Chapter 6 Personality and Lifestyles

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Chapter 6Personality and Lifestyles
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, 8eMichael Solomon
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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
• Phallic symbols, such as cigars

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Motivational Research

• Freudian ideas 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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Dichters Consumption Motives
Motive Associated Products
Power-masculinity-virility Power tools, hot rods, coffee, red meat, razors
Security Ice cream, home baking, hospital care
Eroticism Sweets, gloves
Moral purity-cleanliness White bread, cotton fabrics, bathing, oatmeal
Social acceptance Toys, sugar, honey, soap, beauty products
Individuality Gourmet foods, foreign cars, vodka, perfume
Status Scotch, carpets
Femininity Cakes, dolls, silk, tea, household curios
Reward Cigarettes, candy, alcohol, ice cream, cookies
Mastery over environment Kitchen appliances, boats, sporting goods
Disalienation Home decorating, skiing, morning radio broadcasts
Magic-mystery Soups, paints, carbonated drinks, vodka
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
• Collective unconscious
• Archetypes in advertising (see Figure 6.1 old
  wise man, earth mother, etc.)
• BrandAsset Archetypes model
• BAV Brand Health measures

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BrandAsset Valuator Archetypes
Figure 6.1 (part 1 of 2)
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BrandAsset Valuator Archetypes (cont.)
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
• Materialism
• Self-consciousness
• Need for cognition
• Frugality

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Are You an Innie or an Outie?
Idiocentrics (individualist orientation) Allocentrics (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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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
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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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
• Product complementarity symbolic meanings of
  different products relate to one another
• Consumption constellations define, communicate,
  and perform social roles

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Linking Products to Lifestyles
Figure 6.2
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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
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
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

• Click to take the
• VALS2 survey

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)

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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
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.

• 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

?Click to access Mybestsegments.com
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Comparison of Two PRIZM Clusters
Furs and Station Wagons Furs and Station Wagons
New money, parents in 40s and 50s Newly built subdivisions with tennis courts, swimming pools, gardens New money, parents in 40s and 50s Newly built subdivisions with tennis courts, swimming pools, gardens
High Usage Country clubs Wine by the case Lawn furniture Gourmet magazine BMW 5 Series Rye bread Natural cold cereal Low Usage Motorcycles Laxatives Nonfilter cigarettes Chewing tobacco Hunting magazine Chevrolet Chevette Canned stews
Tobacco Roads Tobacco Roads
Racially mixed farm town in South Small downtowns with thrift shops, diners, and laundromats shanty-type homes without indoor plumbing Racially mixed farm town in South Small downtowns with thrift shops, diners, and laundromats shanty-type homes without indoor plumbing
High Usage Travel by bus Asthma medicine Malt liquors Grit magazine Pregnancy tests Pontiac Bonneville Shortening Low Usage Knitting Live theater Smoke detectors Ms. Magazine Ferraris Whole-wheat bread Mexican foods
Table 6.5