Last upload 16.04.2007
PERSONALITY. THE SELF
Adapted from Consumer Behaviour, an European Perspective, by M. Solomon and others, Prentice Hall, accessed 22-9-2007
Consumer's insecurities about their appearance are rampant: it has been estimated that 72 per cent of men and 85 per cent of women are unhappy with at least one aspect of their appearance.
And you know perfectly that many products, from cars to aftershave, are bought because the person is trying to highlight or hide some aspect of his or her self.
The consumer's feelings about themselves shape their consumer's habits.
By the other hand, we shouldn't think about the personality or the self since an inner perspective. In Western societies, we stress this private or inner self. But in Eastern societies, they emphasize the interdependent self, where one's identity is largely defined by the relationship one has with others.
Actually, the fact is that all of us need to show congruence between our inner self and our social self. And consumption is one of the best way that many of us find to show this.
A. THE SELF-CONCEPT
The self-concept refers to the beliefs a person holds about his or her attributes, and how he or she evaluates theses qualities.
1. SELF-ESTEEM:
It refers to the positivity of a person's self-concept. Self-esteem is often related to acceptance by others
People with low self-esteem do not expect that they will perform very well, and they will try to avoid embarrassment, failure or rejection.
In contrast, people with high self-esteem expect to be successful, will take more risk and are more willing to be the centre of attention
Marketing communications can influence a consumer's level of self-esteem. Exposure to ads can trigger a process of social comparison and marketers are supplying idealized images of happy, attractive people who just happen to be using their products
2. REAL AND IDEAL SELVES:
Self-esteem is influenced by a process where the consumer compares his or her actual standing on some attribute to some ideal
The ideal self is partly moulded by elements of the consumer's culture or by heroes depicted in ads, who serve as models of achievement.
Some products are chosen because they are perceived to be consistent with our actual self, while other products are used to help us to reach the standard set by the ideal self.
Between real and ideal self is always a discrepancy or gap. For some consumers this gap is larger than for others, and they are especially good targets for marketing communications employing fantasy appeals
3. MULTIPLE SELVES
Depending on the situation we act differently, use different products or services. We even vary in terms of how much we like ourselves. Your mother probably would not recognize the "you" that emerges when you are on holiday with yours friends or in Friday night. Each of us plays many roles, and each has its own script, props and costumes.
Some identities like husband, boss, student, father, son, are more central to the self than others, but its arousal depends on the situation
B. CONSUMPTION AND SELF-CONCEPT
It is easy to see how the consumption of products and services contributes to the definition of the self. Different roles are accompanied by a constellation of products which help to define these roles.
1. PRODUCTS THAT SHAPE THE SELF: YOU ARE WHAT YOU CONSUME:
People see themselves as they imagine others see them. A person's clothing, jewellery, furniture, car, house, leisure activities and so on help to determine the perceived self, placing you in a social role and helping to make judgement about your social identity.
Much more, people who have an incomplete self definition, tend to complete this definition by acquiring and displaying symbols associates with it. That's why adolescents are easy marketing targets
The contribution of possessions to self identity is perhaps more apparent when our treasured objects are lost or stolen. Victims of burglaries and natural disasters commonly report feelings of alienation, depression or of being "violated".
2. SELF-PRODUCT CONGRUENCE:
It is not surprising that consumers demonstrate consistency between their values and the things they buy. There few ethics problems with everyday and functional product, when consumers look for some consistence between his actual self and the product they are using.
But there are great problems with highly expressive social products, very often expensive products, when consumes are looking for consistence with their ideal-self, conflicting and damaging their real-self. In some way, buying things that you can really afford and drugs can be different faces of the same problem.
3. THE EXTENDED SELF:
There many products that you feel being part of your self, most of them defining your social role: your mobile phone, your shoes, your car, your club, your house, etc. In some cultures people literally incorporate object in their selves: enormous collars, lip ornaments, died enemy names, or bury the dead with their possessions.
In fact, many people do cherish possessions as if they were part of them.
If you have to expend physic effort to obtain an object, personalized or keep for a long time, them the object will be more likely to be considered a part of your extended-self. Perhaps this is one reason of the Ikea success
C. GENDER ROLES
Sexual identity is a very important component of a consumer's self-concept. People often conform their behaviour considering their expectations about their gender should act, dress, speak and so on. These guidelines change over time and they differ radically across societies.
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