Chapter 6
Personality and Lifestyles
CONSUMER
BEHAVIOR, 8e
Michael Solomon
Chapter Objectives
When you finish this chapter you should understand
why:
A consumers personality influences the way he
responds to marketing stimuli, but efforts to use this
information in marketing contexts meet with mixed
results.
Consumers lifestyles are key to many marketing
strategies.
Psychographics go beyond simple demographics in
helping marketers understand and reach different
consumer segments.
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Chapter Objectives (cont.)
Identifying patterns of consumption can be superior
to knowledge of individual purchases when crafting
a lifestyle marketing strategy.
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Personality
Personality: a persons unique psychological
makeup and how it consistently influences the way
a person responds to his/her environment
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Freudian Systems
Personality = conflict between
gratification and
responsibility
Id: pleasure principle
Superego: our conscience
Ego: mediates between id
and superego
Reality principle: ego gratifies
the id in such a way that the
outside world will find
acceptable
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Freudian Systems (cont.)
Marketing Implications
Unconscious motives
underlying purchases
Symbolism in products to
compromise id and
superego
Sports car as sexual
gratification for men
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Symbolism in products
Ego relies on the symbolism in products to compromise between
the demands of Id and prohibition of superego,
The person channels his/her unacceptable desire into acceptable
outlets by using product symbolism and MOTIVATION.
Symbolism in products to compromise id & superego
E.g. Ice cream to feel like a kid again
Freudian ideas unlock deeper product & advertisement
meanings
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Motivational Research
To unlock deeper product and advertisement
meanings
Consumer depth interviews
Latent motives for purchases
Examples of Dichters motives (Table 6.1)
Bowling, electric trains, power tools = power
Ice cream, beauty products = social acceptance
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Table 6.1 (abridged)
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Motivational Research (cont.)
Criticisms
Invalid or works too well
Too sexually-based
Appeal
Less expensive than large-scale surveys
Powerful hook for promotional strategy
Intuitively plausible findings (after the fact)
Enhanced validity with other techniques
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Neo-Freudian Theories
Karen Horney
Compliant versus detached versus aggressive
Alfred Adler
Motivation to overcome inferiority
Harry Stack Sullivan
Personality evolves to reduce anxiety
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Neo-Freudian Theories: Jung
Carl Jung: analytical psychology (psychotherapy)
Collective unconscious
People are shaped by the cumulative
experiences of past generations. (afraid of
the dark!)
Archetypes: Shared memory of ancestral past.
Archetypes in advertising (old wise man, earth
mother, etc.)
BrandAsset Archetypes model
BAV Brand Health measures
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BrandAsset Valuator Archetypes
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Figure 6.1 (part 1 of 2)
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BrandAsset Valuator Archetypes (cont.)
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Figure 6.1 (part 2 of 2)
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BrandAsset Archetypes + BAV Brand
Health
Archetypes across cultures and time
Archetypes telegraph instantly
Strong evidence of achieving business objectives
with this model
Early warning signal of brand trouble
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Trait Theory
Personality traits: identifiable characteristics that define a
person
Traits relevant to consumer behavior:
Innovativeness
The degree to which a person likes to try new things
Materialism
Amount of emphasis placed on acquiring and owning products
Self-consciousness
The degree to which a person deliberately monitors and controls
the image of the self that is projected to others
Need for cognition
The degree to which a person likes to think about things (i.e.,
expend the necessary effort to process brand information)
Frugality
Deny short-term purchasing whims and resourcefully use what
one already owns
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Discussion
This classic ad starts off
with the line: The Datsun
240-Z is not exactly what
you would call a common
site.
What consumer personality
trait is this ad appealing to?
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Are You an Innie or an Outie?
Idiocentrics
Allocentrics
(individualist orientation)
(group orientation)
Contentment
More satisfied with current life Less satisfied with current
life
Health
Consciousness
Less likely to avoid unhealthy
foods
More likely to avoid
unhealthy foods
Food Preparation
Spend less time preparing
food
Love kitchen; spend more
time preparing food
Workaholics
More likely to work hard and
stay late at work
Less likely to work hard
Travel and
Entertainment
More interested in traveling to
other cultures
Visit library and read more
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Problems with Trait Theory
Prediction of product choices using traits of
consumers is mixed at best
Scales not valid/reliable
Tests borrow scales used for the mentally ill
Inappropriate testing conditions
Ad hoc instrument changes
Use of global measures to predict specific brand
purchases
Shotgun approach (no thought of scale
application)
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Brand Personality
Brand personality: set of traits people attribute to a
product as if it were a person
Brand equity: extent to which a consumer holds
strong, favorable, and unique associations with a
brand in memoryand the extent to which s/he is
willing to pay more for the branded version of a
product than for a nonbranded (generic) version
Extensive consumer research goes into brand
campaigns
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Animism
Animism:
The practice found in many cultures whereby inanimate
objects are given qualities that make them somehow alive
Two types of animism:
Level 1: People believe the object is possessed by the soul of
the being (e.g. celebrity spokespersons)
Level 2: Objects are anthropomorphized, or given human
characteristics. (e.g. Charlie the Tuna, Keebler Elves, or the
Michelin Man)
Positioning/repositioning strategies describing brands as people
E.g. Lust, envy, jealousy. The dangers of Volvo.
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Brand Behaviors and Personality Trait
Inferences
Brand Action
Trait Inference
Brand is repositioned several times or changes
slogan repeatedly
Flighty, schizophrenic
Brand uses continuing character in advertising
Familiar, comfortable
Brand charges high prices and uses exclusive
distribution
Snobbish, sophisticated
Brand frequently available on deal
Cheap, uncultured
Brand offers many line extensions
Versatile, adaptable
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Table 6.2 (abridged)
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Lifestyles
Lifestyle: patterns of consumption reflecting a
persons choices of how one spends time and
money
Lifestyle marketing perspective: people sort
themselves into groups on the basis of:
What they like to do
How they spend leisure time
How they spend disposable income
Example: Magazines targeting specific lifestyles:
WWF Magazine, 4 Wheel & Off Road, Readers
Digest
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Lifestyles as Group Identities
Forms of expressive symbolism
Self-definition of group members = common symbol
system
Terms include lifestyle, taste public, consumer
group, symbolic community, status culture
Each person provides a unique twist to be an
individual
Tastes/preferences evolve over time
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Products as Building Blocks of Lifestyles
Product usage in desirable social settings
Consumption style
Patterns of behavior
Co-branding strategies: brands team up with other companies to
promote their products understand this
(Porsche-Fairmont hotel)
Product complementarity: symbolic meanings of different
products relate to one another
Consumption constellations: define, communicate, and perform
social roles
Sets of complementary products used to define,
communicate and perform social roles (e.g. Yuppie)
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Linking Products to Lifestyles
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Figure 6.2
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Product complementarity
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Discussion
What consumption
constellation might
characterize you and your
friends today?
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Psychographics
Psychographics: use of psychological, sociological,
and anthropological factors to:
Determine market segments
Determine their reasons for choosing products
Fine-tune offerings to meet needs of different
segments
Consumers can share the same demographics and still be very
different!
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Best Buy Psychographic Segments
Jill: busy suburban mom who buys electronics for
family
Buzz: focused, active younger male interested in
buying latest gadgets
Ray: family man who likes his technology practical
BB4B (Best Buy for Business): small employer
Barry: affluent professional male wholl drop tens
of thousands of dollars on a home theater system
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Lifestyle/Personality Variables for Soup
Lifestyle
Personality
Active Lifestyle (Vegetable):
I am: outdoorsy, physically fit,
workaholic, socially active
Mentally Alert (Clam Chowder):
I am: intellectual, sophisticated,
creative, detail-oriented, witty,
nutrition conscious
Family Spirited (Chicken Noodle):
I am: family-oriented, churchgoer,
traditional
Social (Chili):
I am: fun at parties, outgoing,
spontaneous, trendsetter
Homebody (Tomato):
I am: a homebody, good cook, pet
lover; I enjoy spending time alone
Athletic (Cream Soups):
I am: athletic, competitive,
adventurous
Intellectually Stimulated Pastimes
(French Onion):
I am: a technology whiz, world
traveler, book lover
Carefree (Minestrone):
I am: down-to-earth, affectionate,
fun loving, optimistic
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Table 6.3
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Doing a Psychographic Analysis
Lifestyle profile: differentiates between users and
nonusers of a product
Product-specific profile: identifies a target group and
profiles consumers based on product-related
dimensions
General lifestyle segmentation: places a large
sample of respondents into homogeneous groups
based on similarities of preferences
Product-specific segmentation: tailors questions to
a product category
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AIOs
Grouping consumers according to:
Activities
Interests
Opinions
80/20 Rule: lifestyle segments that produce the bulk
of customers
Heavy users and the benefits they derive from
product
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Lifestyle Dimensions
Activities
Interests
Opinions
Demographics
Work
Family
Themselves
Age
Hobbies
Home
Social issues
Education
Social events
Job
Politics
Income
Vacation
Community
Business
Occupation
Entertainment
Recreation
Economics
Family size
Club membership
Fashion
Education
Dwelling
Community
Food
Products
Geography
Shopping
Media
Future
City size
Sports
Achievements
Culture
Stage in life cycle
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Table 6.4
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Psychographic Segmentation Uses
To define target market
To create new view of market
To position product
To better communicate product attributes
To develop overall strategy
To market social/political issues
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VALS2TM
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Figure 6.3
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Discussion
Construct separate advertising executions for a
cosmetics product targeted to the Belonger,
Achiever, Experiencer, and Maker VALS types.
How would the basic appeal differ for each group?
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Global Psychographic Typologies
Global MOSAIC
Identifies segments across 19 countries
RISC
Lifestyles/sociocultural change in 40+ countries
Divides population into 10 segments using 3 axis:
Exploration/Stability
Social/Individual
Global/Local
40 measured trends (e.g., spirituality,
blurring of the sexes, Environment,
Uncertainty, social participationetc)
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Discussion
Extreme sports. Day trading. Blogging.
Vegetarianism. Can you predict what will be hot in
the near future?
Identify a lifestyle trend that is just surfacing in your
universe.
Describe this trend in detail, and justify your
prediction.
What specific styles and/or products are part of this
trend?
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Ten Risk Segments
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Figure 6.4
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Geodemography
Consumer expenditures/socioeconomic factors +
geographic information
Birds of a feature flock together
Can be reached more economically (e.g., 90277
zip code in Redondo Beach, CA)
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Discussion
Geodemographic techniques assume that people
who live in the same neighborhood have other
things in common as well.
Why do they make this assumption, and how
accurate is it?
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Food Cultures
Food culture: pattern of food and beverage
consumption that reflects the values of a social
group
Differences in international food cultures:
In China, milk chocolate has less milk
In United States, Campbells soup is saltier than in
Mexico
In Germany, food must be healthier
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PRIZM by Claritas, Inc.
PRIZM (Potential Rating Index by Zip Market) combines
demographic, consumer behavior, and geographic
data to help marketers identify, understand and
target their customers and prospects
66 clusters of U.S. zip codes
Example: Young Influential, Money and
Brains, Kids and Cul-de-Sacs
Ranked by income, home value, and occupation
Maximize effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and impact
of marketing communications
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Click to access
Mybestsegments.com
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Comparison of Two PRIZM Clusters
Furs and Station Wagons
Tobacco Roads
New money, parents in 40s and 50s
Racially mixed farm town in South
Newly built subdivisions with tennis courts,
swimming pools, gardens
Small downtowns with thrift shops, diners,
and laundromats; shanty-type homes without
indoor plumbing
High Usage
Country clubs
Wine by the case
Lawn furniture
Gourmet magazine
BMW 5 Series
Rye bread
Natural cold cereal
High Usage
Travel by bus
Asthma medicine
Malt liquors
Grit magazine
Pregnancy tests
Pontiac Bonneville
Shortening
Low Usage
Motorcycles
Laxatives
Nonfilter cigarettes
Chewing tobacco
Hunting magazine
Chevrolet Chevette
Canned stews
Low Usage
Knitting
Live theater
Smoke detectors
Ms. Magazine
Ferraris
Whole-wheat bread
Mexican foods
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Table 6.5
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