7
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski

Personality
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At the end of this session, you should understand:
The nature of personality
The different approaches to personality theory and their relevance to consumer behaviour
The self-concept and its influence on consumer behaviour
The concept of brand personality and its importance in marketing
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-2

Personality - defined
• The characteristic patterns of behaviour and thought that are a reflection of a consumer’s psychological systems
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-3

Compare these advertisements
See EXHIBIT 7.1 and EXHIBIT 7.2, page 191.
PowerPoint slides supplied on the Instructor
Resource CD to accompany Consumer
Behaviour include advertisement images.
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-4

Personality theories
• The following are approaches to personality theory:
– Psychoanalytical theory
– Social/environment theories
– Trait theory
– Self concept theory
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-5

Psychoanalytic personality theory
• Based on the idea that adult behaviour is a reflection of childhood experiences
• Sigmund Freud believed that unconscious thoughts controlled the conscious mind and this plays a significant role in developing our personalities
• This is very much linked to the concepts of human motivation and drives (Chapter 8)
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-6

Psychoanalytic personality theory
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Five key stages of childhood development that
Freud believed influenced personality development:
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Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latent
Genital
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-7

Psychoanalytic personality theory
• Freud proposed that personality is made up of three parts:
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Id
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Our primitive instincts or drives
Superego
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Our urge to ‘do what is right’ – achieving perfection
Ego
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The ‘balance’ between the id and the superego
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-8

Which do these ads appeal to?
See EXHIBIT 7.3 Paradise biscuits , page 194.
See EXHIBIT 7.4 Advanced VO5 Leave-in Anti-Frizz
Conditioner, page 194.
See EXHIBIT 7.5 Heart Foundation, page 196.
PowerPoint slides supplied on the Instructor
Resource CD to accompany Consumer Behaviour include advertisement images.
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-9

Psychoanalytic personality theory
• Application of Freud’s ideas in marketing:
– Appeal to underlying motivations and drives, e.g.:
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Underlying sexual connotations in ads
Show glamorous people using the product - appealing to social acceptance of the product rather than its practical uses
– Communicate message that anxiety may be reduced with the use of a particular product/service
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-10

Psychoanalytic personality theory
• Neo-Freudians
– Those who further developed Freud’s ideas but presented new ways of looking at personality
– Many consider that although the unconscious mind is important, other factors such as the conscious mind and external factors are also important influences on personality
– One of the best known Neo-Freudians is Carl Jung
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-11

Social/environment theories of personality
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Jungian personality types
Carl Jung believed that individuals engage in constant adaptation and creative development, based on the environment
Suggested there are three components of personality:
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The ego
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Our current conscious thoughts
The personal unconscious
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Where information is buried or stored day to day but can be remembered when there is a trigger
– The collective unconscious
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Comprises memory traces from an individual’s ancestral past
Believed the ‘self’ came from a a mix of the conscious and unconscious
Formed four classifications of psychological function – personality types
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-12

Jung’s psychological types
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-13

Other contributors to personality theory
Erik Erikson
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Considered ego to be a major motivating force in human development and personality
The stronger your selfidentity, the more confident and assertive you are
Implications for marketing are that people are more likely to buy brands that reflect their self image
See EXHIBIT 7.6 Advertisements reflect the expression of a consumer’s
identity, page 200.
PowerPoint slides supplied on the
Instructor Resource CD to accompany
Consumer Behaviour include advertisement images.
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-14

Other contributors to personality theory
Alfred Adler
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Believed that people are born with an inbuilt sense of inferiority
We strive for something better - express our superiority
We are influenced by heredity, the environment and intrinsic factors
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-15

Other contributors to personality theory
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Karen Horney’s basic anxiety theory
Argued that sociocultural factors could explain personality differences, not just basic gender differences See EXHIBIT 7.7 Peugeot makes
you feel superior, page 201.
She believed that basic anxiety leads to conflict and an intense need for approval and affection
PowerPoint slides supplied on the Instructor Resource CD to accompany Consumer Behaviour include advertisement images.
Marketers commonly appeal to needs for greater self-improvement and social standing
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-16

Trait theories of personality
• A trait is a personality characteristic, e.g. outgoing or shy
• Trait theories attempt to identify and categorise personality characteristics
• Marketers can use this information to identify characteristics of a certain market segment
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-17

The ‘big five’ personality traits
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Openness to experience
– Interest in new things
Conscientiousness
– How methodical you are
Extroversion/introversion
– Degree of sociability
Agreeableness
– Extent of a person’s social ‘likeability’
Neuroticism
– Perceived emotional stability
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-18

Self-concept theory
• Based on the set of attitudes a person holds about themselves and is made up of self-images and the evaluation of these images
• Self-concept is made up of two elements
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Self-image
Self-esteem
• Our self-concept can vary across situations
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-19

Self-image and buying behaviour
• The different aspects of self-image that influence buying behaviour include:
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Real self
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How we perceive ourselves
Ideal self
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How we think we are perceived by others
Social self
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How others see us
• Consumers purchase products that reflect their sense of self
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-20

Self-image and fashion
• A consumer’s choice of fashion is a reflection of their personality - it is an outward presentation of their self image
• Highly materialistic consumers are more likely to engage in indulgent purchasing behaviour
– Their physical and material possessions convey ‘status, success and prestige’
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-21

Brand personality
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Brands are often perceived as having a distinct personality
Positioning is a technique to market a product so that it occupies a unique position within a consumer ’s mindset
Appeals used within advertisements and other promotional materials help establish this uniqueness
See EXHIBIT 7.13 Different brands have different personalities. In the tea category,
Dilmah is unique, page 213.
PowerPoint slides supplied on the Instructor
Resource CD to accompany Consumer
Behaviour include advertisement images.
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-22

Marketing application of personality theories
• Using personality tests to gather information about consumers personality types, e.g.:
– Myers-Briggs-type personality type indicator test
– Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
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Helps determine personality themes as well as unconscious motivations
Copyright

2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
7-23