CHAPTER 6
PERSONALITY, LIFESTYLES, AND THE SELF-CONCEPT
WHAT DO YOU THINK POLLING QUESTION
My personality can easily be seen in the products that I buy.
Strongly disagree 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Strongly agree
Have students access www.cengagebrain.com to answer the polling questions for each chapter of
CB. Ask them to take the online poll to see how their answers compare with other students taking
a consumer behavior course across the country. Then turn to the last page of the chapter to find
the What Others Have Thought box feature. This graph is a snapshot of how other consumer
behavior students have answered this polling question thus far.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After studying this chapter, the student should be able to:
L01 Define personality and know how various approaches to studying personality can be
applied to consumer behavior.
L02 Discuss major traits that have been examined in consumer research.
L03 Understand why lifestyles and psychographics are important to the study of consumer
behavior.
L04 Comprehend the role of the self-concept in consumer behavior.
L05 Understand the concept of self-congruency and how it applies to consumer behavior
issues.
SUGGESTED LECTURE OPENER
Self-concept and consumerism seems to be an ever important, ever hot topic in the world of
business and marketing. While many advertising campaigns rely on an appeal to one’s sense of
beauty and glamour, both consumers and marketers alike are concerned about the ethics of
promoting body modification services, such as cosmetic surgery. But where a service is offered,
and a consumer desire exists, marketing will be there to fill the communication gap. Now, credit
card companies are even offering charge cards specifically for cosmetic surgery. Is this type of
long-term, interest-rated spending any different from buying a car or other big-ticket item? Or is
there an ethical question about providing money for an elective procedure? [Source: Nora
Zelevansky, “Plastic Makes Perfect: Cosmetic Surgery Charge Cards,” The Huffington Post, July
20, 2010, http://www.huffingtonpost.com.]
©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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LECTURE OUTLINE WITH POWERPOINT® SLIDES
Slide 1
Slide 2
LO1. Define personality and know how various approaches to studying personality can be
applied to consumer behavior.
Personality and Consumer Behavior
Slide 3
Personality is defined as the totality of thoughts, emotions, intentions, and behaviors that a
person exhibits consistently as they adapt to their environment. Distinct qualities of personality
include the following:
1. Personality is unique to an individual  Personality helps distinguish consumers from
one another based on the relative amount of characteristics that each exhibits. Consumers
differ in their personalities, although some characteristics may be shared across
individuals.
2. Personality can be conceptualized as a combination of specific traits or
characteristics  Your overall personality is a combination of many stable
characteristics, or traits.
3. Personality traits are relatively stable and interact with situations to influence
behavior  Personality traits are expected to remain consistent across situations. The
combined influence of situations and traits has been shown to play a large role in
influencing specific behaviors (referred to as an interaction between the person and the
situation).
4. Specific behaviors can vary across time  A major issue in personality research is that
simply knowing that a consumer possesses a specific trait does not allow others to predict
a specific behavior. For example, knowing that a consumer is “materialistic” does not
allow the researcher to predict the exact type of product the person may buy. For this
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2
reason, personality researchers often advocate an aggregation approach in which the
measurement of specific behaviors occurs over time rather than relying on a single
measure of behavior at one point in time.
Slide 4
Slide 5
Q: Ask students if they like the band, The Black Eyed Peas. If not, what band
do they like? What is the difference?
A: Answers will vary. Discuss how personality qualities help explain why one
person likes the band while another person does not.
Marketing managers are particularly interested in how consumers differ according to their
personalities. The book focuses on two popular approaches: the psychoanalytic approach and the
trait approach.
Psychoanalytic Approach to Personality
The psychoanalytic approach is applicable to both motivation and personality inquiry. Also
known as Freud’s approach, this approach states that human behavior is influenced by an inner
struggle between various systems within the personality. The psychoanalytic approach consists
of three main components:
1. Id  Focuses on pleasure-seeking and immediate gratification. The id operates on a
pleasure principle that motivates a person to focus on obtaining maximum pleasure and
minimizing pain.
2. Superego  Works against the id by motivating behavior that matches societal norms and
expectations. It can be conceptualized as being similar to a consumer’s conscience.
3. Ego  Attempts to balance the desires of the id with the constraints of and expectations
found in the superego.
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Slide 6
Psychoanalytic Approach and Motivation Research
In the early days of consumer research, researchers applied psychoanalytic tools to try and
identify explanations for behavior—the motivational research era. In general, however, the
motivational research era proved disappointing in developing compelling, practical consumer
behavior theories or guidelines for marketing actions.
Depth interviews help researchers to explore deep-seated motivations through probing
questions. Focus groups asked questions of groups of people instead of individually.
Slide 7
Slide 8
Trait Approach to Personality
The trait approach has received significant research attention over the past few decades. A trait is
defined as a distinguishable characteristic that describes a person’s tendency to act in a relatively
consistent manner.
There are many ways in which consumer researchers study traits. Not surprisingly, there
are multiple approaches available for researchers. The following text lists the differences
between nomothetic and idiographic approaches as well as single-trait and multiple-trait
approaches.
Nomothetic versus Idiographic Approaches
 Nomothetic approach  A “variable-centered” approach that focuses on particular
variables, or traits, that exist across a number of consumers.
 Idiographic approach  Focuses on the total person and the uniqueness of that person’s
psychological makeup. Attention is not placed on individual traits or how they can be
studied across multiple consumers. Rather, the focus is placed on understanding the
complexity of each individual consumer.
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Single-Trait and Multiple-Trait Approaches
 Single-trait approach  Focus of the researcher is placed on one particular trait. Thus,
researchers can learn more about the trait and how it affects behavior.
 Multiple-trait approach  Combinations of traits are examined, and the total effect of
the collection of traits is considered.
Slide 9
LO2. Discuss major traits that have been examined in consumer research.
Specific Traits Examined in Consumer Research
Slide 10
A handful of important traits found when conducting consumer research are discussed below.
They include the following:
1. Value Consciousness  An important concept in consumer behavior because it underlies
tendencies to perform certain behaviors, such as redeeming coupons.
2. Materialism  Refers to the extent to which material goods are important in a consumer’s
life. Most western cultures, including the United States, are generally thought to be
relatively materialistic. A current trend is emerging in which people are beginning to
downshift or reduce their material possessions. Older people tend to be less materialistic
than younger people.
3. Innovativeness  Refers to the degree to which a consumer tends to be open to new ideas
and buys new products, services, or experiences early in their introduction.
4. Need for Cognition – Refers to the degree to which consumers enjoy engaging in
effortful cognitive information processing.
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5. Competitiveness  An enduring tendency to strive to be better than others. The trait
often emerges in the following ways:



When a consumer is directly competing with others
When a consumer enjoys winning vicariously through the efforts of others
When a consumer attempts to display some superiority over others by openly
flaunting exclusive products
6. Trait Superstition – Being superstitious can be thought of as a trait because it represents
a consumer’s tendency to act in relatively consistent ways.
Other Traits Found in Consumer Research
Other personality traits include frugality, impulsiveness, trait anxiety, bargaining proneness, and
trait vanity.
Slide 11
Q: Ask students to talk about times when they felt competitive (fantasy sports
leagues, sports fans, online video games, flaunting new material
purchases)? Why do marketers care about competitive people?
A: Answers will vary. Give students an opportunity to share situations to
foster a discussion on the competitiveness trait.
The Five-Factor Model Approach
A multiple-trait perspective that proposes that the human personality consists of five traits
(extroversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, stability, and conscientiousness) is called
the five-factor model (FFM) approach. The FFM is illustrated in Exhibit 6.2.
Slide 12
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Hierarchical Approaches to Personality Traits
Organizing all of these traits is one of the goals of researchers. Hierarchical approaches begin
with the assumption that personality traits exist at varying levels of abstraction.
1. Specific traits – Tendencies to behave in very well-defined situations, such as complaint
propensity.
2. Broad traits – Behaviors that are performed across different situations, such as
extroversion.
3. Personology  An approach that combines information on traits, goals, and consumer life
stories to gain a better understanding of personality.
Slide 13
Slide 14
Brand Personality
Brand personality refers to human characteristics that can be associated with a brand. Brand
personalities can be described across five dimensions, including:
1. Competence
2. Excitement
3. Ruggedness
4. Sincerity
5. Sophistication
These dimensions are described in Exhibit 6.4.
Slide 15
Personality and Brand Relationships
To some extent, it is important to consider that consumers have relationships with brands and
that personality traits are important in the formation and maintenance of interpersonal
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relationships. An example is “Always Coca-Cola,” which is one of Coke’s best-known
advertising campaigns!
Susan Fournier, a consumer researcher, proposes that the overall quality of the
relationship between consumer and brand can be described in terms of the following:
1. Love and Passion  A consumer may have such strong feelings about a brand that they
actually describe it by using the term “love.”
2. Self-Connection  Research indicates that the correct match between a customer’s
personality and a perceived brand personality leads to higher overall satisfaction.
3. Commitment  Harley-Davidson owners are well known for their commitment to their
bikes.
4. Interdependence  For example, consumers are often reminded in television
advertisements that “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”
5. Intimacy  For example, a need for intimacy and passion can be directly tied to a
specific brand of perfume, while a need for excitement or status can be directly related to
a sporty automobile.
6. Brand Partner Quality  Brands that are perceived to be of high quality contribute to
the formation of consumer–brand relationships.
Slide 16
LO3. Understand why lifestyles and psychographics are important to the study of
consumer behavior.
Consumer Lifestyles and Psychographics
Slide 17
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Lifestyles refer to the ways in which consumers live and spend their time and money. Lifestyles
have proven to be extremely valuable to marketers and others interested in predicting behavior.
Lifestyles will vary with culture, and many marketers are focusing on lifestyles in their
advertising campaigns.
Slide 18
Psychographics
Psychographics refers to the way in which consumer lifestyles are measured. Psychographic
techniques use quantitative methods that can be used in developing lifestyle profiles.
Psychographic analysis involves surveys of customers using AIO statements, which are used to
gain an understanding of consumers’ activities, interests, and opinions. Psychographic profiles of
various consumer groups have resulted in lifestyle segments being identified for Porsche owners,
including “elitists” and “fantasists.”
Slide 19
Q: How do lifestyle segments explain vacation preferences?
A: Answers will vary.
Specificity of Lifestyle Segments
These lifestyle approaches can be categorized in terms of their specificity—either narrowly
defined or more broadly defined. Generally, lifestyles are indeed quite specific. Exhibit 6.5
presents sample measures used for psychographic analysis for the leisure bowling segment.
©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Slide 20
VALS
Developed and marketed by SRI International, VALS is a very successful segmentation
approach that has been adopted by several companies. The acronym stands for Values and
Lifestyles. The current VALS2 approach classifies consumers into the following eight segments
based on the available resources and primary motivations.
1. Innovators  Successful, sophisticated people who have high self-esteem. They are
motivated by achievement, ideals, and self-expression. Image is important to these
consumers.
2. Thinkers  Ideal motivated people. They are mature, reflective people who value order
and knowledge. They have relatively high incomes and are conservative, practical
consumers.
3. Achievers  Have an achievement motivation and are politically conservative. Their
lives largely center on church, family, and career. Image is important to this group and
they prefer to purchase prestige products.
4. Experiencers  Self-expressive consumers who tend to be young, impulsive, and
enthusiastic. These consumers value novelty and excitement.
5. Believers  In some ways, believers are like thinkers because they are ideal motivated
and conservative. They follow routines, and their lives largely center on home, family,
and church. However, they do not have the same amount of resources that thinkers have.
6. Strivers  Achievement motivated, but they do not have the same amount of resources
that are available to achievers. For strivers, shopping is a way to demonstrate their ability
to buy to others.
7. Makers  Makers are like experiencers in that they are motivated by self-expression.
They have fewer resources than the experiencers. They tend to express themselves by
their activities such as raising children, fixing cars, or building houses.
8. Survivors  Very low on resources and are constricted by this lack of resources. They
tend to be elderly consumers who are concerned with health issues and who feel that the
world is changing too quickly. They are not active in the marketplace because their
primary concerns center around safety, family, and security.
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Slide 21
PRIZM
Geodemographic techniques combine data on consumer expenditures and socioeconomic
variables with geographic information to identify commonalities in consumption patterns of
households in various regions. PRIZM, which stands for Potential Ratings Index by ZIP Market,
is a popular lifestyle analysis technique that was developed by Claritas. It is based on the premise
that people with similar backgrounds and means tend to live close to one another and emulate
each other’s behaviors and lifestyles. PRIZM combines demographic and behavioral information
in a manner that enables marketers to better understand, and target, their customers. Their
technique uses 66 different segments as descriptors of individual households, which are ranked
according to socioeconomic variables.
Slide 22
Have students explore the PRIZM segments at the Claritas website
(www.claritas.com) and bring back information for discussion.
LO4. Comprehend the role of the self-concept in consumer behavior.
The Role of Self-Concept in Consumer Behavior
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11
Slide 23
Self-concept refers to the totality of thoughts and feelings that an individual has about him or her
self. Self-concept can also be thought of as the way a person defines or gives meaning to his or
her own identity, as in a type of self-schema.
According to the symbolic interactionism perspective, consumers agree on the shared
meaning of products and symbols. Semiotics refers to the study of symbols and their meaning.
An example of semiotics is the use of Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.
Consumers have a number of self-concepts that occur over time. Various dimensions
of the self include the following:
1. Actual self  Refers to how a consumer currently perceives his/her self (that is, who I
am).
2. Ideal self  Refers to how a consumer would like to perceive himself (that is, who I
would like to be in the future).
3. Social self  Refers to the beliefs that a consumer has about how others see them.
4. Ideal social self  Represents the image that a consumer would like others to have about
him or her.
5. Possible self  Much like the ideal self and presents an image of what the consumer
could become.
6. Extended self  Represents the various possessions that a consumer owns that help him
or her to form self perceptions.
Slide 24
Slide 25
The cyber self could be the next defined dimension of the self. Due to the popularity of the
Internet, almost ¾ of all teens and young adults online use social networking sites. They keep
connected to their friends through status updates, but should be careful about how much
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information they post. It is important to keep in mind that information posted online can be
accessed by people other than friends.
Slide 26
Self-Concept and Body Presentation
The issue of self-concept in consumer behavior has several practical implications.
The term self-esteem refers to the positivity of an individual’s self-concept. Unilever Corp.
addressed the issue of unrealistic body types with their “Real Beauty” campaign for the brand,
Dove.
Slide 27
Open a discussion with students about self-esteem. Do students agree that
society shapes their self-esteem? Do female students believe that fashion
determines their own personal view of their bodies?
Cosmetic Surgery and Body Modification
Techniques such as plastic surgery, liposuction, and breast augmentation have become very
popular. According to the American Academy for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, nearly 10 million
procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2009. Even with the recent downturn in the economy
there was only a 2% decrease in cosmetic procedures performed.
Body Piercings and Tattooing
The growth of body piercing among college-aged students is particularly noteworthy. It has been
estimated recently that nearly 51% of teens and young adults have some form of body piercing.
For consumers, body piercings and tattoos have become more popular than ever.
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Q: Ask students whether they have tattoos and body piercings. Do they agree
with the statements in the book?
A: The book presents research on piercings and tattooing indicating that this
form of self-expression is sometimes associated with increased levels of
drug and alcohol use, unprotected sexual activity, trait anxiety, and
depression.
LO5. Understand the concept of self-congruency and how it applies to consumer behavior
issues.
Self-Congruency Theory and Consumer Behavior
Slide 28
Segmentation and Self-Congruency
The self-congruency theory proposes that much of consumer behavior can be explained by the
congruence (match) between a consumer’s self-concept and the images presented of typical users
of a focal product.
Marketers can use congruency theory by segmenting markets into groups of consumers
who perceive high self-concept congruence with their productuser image. One example is the
recent ad campaign for Ford trucks. It illustrates the role of self-congruency theory in marketing
by sending the message through the “Built Ford Tough” theme, that if you are a hardworking
man you need a hardworking truck and should choose Ford.
Slide 29
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VIDEO CLIP
PowerPoint Clip from Smart, USA
Run time 0:56 minutes
Slide 30
The Smart Car was originally developed for the European car market, where small, fuel-efficient
cars are more common. Before the company could introduce the Smart Car to American
consumers, marketers needed to understand how they could help a U.S. audience see beyond the
car’s unusual appearance and size in order to appreciate its benefits as many Europeans already
do. The marketers also needed to know who their target consumers would be and what would
inspire them to buy a car like this. Smart, USA quickly learned that this car would be sold not
based on age or socio-economic status, but on consumers’ attitudes and lifestyles.
Ask your students:
1. How would you describe the Smart Car’s brand personality?
Answer: The Smart Car brand might be described as quirky and individualistic, while also high
functioning and efficient.
2. Why does it make the most sense to define the Smart Car’s target market by attitude and
lifestyle?
Answer: Because of the car’s unusual look, features, and low pricetag, consumers are drawn to it
by their lifestyle or attitude parameters, rather than their age or socio-economic parameters.
First-time buyers, urban dwellers, baby boomers, and empty nesters are all drawn to the car for
different reasons related to lifestyle and attitude rather than to age or income.
END OF CHAPTER MATERIAL
ONLINE CASE ANSWERS
Visit www.login.cengage.com to access the online case studies for CB.
1. How can the use of a celebrity endorsement have a positive impact for Latonia and a
negative impact for Jon-Michael?
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Answer: For Jon-Michael, celebrity endorsements would not be very attractive.
He does not like to be associated with statements and images of others, so these
endorsements would not add to the value function. For Latonia, endorsements would help
make a statement and would add to the image associated with the purchase. This would
increase the value of the product and of consumption.
2. To maximize value in the shopping experience, what attributes about shopping
and the product should be emphasized if one were marketing to Latonia? What attributes
about shopping and the product should be emphasized to Jon-Michael
in order to maximize value?
Answer: For Latonia, attributes would include the fun and excitement
associated with shopping, as well as the image of the brand and store names.
For Jon-Michael, convenience and timeliness should be emphasized.
3. How could researchers take a nomothethic approach to understanding the psychological
makeup of these consumers?
Answer: Researchers could take a nomothethic approach to studying these two consumers
by considering the traits that are found in their personalities. Differences in value
consciousness could be examined, for example. Learning
from other study’s findings about consumers like Jon-Michael or Latonia could help the
researcher gain insight into the various traits that they each possess.
4. How could the self-congruency theory apply to this case?
Answer: The self-congruency theory proposes that much of consumer behavior can be
explained by the connection between a consumer’s self-concept and the image of typical
users of a focal product. For Latonia, her image of herself would be reflected in the types of
products she buys and the types of stores she frequents. The same would be true for JonMichael. However, Jon-Michael’s selection of store and product would be based on his
fast-paced lifestyle with little focus on image.
5. What types of shopping value apply most readily to Jon-Michael and Latonia?
Answer: Jon-Michael clearly seeks utilitarian shopping value. He shops to solve problems.
He doesn’t enjoy shopping and sounds as if he would rather avoid the activity. Latonia
derives hedonic value from shopping. She loves to shop and will find time for the activity.
The process itself gives her value, and the image that is attached to the products that she
buys makes her feel good about herself.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
(*) Indicates material on prep cards.
1. [LO1] What is meant by the term personality? What are the major approaches to studying
the human personality?
Answer: There are a number of ways to view the human personality. Personality can be
defined as the totality of thoughts, emotions, intentions, and behaviors that a person exhibits
©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
16
consistently as he or she adapts to his or her environment.
Two ways of studying personality are the psychoanalytic approach and the trait approach.
The psychoanalytic approach originates in the work of Sigmund Freud. The trait approach
has become more popular in consumer research. This approach focuses on specific traits or
distinguishable characteristics that describe a person’s tendency to act in a relatively
consistent manner. Both approaches have been utilized in consumer research.
2. [LO1] Discuss the ways in which Freud’s psychoanalytic approach may be used in studying
consumer behavior. In what ways can the approach be applied to the construction of
marketing communications?
Answer: Freud’s approach focuses on deeply held desires and motivations that are often
not directly observable. Researchers can draw from Freud’s approach by focusing on these
desires and using motivational research techniques. Freud’s approach is referred to as a
“conflict approach” because it focuses on the struggles between the id, the ego, and the
superego as the individual tries to function appropriately in the world. Marketing
communications can be constructed that attempt to highlight desirable characteristics, such
as using sexual imagery. Some marketers attempt to use Freudian approaches by
embedding hidden images or messages in marketing communications.
3. *[LO1] Compare and contrast psychoanalytical personality theory approaches with the trait
factor theory of personality. Which is more appropriate when studying consumer behavior?
Answer: The major difference between the approaches is that the psychoanalytic approach
focuses on inner desires and motivations, and the trait approach focuses on identifiable
characteristics that explain differences in individual behavior. Both approaches are
appropriate for consumer research. Whereas the psychoanalytic approach tended to garner
more attention in past decades, the trait approach has gained popularity with researchers in
recent years.
4. [LO2] In what situations do you think the materialism trait emerges most visibly? What types
of products are bought by materialistic people? Think of examples of specific brands or
products from various product categories that might be purchased by materialistic people.
Answer: Materialism generally emerges when consumers consider buying a product that
they will highly value and that will be seen by other consumers. This typically occurs with
a publically visible item, such as an automobile. Materialism also emerges when the
consumer thinks about products that have some sentimental value, such as trophies or
family heirlooms. Highly priced or scarce items are often purchased by highly materialistic
people. Examples of specific brands will vary by student. However, Rolex watches, Porsche
automobiles, Prada handbags, and Armani suits are likely to be purchased by highly
materialistic consumers.
5.
[LO2] Based on what you’ve read in this chapter, do you think that you have a high need for
cognition? What types of advertisements would be most effective for people who do have a
high degree of this trait? What would you suggest to advertisers who are trying to reach
these consumers?
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17
Answer: Student responses will vary for the first part of this question. Advertisements that
have high quality arguments tend to work best for consumers with a high degree of need for
cognition. Often, these can be found in print advertisements, but not always. Advertisers
need to focus carefully on the quality of arguments and not rely heavily on peripheral cues.
6.
*[LO2] Do you believe that superstition can be considered to be a trait? Do you consider
yourself to be superstitious? Do you know of anyone who you think is very superstitious?
Have any superstitions affected your behavior as a consumer?
Answer: Once again, answers will vary. There are many examples of how superstitions
may impact behavior. The key here is to recognize superstition as a trait rather than a
situation or situational influencer. Superstitious people may choose to buy lottery tickets on
lucky days, or in the extreme, decide not the leave home on unlucky days or days where
some event has occurred such as breaking a mirror. Athletes may feel as those they need to
only use on brand of equipment or clothing. Students may feel like they need to bring a
good luck charm to perform well on a test. Obviously, there are many rituals that people
will perform. The key is identifying superstition as a trait, as in a consistent way to act or
think.
7. [LO3] Define psychographics. How are psychographics used in marketing strategy?
Answer: Psychographics represent the ways in which lifestyles are measured. These
techniques are quantitative and are used in developing lifestyle profiles. Psychographic
measures are used to segment consumer groups into various market segments. This chapter
includes numerous examples of how these techniques have been used for segmentation
purposes. Because segmentation is such an important part of every marketing program,
psychographic analysis is a valuable tool for consumer researchers and marketers alike.
8. *[LO4] What are the various dimensions of the self-concept? Describe each of these
dimensions as they pertain to you personally.
Answer: The self-concept includes the following dimensions: actual self (how a consumer
currently perceives him/herself to be), ideal self (how the consumer would like to be),
social self (beliefs that a consumer has about how he or she is seen by others), ideal social
self (how the consumer would like to be seen by others), possible self (an image of what the
consumer thinks they could become), and extended self (the various possessions that a
consumer owns that help him or her form perceptions about themselves). Student responses
to the way that these dimensions apply will likely vary greatly. College students’ ideal
selves tend to be predictable in one way, however: they are most often defined in terms of
how they’d like to be after graduation!
9. [LO4] How does the self-concept relate to body presentation? In what ways do marketers
try to appeal to the dimensions of the self-concept through advertisements?
Answer: The presentation of the body is heavily influenced by the self-concept. Selfesteem (how one feels about themselves) is closely tied to body presentation. One way that
marketers attempt to appeal to the self-concept is by presenting messages suggesting that
the consumer is heavy, out of shape, or not attractive. These advertisers focus heavily on
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18
images of self-improvement, thereby suggesting that the consumer’s self-concept will be
improved if they only looked better to others.
10. Describe the automobile that would likely be chosen by a recent college graduate who is in
his early twenties, single, has his first good-paying job, enjoys partying with friends, and
considers himself to be stylish. What choice would you make for a 62-year-old married
man who is conservative, approaching retirement, and enjoys spending time with his
grandchildren and family? How do these chooses apply to self-congruency theory?
Answer: The college grad is likely to choose a car that is stylish and sporty, such as a new
Ford Mustang. The older consumer would likely choose a car that is much more
conservative, such as a Toyota Camry. The key here is imagining how the product selected
matches the likely self-concepts of these consumers who would seemingly be very
different.
INTERACTIVE/APPLICATION EXERCISES
12. *Go to the following website address www.trappedinspace/brands. Complete a few
comparisons of the brands listed. What do you think about this information? Do you agree
with it?
Answer: There are no right or wrong answers here. The intent is to prompt students to
think about sites such as these and think about brand personality.
13. Go to the Strategic Business Insights homepage, and complete the VALSTM survey
(http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/). Do you agree with the classification that it
assigns to you?
Answer: Again, there are no right or wrong answers. Students often enjoy doing this
exercise. The activity is also easy to perform.
14. Visit a popular “matchmaking” website, such as www.eharmony.com. What are your
thoughts about such a site? These sites use various algorithms and techniques to match
consumers on personality profiles.
Answer: Student responses will vary o n this activity. The sites often claim high success
rates for matching consumers on these profiles. However, consumers may not understand
how the sites work. Students might be cynical about how people are matched, or they may
feel like the sites are good tools for matchmaking.
15. *Visit a couple of retail outlets that you tend to regularly shop at (for example, Hollister,
PacSun, American Eagle, etc.). How does self-congruency principles apply to your
decision to shop at these stores?
Answer: The principle used here is self-congruency. Research indicates that consumers
tend to become loyal to stores that have images that match their own self concepts.
According to the theory, it’s the match between the consumer’s self concept and the
perceived image of typical users of the products that really matter. It’s very common that
young girls, for example, will want to “fit in” with the Aeropostale crowd, and as such,
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they’ll frequent this store regularly. It can be argued that this theory is very powerful and it
can be applied to many different stores and consumers.
GROUP ACTIVITY
Have students come to class displaying some type of symbol that identifies them with a group.
This could be Greek letters or a sports team. Have students find their reference peers among
other students and form groups based on their reference symbols. Allow the groups a few
minutes to discuss and define themselves as a group. Have each group elect a spokesperson.
Use the following questions as a guide to get the discussion started (feel free to improvise):
1. What type of reference group do you represent? Formal or informal? Explain.
2. What type of social influence does the group have on its members? Normative or
informational? Explain.
3. Why do group members conform to standards of the group? Cultural pressure, fear of
deviance, commitment? Explain.
4. After the spokesperson has expressed his/her view, ask whether there is a difference of
opinion within the group. This can lead to a discussion of social power within the group.
5. Ask whether the spokesperson is the opinion leader of the group. Answers will vary.
Source: Anita Jackson, Central Connecticut State University
CHAPTER VIDEO CASE
To view the video case Wheelworks, go to the CB companion website login.cengage.com to
select this video.1
This video focuses on the selling of a high involvement product for a particular life style
segment. It demonstrates how a highly committed and motivated sales force can create excellent
customer service and high levels of customer satisfaction. This is important because
Wheelworks relies on word-of-mouth communication from satisfied customers.
Ask your students:
1. What is the key to Wheelworks’ success?
Answer: The key to Wheelworks’ success is the enthusiasm and passion for the sport of
cycling among the employees. The employees want to educate the consumers and help
them find the right bike, rather than simply make a sale.
2. How does Wheelworks motivate the sales force to provide excellent customer service?
Answer: Student responses will vary. Wheelworks doesn’t need to do a lot of motivating of
their sales force. Most of the employees come to Wheelworks because of their passion for
1
From Hoyer & MacInnis. Segment 18 Wheelworks from Consumer Behavior, pg. 27. Copyright (c) 2010 SouthWestern, a part of Cengage Learning, Inc. Reproduced by permission. www.cengage.com/permissions
©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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the product and the sport. They tend to be self-motivated people that take pride in making
someone else happy and teaching them about cycling. Wheelworks also pays wages, rather
than commission. This eliminates the pressure on the sales force to make a sale no matter
what.
3. How does word-of-mouth communication play a key role for Wheelworks?
Answer: Student responses will vary. As the sales force helps consumers find the right
bike, these customers are leaving satisfied and happy. These consumers are then telling
friends and family about Wheelworks and how well they were treated and how
knowledgeable the staff is.
©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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