Personality? Personality influences how we respond to the environment Idealist Traditionalist Realist Hedonist One way marketers try to use personality variables is to link product benefits with consumer personality type Personality Type Desired Auto Benefit Extroverted Freedom Warm Enjoyment Affiliative Tradition Subdued Relaxation Introverted Compromise Cool Control Freudian Theory Pleasure Principle Sexual Symbolism Reality Principle Id Id desires pleasures (sex) Ego Superego says its socially unacceptable Key Concepts Superego struggle between Id (pleasure), Superego (reason) and Ego (moderates between Id and Superego) Ego says I’ll find a socially acceptable way (i. e. symbolic sex) so that Superego is happy and Id can have its pleasure. Marketing Applications Products symbolically satisfy consumers sexual needs --substitute the product for the real thing Others focus on male-oriented symbolism - the phallic symbol. Do Phallic Symbols in Advertising Really exist or is it a coincidence? Why does advertising use sex as an appeal to the consumer? Because it works. Sex is the second strongest of the psychological appeals, right behind self-preservation. Sexual desire’s strength is biological and instinctive. For many products it is possible to find (or invent) a sexual connection. The effectiveness of sex in advertising is gender linked. Men have minimal criteria for sexual desire Basically, they are concerned with a woman's anatomy -- as long as a woman looks young enough and healthy, she is desirable. in advertising it is easy to get a man's attention by using women's bodies and associate getting the woman if he buys the product. In general, female models are placed in sexually exploitative and compromising positions, sexually submissive postures, and with sexually connotative facial expressions. Media definitions of sexual attractiveness promote either extreme thinness or a thin waist with large hips and breasts The sexual connection is much easier to set up for men than for women. Hanes Resilience" 1996 The use of sex in advertising to women is more difficult Although the use of healthy, fit men may attract their attention and create desire, willingness to engage in intercourse is rarely aroused strictly because of a man's body For a woman, sexual desire is a complex mixture of such factors as money, power, prestige, etc To sell to a woman, advertising relies on the modern idea about how men and women relate -- romance. Although an ad may use a man's body as an attention getting device, he is usually shown in a romantic rather than sexual context. Motivational Research Why do women tend to increase their expenditures on clothing and personal adornment products as they approach the age of 50 to 55? Motivational Research assumes unconscious motives influence consumer behavior research tries to identify these underlying unconscious forces (e.g., cultural factors, sociological forces). Marketers can therefore better understand the target audience and how to influence that audience. Qualitative as opposed to quantitative standard marketing research survey can’t reveal these motives Three major techniques 1. Observation 2. Focus Groups 3. In-Depth Interviews Mr. Apple Brand personality: He's always been super bright about computers, and a high achiever at the University. But he's totally cool and down to earth, with a subtle sense of humour. Not a nerd at all. But witty, fun, and creative. 20, maybe early 30 something years old. Masculine, but sensitivee Mr IBM Brand personality: Formal and professional. Perhaps a bit stiff, or "square." But tops in his class intellectually. He's gone to the best University, with an advanced degree. And he has very polished social skills. 40ish years old. Masculine, perhaps a bit macho. BRAND PERSONALITY The type of person the brand represents The Quaker Oats man is a paternal archetype conveying old-fashioned goodness and shrewdness A trustworthy, dependable, conservative personality might reflect characteristics valued in a financial advisor, a lawn service, or even a car Quaker Oats 1886 How do you feel about these brands? What’s their personality? 5 Major Brand Personalities Sincerity: Down-to-earth, family oriented, genuine, old-fashioned. E.g. Hallmark, Kodak, Coke. The relationship might be similar to one that exists with a well-liked and respected member of the family. Excitement: Spirited, young, up-to-date, outgoing. E.g. Pepsi. Competence: Accomplished, influential, competent. E.g. HewlettPackard, Globe & Mail. Relationship might be similar to one with a person whom you respect for their accomplishments, such as a teacher, minister or business leader. Sophistication: Pretentious, wealthy, condescending: E.g. BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus (with gold trim) as opposed to the KIA, or the VW bug. The relationship could be similar to one with a powerful boss or a rich relative. Ruggedness: Athletic and outdoorsy. E.g. Nike, Head. Brand Relations The relationship between the brand-as-person and the customer, is analogous to the relationship between two people. A brand's personality must reflect the perceptions, motivations, and values of its targeted customers One important relationship for many brands is friendship. Characterized by trust, dependability, understanding, and caring A friend is there for you, treats you with respect, is comfortable, is someone you like, and is an enjoyable person with whom to spend time. Dodge Neon Your friend Nokia: A Trusted Friend Motorola "We call this human technology" Intelligence everywhere Respect Segment "My job is to help you get accepted." "You have good taste." Intimidated segment "Are you ready for me, or will you spend more than you can afford?” "If you don't like the conditions, get another card." "I'm so well known and established that I can do what I want." "If I were going to dinner, I would not include you in the party." What Creates a Brand Personality? Packaging, advertising, marketing activities Consumers’ experience with brand The creation and communication of a distinctive brand personality is one way marketers can make a product stand out from the competition The Logo as a Face when you see the same logo time and time again, it becomes familiar, like a familiar human face you experience a sense of recognition, "Hey, I've seen you, I know you BRAND EQUITY 1. the total value of a brand as a separable asset 2. a measure of the strength of consumers’ attachment to a brand 3. The strength of the positive associations and beliefs the consumer has about the brand What is a lifestyle? Lifestyle Components People Setting Product Products are the building blocks of lifestyles consumers choose particular products and services and activities over others because they are associated with a certain lifestyles people use products to define lifestyles For this reason marketing strategies try to position a product by fitting it into an existing pattern of consumption or setting Life Style Marketing people of similar social and economic circumstances share common lifestyles and patterns of consumption. Lifestyle marketing recognises that people sort themselves into groups based on the things they like to do Lifestyle marketing looks at patterns of behaviour to understand how they make their choices in a variety of product categories - in context Products are used in desirable social settings or contexts marketing strategies try to position a product by fitting it into an existing pattern of consumption What products go with this lifestyle? Product Complementarity An important part of lifestyle marketing is to identify the set of products and services that go together different products are related to each other symbolically these sets of products, termed consumption constellations A Consumption Constellation for the Yuppie Lifestyle A cluster of complementary products, specific brands, and/or consumption activities used to construct, signify, and/or perform a social role” By choosing distinctive product groupings laden with symbolic meaning, consumers communicate their affiliation with a positively valued, or aspirational, lifestyle. From this perspective, the meaning of a product depends on the context in which it is displayed or used Consumers buy on the basis of product complementarity Marketer should understand consumers' cross-category associations Why is Knowledge about lifestyles is important for Marketers? defining the target market (beyond demographics) new product development, cross-merchandising promotional and media strategies creating a new view of the market better communicating product attributes/benefits - to match a person's lifestyle. reaching consumers A manufacturer of bathroom accessories wishing to license a line of sportswear products needs to know 1. how its brand image in the sportswear category will translate into purchases of linens. 2. what linen styles will appeal to its sportswear customer, 3. the optimal way to display these items at retail 4. how best to advertise these products in the appropriate lifestyle context. Psychographics the use of psychological, sociological and anthropological factors to construct market segments based on differences in choices of consumption activities Demographic information tells us WHO buys Psychographics tells us WHY they buy Activities, Interests and Opinions (AIO) Psychographic segmentation groups consumers according to their lifestyles activities, interests and opinions are one way of measuring people’s lifestyles Lifestyle is then boiled down by discovering 1. how people spend their time. 2. what they find interesting and important and 3. how they view themselves and the world around them VALS (Values and Lifestyles) categorizes consumers into 8 mutually exclusive groups based on their psychographics and several key income related demographics. highlights factors that motivate consumer buying behavior. http://future.sri.com/VALS/valsindex.shtml Use VALS to: •Identify WHO to target •Uncover WHAT your target group buys and does •Locate WHERE concentrations of your target group lives •Identify HOW best to communicate with your target group •Gain insight into WHY the target group acts the way it does VALS has been applied to: •New product/service design •Marketing and communications - Targeting - Product positioning - Focus group screening - Promotion planning - Advertising •Media Planning •On-line advertising design and implementation SRI/VALS2 Abundant Resources Principle Oriented Actualizers Status Oriented Action Oriented Fulfilleds Achievers Experiencers Believers Strivers Makers Strugglers Minimal Resources LIFESTYLE TRENDS Society's priorities and preferences are constantly changing Essential for marketers to both track and anticipate them Needham's longitudinal lifestyle study since 1975 Found that in late 1990s Americans wanted, in essence, gain without pain. TEN LIFESTYLE TRENDS 1. Unhealthy eating People are paying less attention to nutrition and diet. For more than 10 years, the percentage of people who make an effort to increase their vitamin intake or fibre content and reduce additives, cholesterol, salt, sugar, and fat has fallen rapidly. people say they may want to eat more healthfully, the reality is people are moving in the opposite direction. 2. Fitness More than 50% of American men and women think they're in good physical condition. That percentage has been falling for more then 20 years. While people indicate that exercise is a good idea, most are doing little about it. Most forms of exercise have declined as regular activities 3. Environmental issues End of the 1980s, 70% said they would support pollution standards, even if it means shutting down some factories. End of 1990s number is starting to fall. End 1970s more than 60% said they would accept a lower standard of living to conserve energy. End 1990s numbers have dropped drastically. People may wish to be environmentally conscious, but the truth is they're moving in the opposite direction. 4. Traditional values 85% indicate they have "somewhat old-fashioned tastes” But an increasing number support the legalization of marijuana, believe couples should live together before marrying, etc. pendulum is swinging toward "satisfying one's self,” people will "embrace traditional values only as long as they don't interfere with convenience, practicality, or individualism." 5. lack of discretionary time With less time to comparison shop, consumers are limiting choices to stores they know carry the correct sizes and colours and have adequate stocks of sale items . Emphasis on Time-saving products e.g. pre-cooked foods, prepared foods drive through pizzas 6. Dual-income families are becoming single-income families: has created opportunities for telecommuting, part-time work and home-operated businesses. also an increased demand for home-improvement centres With one income, families shop more in discount stores. 7. Nostalgia For many, our high-tech, materialistic world is too stressful. Consumers seek connections with past when things were simpler Companies can connect with consumers by helping them remember and re-live the past. 8. Increased focus on quality of life More causal work environment, relaxed dress code home entertainment travel industry spirituality 9. Mass Customization mass customization is about choice; about giving consumers a unique end product when, where and how they want it. mass-market goods and services individualized to satisfy a very specific customer need, at an affordable price. Based on the consumers desire for "custom-made", or personalized products but at mass production prices More product variety: Since 1985 number of car models gone from 140 to 260; soft drinks from 20 to 90. Today., U.S. market offers 3,000 brands of beer, 50 brands of bottled water, 340 kinds of cereals, 70 styles of Levi's jeans. 10. Technohome integration of technology into appliances Internet Lifestyle experience includes a home with new levels of comfort, convenience, and security to consumers through Internetenabled devices and services for communication, entertainment, family management, home control, and personal commerce.