Transcript cbch5.ppt

Chapter 5
Symbolic Consumption, SelfImage and Personality
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Chapter Spotlights
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Symbolic consumption – how symbols
influence consumer behavior
Brand-user image and brand personality
Self-image in the marketplace
Personality and personality traits
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Symbolic Consumption
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It is the process through which consumers
buy, consume, and dispose of products and
services on the basis of their meaning to
themselves and others.
Consumers buy and use goods and services
for the utility/psychological benefits delivered
and the things that they represent.
Therefore part of consumption is symbolic
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Semiotics
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Semiotics is the study of signs and their
meanings. Key questions are:
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How do consumers use signs to interpret
the world
How are signs chosen and given meaning
How do these signs provide insights into
the lives of consumers
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Signs and their Influence
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Icons – visual representations of objects,
persons, or events
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Indexes – easily recognizable property(ies) of
the idea that they represent
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Clear, unambiguous; e.g. “Janitor in a Drum”
E.g., the “click” of a well-struck golf shot
Symbols – learned associations between a
signifier and a signified that are used to
communicate ideas.
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Tony the Tiger, Froot Loops Toucan
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How Consumers Perceive
Brands
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Brand Image: the overall vision or
position of a brand in the mind of the
consumer.
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It is a combination of both tangible and
intangible attributes
Attributes are classified by the type of
consumer benefits they deliver: utilitarian
or functional, experiential or aesthetic, and
value-expressive.
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Types of Consumer Needs
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Utilitarian or Functional
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Products that help consumers remove or
avoid problems – e.g., a driver’s side air
bag
Experiential or aesthetic (psychological)
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Products that satisfy sensory expectations -- e.g., the unique atmosphere of a fine
restaurant, the way you feel in a new
business suit
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Needs (continued)
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Value-Expressive or Symbolic Needs
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Products that help consumers express their selfimage – e.g., buying a sports car versus buying a
compact car, because the former is “you”
Brand image/”personality” is tied to the branduser image based on value-expressive attributes
that characterize the brand.
Brand image versus self image – congruence
concerns
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Forms of Self-Image
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Self-image is the configuration of beliefs
related to the self
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Actual self-image (or private self): it
involves those images that one has of
oneself about which one feels protective –
how consumers see themselves
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The self-consistency motive: doing things that
are consistent with one’s own self-image
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Forms of Self-Image
(continued)
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Ideal self-image: how consumer would
like to be
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By acquiring products consistent with their
ideal self-image, consumers may boost
their self-esteem. Self-esteem motive is at
work here.
Social self-image: how we believe other
people see us
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The social consistency motive is present
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Forms of Self-Image
(continued)
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Ideal social self-image: how consumers
would like others to see them
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The social approval motive is working here:
doing things that would cause others to
think highly of them.
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Self-Congruity
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Self-image congruity: when a consumer’s selfimage matches brand-user image
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Actual self-congruity: brand user image matches
consumer’s actual self-image
Ideal self-congruity: brand user image matches
consumer’s ideal self-image
Social self-congruity: brand user image matches
consumer’s social self-mage
Ideal social self-congruity: brand user image
matches consumer’s ideal social self-image
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Gender Roles and Self-Image
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In the marketplace some products are viewed
as “men’s” or “women’s”
Gender-typed product image targeted to
match consumers’ gender-role orientation:
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Masculinity – independence, toughness,
aggressiveness, competitiveness, achievement,
rebelliousness
Femininity – tenderness, sensitivity, dependence,
compliance, cooperation
Androgyny – both masculine and feminine
characteristics
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Body Image
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Body image is how people view their
bodies, physical selves, and
appearance.
“Body cathexis” – tendency to be
satisfied with a particular feature or
body part
Image is central to personal identity
Body image - actual vs. ideal
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Personality
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An individual’s response tendencies across situations
and over time
People also have consumption-specific personalities
State approach to personality
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Personality formed based on external influences
Trait approach to personality
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Personality formed based on person’s position on the general
traits possessed by all people
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How General Personality Traits Influence
Consumer Behavior (See Exhibit 5-6 for
Summary)
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Compliance – moving consistently toward the
stressor (the person or object generating the stress)
and becoming dependent on that person or object.
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Aggressiveness – moving consistently against the
stressor
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Products designed to enhance social relationships are in
favor
Products associated with high status and success images are
in favor
Detachment – moving consistently away from the
stressor
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Products that appeal to independence are in favor
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Traits (continued)
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Generalized self-confidence – being
comfortable making decisions
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choosing brands from lesser-known companies
being the first to adopt new products
Self-consciousness – the tendency of being
keenly aware of oneself in many situations
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Being sensitive to the image people communicate
to others; reflected in product/service choices
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Traits (continued)
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Self-monitoring – the ease with which people
adapt to different situations and so manage
the impressions they make on others
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High self monitors are more influenced by image
advertising than informational advertising.
Acquisition self-presentation: self-monitoring in
situation where there is a chance for social gain,
or if social risk is high; affects product choices
Protective self-presentation: self-monitoring out of
fear of socially adverse effects; affects product
choices
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Traits (continued)
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Self-esteem – how one feels about
him/herself, the level of regard for oneself
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High self-esteem  feeling good about oneself
and expecting more
Dogmatism – the tendency of being closedminded, seeing life in terms of black and
white
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Less receptive to new or unfamiliar stimuli
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Traits (continued)
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Rigidity – being less flexible than others
in tastes and preferences
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Rigidity correlates negatively with risktaking behavior
Tolerance of ambiguity
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Willingness to deal with ambiguous
(unclear best choice) purchase decisions
Tolerant people gather information by
shopping around (exploratory behavior)
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Traits (continued)
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Attention to social comparison information
(ASCI)
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Those who score high on ASCI are likely to change
their beliefs, attitudes and behavior toward
products and brands to conform to group norms
Optimum stimulation level (OSL) –refers to
the greater desire that some people have to
explore the environment and to seek
stimulation from others.
State versus action orientation
Separateness-connectedness
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Traits (continued)
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Impulsiveness
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It is measured using 12 adjectives*:
impulsive, careless, self-controlled (RC**),
extravagant, farsighted (RC), responsible
(RC), restrained (RC), easily tempted,
rational (RC), methodical (RC), enjoy
spending, and planner (RC).
* Measured on a scale varying from “usually would describe me” to “seldom
would describe me”
** RC = Reverse coded
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Traits (continued)
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Extroversion – refers to the extent to
which people seek stimulation from the
environment
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extroversion-introversion
Neuroticism –the tendency to
experience negative affect
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Traits (continued)
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Need for cognition – the tendency to
think through purchase decisions more
thoroughly than others
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Individuals high in need for cognition tend
to process advertising arguments more
extensively
Need for power – the motivation to
impact, control, or influence others
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Traits (continued)
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Need for affiliation – the motivation to
act , establish, restore, or maintain a
close, warm, friendly relationship with
others
Need for achievement – the motivation
to perform on tasks to achieve
excellence or to outperform others
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Traits (continued)
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Affect intensity – experiencing emotions
with greater strength when exposed to
emotionally charged situations (both
positive and negative)
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Specific Personality Traits and
Consumer Behavior
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The “market maven” consumer – a consumer who
has information about many kinds of products, places
to shop, and other aspects of the marketplace.
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Has early awareness of new products
Exhibits high levels of specific information provision to
others
Demonstrates a high level of general market information
Demonstrates a high level of market interest
Tends to read much of direct mail advertising
Implications for the marketing of new products
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Should be targeted early in the introduction of new products
and services
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Consumer Innovativeness
(See Exhibit 5-7 for Summary)
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The tendency of some consumers to be
among the first to purchase new
products within specific categories
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Diffusion of innovations
Implications for the marketing of new
products
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Opinion Leadership
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An opinion leader is a
person who is well
versed in a product or
service category
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Motivated to “spread the
word” (positive or
negative)
Market maven versus
opinion leader
Implications for the
marketing technological
innovations
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Product-specific SelfConfidence
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This is the extent to which certain
consumers feel confident about making
decisions about products in a specific
category (e.g., computers, automobiles)
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Implications for specialty products and
specialty stores
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Product-Specific Self-Efficacy
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This is the level of the consumer’s belief
in his or her own performance capability
or competence in relation to a product
category (e.g. ease in working with
PDA’s)
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Implications for the resistance to and
adoption of technological innovations
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Product-specific Subjective
Knowledge
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It refers to what consumers perceive they
know about the product in question.
It is measured by various statements
designed to capture what the consumers
perceive they know.
Subjective knowledge may correlate
significantly and positively with measures of
objective knowledge.
Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2002
Other Consumption-specific
Personality Traits
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Coupon proneness – the tendency to redeem
coupons by purchasing the advertised
product or service
Value consciousness – the amount of concern
the consumer has for need-satisfying
properties of the product or service in relation
to the price of that product or service
Deal proneness – the tendency to look for
“deals”
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Other traits (continued)
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Product-specific involvement – being
emotionally involved in a particular
product class or category
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