Consumer Personality

Introduction:

Motivations encourage and direct you to engage in meaningful goal-oriented behaviour, and your personality directs the behaviour you choose to attain specific goals in various contexts. When marketers talk about personality, they’re referring to a dynamic term that describes the evolution and development of a person’s entire psychological system, which considers some aggregate whole larger than the sum of its parts.

Gordon W. Allport’s definition of personality is the most widely cited. “Personality is the dynamic organisation within the individual of those psychological systems that determine his unique adjustment to the environment.”

There appears to be much debate over the exact nature of personality, the benefits of studying such a broad subject, and the best approach to assessing it.

Three distinct personality characteristics tend to be of key importance in the context of marketing:

1. Personality, rather than similarity, accounts for differences between people.
2. Personality is considered consistent and persistent through time and may be applied to various situations.
3. Although personality appears to be stable and lasting, it may change due to significant life events such as marriage, birth, family death, changes in economic conditions, and the process of ageing.

Personality Theories:

In consumer behaviour studies, personality is defined as consistent responses to environmental stimuli, or we can also say patterns of consistent and enduring behaviour. An individual’s personality helps marketers describe consumer segments as it provides for orderly and coherently related experiences and behaviour.

Marketers have used three personality theories to describe consumers:

• Psychoanalytic theory or Freud’s theory.
• Social/Cultural (Neo-Freudian)Theory.
• Trait theory.

1. Psychoanalytic theory or Freud’s theory:

According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, every person’s personality is the product of childhood conflicts. These conflicts stem from three essential personality components: the Id, Ego, and Superego.

• The id- The id (or libido) is the root of an individual’s strong basic impulses and urges, such as hunger, sex, violence, and self-preservation, according to the theory. The id follows the so-called “pleasure principle,” which states that it seeks immediate pleasure and avoids pain. The id is completely unconscious and unable to cope with objective reality. Many of its motivations are incompatible with organised society’s principles. The id, for example, controls every aspect of a newborn baby’s behaviour.
• The ego- The ego is the conscious control of an individual. It was created to address the limitations of the id in coping with the natural world by enhancing an individual’s actual thinking abilities and ability to cope appropriately with her or his surroundings. The ego is guided by what is known as the ‘reality principle.’ It can postpone gratification until it is directed appropriately and effectively toward achieving the goals of the ids in a socially acceptable manner.
• The superego- The superego is the moral component of a person’s personality. It reflects the ideal rather than the real, defines right and wrong, and motivates people to strive for perfection. It functions in the subconscious and frequently suppresses certain behaviours that would otherwise be triggered by the id and could cause social disruption.

According to Freud, the ego controls the id’s and superego’s conflicting demands. As a result, realistic compromises between extremely fundamental goals and socially acceptable behaviour are frequently reached. These concessions are thought to take place on an unconscious level. According to Freudian psychology, a significant portion of human behaviour is motivated unconsciously. The adult personality is determined by how the youngster handles these problems, particularly sexual issues. Unresolved childhood problems lead to the development of ‘defence mechanisms,’ thought to be the ego’s instinctively determined tension-relieving tactics.

Several psychoanalytic themes, including fantasy, desire fulfilment, violence, and escape from life’s pressures, are sometimes employed by marketers to influence consumers (perfume, hair dye, skin care products, dresses, farmhouses, and motorcycles are some examples of product categories).

Motivational Research:

According to researchers who apply Freud’s theory to marketing, the id and superego work together to produce unconscious motivations for buying specific things. Although most consumers are ignorant of their underlying motivations for purchasing what they do. Marketers focus on creating ways to profit from these hidden motives, and motivational research is the application of psychoanalytical theory to marketing.

In motivational research, researchers use indirect approaches to reveal deep-seated purchasing impulses, such as interviewing a small sample of consumers. Depth interviews and projective techniques have been utilised extensively in marketing studies.

Criticisms of Motivational Research:

The lack of empiricism in motivational research has been challenged. Some people also wonder if advertising can or should impact deep-seated motivations. Although the psychoanalytical method isn’t empirical, motivational researchers were the first to claim that consumers are complex, deceitful, challenging to understand, and driven by powerful forces they aren’t aware of.

2. Social/Cultural (Neo-Freudian)Theory:

Social theories, also known as Non-Freudian theories, contain the views of many social theorists who belonged to the Non-Freudian school.

Observations of emotionally disturbed people were crucial to Freud’s concept of personality. Several of Freud’s most eminent disciples, including Carl Jung and Alfred Adler, disagreed with his personality theory. They felt that social and cultural factors, rather than biological urges, play a more significant role in forming a person’s personality. They also believed that understanding personality development should be based on how ordinary people behave in their surroundings rather than solely on observation of emotionally disturbed people. Individuals were seen as working to overcome feelings of inferiority and seeking strategies to achieve love, security, and relationships by these social theorists, often known as the neo-freudian school. They emphasised that early interactions with people might lead to feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and a lack of affection. Such feelings inspire people to strive for perfection and devise ways to cope with anxiety brought on by emotions of inadequacy.

Carl Jung felt that a person’s culture accumulated everyday experiences from the past, such as caring and nurturing females, heroes, and wise elderly men. These shared recollections were dubbed “archetypes” by him. Such archetypes are common in advertising that aims to capitalise on positive shared connotations in a given society. For example, many advertisements depict a caring mother, devoted housewife, macho heroes, rishis, and wise grandmother.

Sensing-thinking, sensing-feeling, intuiting-thinking, and intuitive-feeling are some of the personality types discovered by Jung.

1. Sensing-thinking Personality: People with this personality type make objective, rational conclusions. They take a logical and empirical approach, are actively involved, have a broad problem-solving mindset, examine economic factors, are price sensitive, and avoid risks. They identify with tangible objects or “things” and make judgments with a short-term view.
2. Sensing-feeling Personality: They are motivated by personal ideals rather than reasoning and place high importance on personal experience. They make decisions in a “subjective” manner, are more likely to consider others while making judgments, and share risks. They are status-aware and make decisions with a short-term horizon in mind.
3. Intuitive-thinking Personality: These people have a comprehensive perspective on their circumstances and the rest of the world. They employ rationality in making decisions despite relying largely on imagination and considering a more comprehensive range of choices. These people are not afraid to take risks when making judgments and have a long-term outlook.
4. Intuiting-feeling Personality: They have a broad perspective on personal issues and the world. They explore a wide range of possibilities when making a decision, are more likely to weigh the opinions of others, and are the least price-sensitive. They are also more likely to seek out novelty, take chances, and make judgments with an unlimited time horizon.

Alfred Adler headed in a different route. He was a leading proponent of social orientation as a factor in personality development. Rather than emphasising the relevance of sexual conflicts, as Freud did, or Jung’s culturally shared meaning, he emphasised the value of an individual’s ambition for social dominance. According to Alfred Adler, human beings attempt to achieve numerous rational goals, which he calls “style of life.” He also emphasised that children develop feelings of inferiority and that their primary objective as adults is to overcome these feelings or strive for superiority. Another neo-Freudian psychologist, Harry Stack Sullivan, emphasised that humans constantly strive to form meaningful and satisfying relationships, an important aspect of forming a person’s personality. He and Karen Horney were mainly concerned with the individual’s efforts to alleviate tensions such as worry.

According to Joel B. Cohen, Karen Horney recognised 10 major wants individuals acquire due to attempting to solve difficulties in developing their personality and interacting with others in society. Based on these ten needs, she defined three broad techniques to deal with anxiety: compliant, aggressive, and detached (CAD).

1. Compliant people gravitate toward others and emphasise the importance of love, affection, approbation, and modesty. Empathy, humility, and selflessness characterise such people.
2. Aggressive people act aggressively toward others, emphasising the need for power, adulation, strength, and the capacity to control others.
3. Detached people seek independence, freedom from duties, and self-reliance by moving away from others. They don’t form significant emotional bonds with other people.

Joel B Cohen used a 35-item inventory to measure CAD and discovered some speculative links between CAD kinds and product/brand consumption. “Compliant” people seemed to prefer well-known brands and used more mouthwash and toilet soaps; “aggressive” people used more cologne and aftershave lotion and chose Van Heusen shirts and Old Spice deodorant (due to its manly appeal? ); and “detached” people drank more tea and used less cologne and aftershave lotion. According to Mark Salama, Terrel Williams, and Armen Tashchian, the “detached” personality type appears to be less involved in purchasing than the “compliant” or “aggressive” personality type.

3. Trait Theory:

According to trait theory, Human personality comprises a set of features that explain broad reaction patterns. These ideas are very new, and they explain consumer behaviour using well-known personality traits. Unlike prior theories, this one has a quantitative or empirical emphasis. According to J P Guilford, a trait is any identifying and reasonably long-lasting characteristic that distinguishes one person from another. Traits are broad, usually consistent personality features that determine behavioural inclinations, according to the theory. Three assumptions characterise the concept:

1. Individuals’ behavioural patterns are very consistent.
2. The majority of people share only a few characteristics. They merely differ in the extent to which these inclinations are present.
3. Individual personalities can be defined using these features and their relative degrees, which may be identified and assessed.

Cattell’s List of Sixteen Personality Traits

1. Reserved versus Outgoing

2. Less intelligent versus More intelligent

3. Affected by feelings versus Emotionally stable

4. Submissive versus Dominant

5. Serious versus Happy-go-lucky

6. Expedient versus Conscientious

7. Timid versus Venturesome

8. Tough-minded versus Sensitive

9. Trusting versus Suspicious

10. Practical versus Imaginative

11. Forthright versus Shrewd

12. Self-assured versus Apprehensive

13. Conservative versus Experimenting

14. Group-dependent versus Self-sufficient

15. Uncontrolled versus Controlled

16. Relaxed versus Tense

Trait theorists create personality inventories (personality tests), and respondents record their responses to various questions. Respondents are asked to agree or disagree with things as they see fit and indicate their preferences for particular situations or people. After that, the replies are statistically analysed and narrowed down to a few personality traits.

R B Cattell identified 171 qualities but found them shallow and lacking descriptive value. He looked for a smaller group of features to detect underlying patterns and developed 16 personality elements he dubbed “source or primary qualities.”

Consumer Innovativeness Scale

1. I am among the last in my circle of friends to buy a new (Game CDs) when it appears.   Agreement scale 5 4 3 2 1

2. If I heard that a new (Game CD) was available in the store, I would be interested enough to buy it.   Agreement scale 5 4 3 2 1

3. Compared to my friends, I own a few (Game CDs). Notes   Agreement scale 5 4 3 2 1

4. I am the last in my circle of friends to know the (titles of the latest Game CDs).   Agreement scale 5 4 3 2 1

5. I will buy a new (Game CD) even if I have not seen it yet.   Agreement scale 5 4 3 2 1

6. I know the names of (new Game CDs) before other people do.   Agreement scale 5 4 3 2 1

(*The product category and related wording can be changed to fit the researcher’s objective).

Single-trait personality tests measure only one trait (such as self-confidence or inventiveness). These custom-made tests are becoming more popular in consumer behaviour research. According to Ronald E. Goldsmith, Charles F. Hofacker, Marsha L. Richins, and Scott Dawson, these assessments examine attributes like innovativeness, susceptibility to interpersonal influences, and materialism.

Personality and Understanding Consumer Diversity:

Harold H Kassarjian and Mary Jane Sheffet analysed over 300 personality studies and concluded that the results are “equivocal.” Only a few studies reveal a clear link between customer personality and behaviour, while others show no link. According to most studies, if there is any association between personality and behaviour, it is too weak to be helpful to marketers. Despite this, analysts maintain that a consumer’s personality plays a significant role in purchasing decisions.

Certain psychological qualities, such as Optimal Stimulation Level (OSL), Need for Cognition (NFC), dogmatism, sensitivity to influence, and self-monitoring behaviour, may be more associated with consumer behaviour than others.

1. Optimal Stimulation Level:

Some activities have a higher likelihood of causing physiological arousal in participants. Others like a tranquil, simple, and uncluttered life, while others choose a thrilling, novel, challenging life. According to research, high levels of optimal stimulation are linked to a greater readiness to take chances, be innovative, test new items, and actively seek purchase-related information. According to P S Raju, OSL indicates a person’s desired lifestyle stimulation. Arousal can be induced by physically stimulating, emotionally energising, thrilling, or unusual things. According to research, people prefer things that are somewhat exciting rather than those that are very exciting or not exciting at all.

The purchasing habits of consumers with high and low levels of stimulation differ. If an individual’s lifestyle provides the appropriate stimulation level, he or she is content. A person becomes bored if the stimulation level falls short of the intended level. Consumers with high stimulation demands are more likely to be the first to acquire new products, actively seek information about them, and shop for diversity. They are inquisitive about the advertisements they see but also inclined to become bored. Surprisingly, they are also more prone to purchase high-risk products.

2. Need for Cognition:

Some studies (John T Cacioppo and Richard E Pettey, for example) have concentrated on the personality attribute of the “need for cognition.” The degree to which an individual desires to think and enjoys engaging in information processing is called their need for cognition. Such people are drawn to knowledge that asks them to think. Those who avoid such knowledge and concentrate on little details are the opposites of this (ELM model). A customer with a high need for cognition (NC) who sees an ad for an Apple computer, for example, is more likely to study and concentrate on the content in the ad. On the other hand, a buyer with a low demand for cognition would be more likely to gaze at the gorgeous picture of the iMac and ignore the comprehensive information about the computer model.

Curt Haugtvedt et al. found that consumers with a high demand for cognition were more impacted by the quality of arguments in the advertisement than those with a low need for cognition. Furthermore, those with a low demand for cognition were more influenced by the speaker’s beauty than those with a high demand for intellect. These findings reveal a fascinating component of personality that could have significant ramifications for advertising.

3. Dogmatism:

Consumers are also likely to differ regarding their openness or closeness to new ideas. Dogmatism is a personality trait that describes a person’s rigidity toward anything that contradicts her or his pre-existing convictions. The individual appears to be averse to change and new ideas.

Highly dogmatic consumers will likely resist new products, promotions, or advertising. They may, however, be swayed by celebrities and experts who make authoritative appeals. On the other hand, consumers with a low level of dogmatism are more likely to accept new and innovative items over established alternatives. They are more open to ad messaging that emphasises product qualities and benefits.

4. Susceptibility to Influence:

Consumers vary in their susceptibility to persuasion attempts from others, mainly when these attempts are interpersonal or face-to-face. According to William O. Bearden, Richard G. Netemeyer, and Jesse H. Teel, some consumers have a stronger desire to improve their image in the eyes of others and are more inclined to be influenced or steered by them. Compared to consumers with stronger self-confidence, those with weaker social and information-processing confidence are likelier to be persuaded by advertisements.

5. Self-monitoring Behaviour: 

Individual consumers differ in the extent to which they seek others for guidance on how to act. People with high self-monitoring tend to look to others for guidance and guide their behaviour accordingly. They are more receptive to image-based marketing and are more inclined to test such things. They are less likely to be innovators in the consumer market. Individuals with limited self-monitoring skills, on the other hand, are guided by their preferences or standards and are less likely to be influenced by others’ expectations. They are more interested in advertisements emphasising product characteristics, quality, and benefits. Furthermore, they are consumer innovators and are inclined to strive to pay more for these things.

Brand Personality:

The images evoked by exposure to a named brand are known as brand images. Brand image, like brand personality, isn’t something a company has or doesn’t have. A brand is more likely to have numerous brand images than just one, however one or two may be the most prominent. The most crucial aspect of brand image research is finding or creating compelling pictures and reinforcing them through subsequent brand communications. It is founded on the idea that buyers purchase not just a product (commodity), but also the product’s image connotations, such as power, money, sophistication, and, most crucially, identification and association with other brand users. Good brand images are elicited quickly, are favourable, and are virtually always distinct from those of competitors. Packaging, advertising, promotion, customer service, word-of-mouth, and other components of the brand experience can all help to reinforce the brand image. When a specific brand is introduced, customers are frequently asked what the first words/images that come to mind are (sometimes called “top of mind”). When responses are inconsistent, non-committal, or allude to non-image attributes such as price, it indicates a poor brand image.

Brand personality is a set of human characteristics attributed to a brand name. It is something to which the consumer can relate; an effective brand increases its brand equity by having a consistent set of traits that a specific consumer segment enjoys.

A brand’s personality can be divided or studied in five dimensions:

1. Brand sincerity:

The brand’s image is one of being down-to-earth, honest, and upbeat. Sincere brands always follow through on their commitments. They provide the required benefits to consumers. Some brands, such as Raymond and Hero Honda Passion, are regarded as authentic because consumers trust them, and they never let them down.

2. Excitement:

Some brands project an impression of being innovative, inventive, and energetic. These brands cater to those who are daring, have hedonistic motives, and desire to try new things. Brands like Mountain Dew and Bajaj Pulsar are associated with this personality type, in which people are depicted performing incredible stunts that elicit consumer excitement.

3. Competence:

These are the people who are dependable, smart, and successful. These are the most trusted brands and have a strong customer relationship. They are known to be exceptionally customer-focused and to understand what their customers want. They are advertised to highlight their core capabilities and success stories to customers. For example, India’s Airtel and LIC are both dependable and prosperous.

4. Sophisticated:

These businesses exude an air of upper-class sophistication. They are alluring, and everyone wishes to own such a brand. These brands have a sophisticated and beautiful image. Mercedes and Tommy Hilfiger are regarded as upmarket and appealing brands.

5. Rugged:

This is a brand with a highly manly and Western image. It’s known for being tough and adventurous. In some circumstances, it is associated with strong-willed men or women. Harley Davidson and Ceat are two examples of brands with a tough vibe.

In an environment where numerous categories may be forming, brand personality must be evaluated alongside product personality. Many have minimal penetration and usage, so marketers must exercise caution when forming associations for such groups.

Several features of current and traditional culture must be considered when considering the credit and debit card categories. Youth and urban consumers’ lifestyles have changed dramatically in the recent decade. Shopping malls, extravagant spending on consumer durables and personal care, and healthcare spending are just a few examples. Consumers use credit cards for a variety of purposes. Credit cards encourage extravagant spending, whereas debit cards are more of a substitute for cash-linked savings accounts.

Credit card and debit card financial services companies must persuade millions of potential customers to use their products.

Several credit card companies have employed various strategies to expand their customer base. Some tactics include promoting the cards among existing customers, using flashy and lifestyle-oriented commercials, using databases and telemarketing efforts, personal selling, providing free cards, offering cards for family members and students, and offering co-branded cards. The credit card product has a much more aspirational personality.

On the other hand, the problem with debit cards is getting present branch banking customers to use lower-cost or self-service channels like ATMs.

Several banks have promoted debit cards and savings accounts. The debit card mentality is much more sensible—savings are based on the balance in the customer’s account, and so forth.

Some of the main variables related to credit and debit card marketing are as follows:

1. Have customers grasped the concepts of credit and debit cards and their fundamental differences?
2. Should both of these card products have their own marketing communications strategy? (While several companies may have handled this to some level, have the various segments fully grasped how the product qualities assist their specific segment?)
3. Should credit and debit cards have different positioning and advertising efforts?

Apart from providing free or chargeable debit cards to account holders (at the respective banks), several banks, private, PSU, and international banks offer a variety of sales promotional strategies, including international trips to increase card usage.

Marketers must also contend with the dormancy of debit and credit cards. Perceived risk, a savings mindset that prevents using credit cards, and the consumer’s comfort level with spending cash at businesses impede the widespread use of debit cards.

It might be beneficial to think about the cultural context. The assumption that a debit card personality is a “spend within your means” type has been hammered into the culture through various mythological legends. It represents the thinking of a conventional housewife who manages her household on a tight budget. A credit card is more in keeping with the Western “instant satisfaction” subculture. Such a marketing environment is unique to India as a developing market.

Marketers might add a trick or two to their marketing communications approach by recognising the significant differences in the debit and credit card product personalities. Our examination of both financial services businesses’ marketing messages leads us to assume that both products have the same or comparable activation and usage tactics, which do not adequately differentiate the benefits for the user.

Keep-the-Change, a successful debit card initiative offered by Bank of America in the United States, credits any remaining change in the bill (on the use of debit cards) back to the account as savings. The debit card’s unique product personality is well-reflected in the marketing communications approach and is incredibly synergistic. Citibank offers its credit card members ‘Thank You Rewards,’ which encourages them to use their cards and rewards them with aspirational items.

Marketers reap multiple benefits when the brand personality framework is smoothly integrated with the marketing communications plan. They must carefully implement this to increase brand adoption in the short term while enhancing its long-term worth.

Self and Self-Image:

Because it focuses on how individual consumers’ self-image drives buying behaviour, self-concept theory is marketers’ most relevant and popular strategy. Self-concept is the totality of an individual’s ideas and feelings about herself/himself as an object. Every single one of us has a self-perception. Every person perceives and cherishes specific characteristics and qualities in herself or himself. According to M. Joseph Sergy’s famous model, there are four distinct sorts of self-images. As a result, what customers buy or own reflects what they think and believe about themselves. This is their authentic self, their ideal self is what they want to be, their social self is how they think others view them, and their ideal social self is how they want others to perceive them. Another type of self-image discovered is the expected self, which refers to how customers intend to see themselves in the future. The expected self appears to occupy a space between the actual and ideal selves. The expected self is more important to marketers than other self-concepts because it allows them to build products and promotions that appeal to customers while giving them a genuine chance to modify their self-image.

Self-concepts can be divided into two types, according to H R Markus and S Kitayama:

(1) independent (separateness) and

(2) interdependent (connectedness).

(1) Independent (separateness):

An independent self-concept represents the Western cultural assumption that people are fundamentally separate. It is distinguished by focusing on personal goals, qualities, accomplishments, and ambitions. Individualistic, autonomous, egocentric, self-reliant, and self-contained are characteristics of such people. Their self-definition is based on what they have accomplished, what they possess, and the personal characteristics that distinguish them from others.

(2) Interdependent (connectedness):

An interdependent self-concept is founded on a prevalent Asian cultural belief in human beings’ fundamental interconnectedness. A strong emphasis on family, cultural, professional, and social ties distinguishes it. These people are more likely to be obedient, socially minded, holistic, linked, and connection-oriented. Their self-definition is based on social roles, familial relationships, and what they have in common with the other members of their organisations (ethnic and nationality groups included).

Self-concept theory is linked to the notions of ego and super-ego, which are significant in psychoanalytic thought. The ego is thought to be a reflection of one’s objective reality, and it is related to the self-concept theory’s actual self. The superego is preoccupied with how things ought to be. As a result, it is a reflection of one’s ideal self. Customers are asked to explain how they perceive themselves (actual self) and how they would like to perceive themselves (ideal self) on numerous traits such as modern, practical, caring, energetic, self-control, dependable, assertive, successful, serious, sensitive, cheerful, carefree, reckless, and so on to assess their self-concept.

Two key principles guide the self-concept theory:

(1) the desire to achieve self-consistency and

(2) the goal is to improve one’s self-esteem.

To achieve self-consistency, the individual will act by her or his genuine self-notion. For example, if a person views himself as self-controlling and practical, he will dress conservatively and most likely spend his evenings at home. If his ideal self were wild and carefree, he would dress casually, attend nighttime parties, and (if possible) drive a tiny sports vehicle or a powerful motorcycle. This behaviour will bring the person closer to his ideal self and boost his self-esteem.

• Actual Self:

Because consumers have numerous role identities, there is no one true self. A consumer can be a husband, father, employee, or club or non-profit organisation member. One of these roles will be prominent in specific settings, influencing the individual’s behaviour. The true self results from a person’s various roles coming together. Customers’ true selves affect their purchases based on their perceptions of themselves, resulting in self-consistency.

Consumer purchases are influenced by their self-concept, according to research. The owner’s self-image is reflected in his or her car, comparable to that of other automobile owners. According to Robert E Burnkrant and Thomas J Page, the relationship between self-concept and brand image is somewhat problematic because customers’ self-concept changes depending on the context. For example, during a business transaction, an individual may have one self-concept and another during a friend’s wedding.

• Ideal Self:

The concept of an ideal self is linked to a person’s self-esteem. The difference between one’s actual and ideal selves determines one’s level of self-esteem. The more significant the gap between the two, the worse one’s self-esteem. According to Marsha L. Richnis, ad themes and imagery frequently cause a bigger disparity between customers’ actual and ideal selves. Glamour advertising, which features attractive women and lavish lifestyles, creates a world out of reach for most consumers. As a result, consumers experience feelings of inadequacy due to comparing their actual selves to the idealised images presented. When advertising tries to widen the gap between the authentic and ideal self, it tends to lower consumers’ self-esteem.

The drive for self-consistency and self-esteem may be at odds. Consumers who make purchases that reflect their true selves may achieve self-consistency but fall short of boosting their self-esteem. Consumers typically buy products or services that reflect their true selves. If the gap between actual and ideal self is more significant, resulting in lower self-esteem, they are more inclined to buy things based on what they want to be (ideal self) rather than what they are (actual self). Such customers are more likely to be persuaded by fantasy attractions, such as the usage of a product that attracts the opposite sex, products with a masculine image, and so on.

• Consumption and Extended Self:

Some things take on a particular value or are utilised to communicate crucial pieces of our personalities to others. The extended self (R W Belk) differs from the actual self in that it includes the self and one’s assets. He makes the following observation:

“People seek, express, confirm and ascertain a sense of being through what they have.”

(Russel W Belk, “Possessions and the Extended Self,” Journal of Consumer Research 15 September 1988).

This means that we tend to define ourselves partly by our belongings, and some belongings become an intrinsic part of our self-identity. S S Kleine and R E Kleine point out that we would be very different if we lost our most valuable belongings.

The extended self-concept acknowledges the interplay between an individual and the symbols in their surroundings, implying that consumers purchase things for their symbolic value to increase their self-image. This also indicates that because of their symbolic linkage, people purchase groups of products that complement each other. Michael R Soloman and Henry Assael, according to Michael R Soloman and Henry Assael:

“While the Rolex watch, Brooks Brothers suit, New Balance running shoes, Sony Walkman and BMW automobile, on the surface, bear no relation to one another, many consumers would easily group these disparate products as a symbolic whole.”

(Michael R Soloman and Henry Assael, “ The Forest of the Trees? A Gestalt Approach to Symbolic Communication”.)

Some products gain meaning and value over time as they are used, enabling them to be linked to various memories. Other things become part of one’s extended self rapidly because they are significant to one’s actual self or serve as a sign of one’s social self. Computers, haircuts, and tattoos are only a few examples.