The Self
Why Self-concept
• Not enough to know demographics
Important to consider:
– How a product fits a consumer’s self-concept
– How a product makes consumers feel
Self-concept
• Who are you?
• What do you identify yourself with?
Gender
Age
Nationality
Religion
Other
Physical characteristics
Political beliefs
Occupation/student
Personal history/tendencies
• Has this changed? How? Why?
Self-Concept
Self-Concept is the beliefs a person holds about his/her own
attributes, and how he/she evaluates these qualities
Self-concept can be divided into four parts:
•Actual Self: more realistic appraisal of the qualities we have,
who I am now
•Ideal Self: how we would like to be
•Private Self: how I am or would like to be to myself
•Social Self: how I am viewedby others or how I would like to
be viewed by others
Self-Concept
Interdependent/Independent Self-Concepts
Interdependent SelfConcept is based on the
common Asian cultural
belief in the fundamental
connectedness of human
beings, emphasizing
family, cultural,
professional, and social
relationships.
Independent SelfConcept is based on the
predominant Western
cultural belief that
individuals are inherently
separate, emphasizing
personal goals,
characteristics,
achievements, and desires.
Self-Concept
Possessions and the Extended Self
The extended self consists of the self plus possessions.
People tend to define themselves in part
by their possessions.
Identify possessions that define you.
Symbolic self-completion theory: people
who have an incomplete self-definition
complete the identity by acquiring and
displaying symbols associated with it.
Tattoos can become a part of
one’s extended self
Consumption Biography
We can infer personality based on
consumption patterns…
• Construct a “consumption biography” of a
friend, family member, or classmate.
• Make a list of his/her most favorite
possessions, and see if you or others can
describe this person’s personality just from
the information provided by this catalogue.
Self-Concept
Marketing Ethics
The self-concept has many dimensions.
Critics blame marketers for focusing too much attention on
the importance of beauty, and defining it as being young
and slim with a fairly narrow range of facial features.
A major concern is that individuals are developing selfconcepts that are heavily dependent on their physical
appearances rather than other equally or more important
attributes.
Other dimensions of the Self
• Self-esteem: the positivity of a
person’s self-concept
– Low self-esteem: think they will not
perform well
– High self-esteem: think they will be
successful and will take risks
• Self-consciousness: awareness of
self
• Body image: a consumer’s
subjective evaluation of his/her
physical self
Ralph Lauren model Filippa
Hamilton fired because she
wasn’t thin enough.
She is 5-foot-10, 120-pounds
and a size 4.
What is the Western Ideal of Beauty?
• “What is beautiful is good” stereotype
• Skin color and eye shape = status,
sophistication, and social desirability
• Plastic surgery to obtain big round eyes,
tiny waists, large breasts, blond hair,
and blue eyes
• How prevalent is the Western ideal of
beauty?
• How do you see this ideal evolving now
(if at all)? If so, how?
Is the Western Ideal getting real?
The Dove Campaign
Evolution ad, Beauty Pressure ad, Real Beauty ad,
Reactions?
– How did this campaign affect you? How do you think it
affects young girls and their self esteem?
– What role does marketing play in creating perceptions of self
esteem? In particular, what is the “frame” used for female
beauty? Describe the marketing strategy behind this
campaign.
– From a strategic point of view, does this approach make
sense? Why?