience a sensation is called the absolute threshold – the point at which can detect a difference between ‘something’ and ‘nothing’ is our absolute threshold for that stimulus Differential Threshold/ Just Noticeable Difference (JND) The minimal difference that can be detected between two stimuli is called the differential threshold, or the ‘just noticeable difference’ (aka j.n.d.) i.e. the consumers radar to detect a significant change in the stimulus Perceptual Organisation Principles • Grouping § People group stimuli to form a unified impression or concept § Grouping is used to imply certain desired meanings in connection with their products e.g. drinking coffee with someone amongst a scenic setting associates the product with relaxation, fine living and winter warmth § Why? …Grouping helps consumer memory and recall • Closure § People have a need for closure and organize perceptions to form a complete picture § Will often fill in missing pieces using their own thoughts and imagination § Incomplete messages are sometimes remembered more than complete § Marketers use this technique to arouse cognitive processes and increase involvement with the stimulus
