Section 1 Self Concept and Groups The construction of identity is a bidirectional process We buy products because of who we are We become what we buy Mundane possessions contribute to the sense of self not just high involvement brands and products Self Concept the totality of an individual s thoughts and feelings within reference to themselves o Actual v ideal self ought self what others think you should be o Private v social self Self concepts influenced by cultures Western culture dominated by independent self concept while Asian cultures tend to acquire interdependent self concepts As a whole women tend to embody interdependent self concepts Independent emphasizes personal goods characteristics achievements and desires They define themselves in terms of what they have done what they have and their personal characteristics Interdependent emphasizes family cultural professional and social relationships Define themselves in terms of social roles family relationships and commonalities with others Theory of the extended self was developed by Belk Extended Self consists of self concept plus possessions Some possessions move past point of manifestation of self and become integral parts of self identity Considering the extended self products can become part of one s identity through multiple experiences o Peak Experience an experience that produces feelings of joy and self fulfillment o Mere Ownership Effect Endowment Effect evaluate products we own more favorable than those that we do not own o Brand Engagement the extent to which an individual includes brands as a part of their self concept Marketers should strive to develop product images that are consistent with self concepts of their target market Consumers prefer brands that match their self concept whether actual or ideal Self image congruity is more important when purchasing things that have value expressive symbolism and when the usage situation involves a more public setting Self image congruity is likely to matter more to consumers who place a large emphasis on the opinions of others high self monitors than those who do not low self monitors This is very apparent in public consumption environments Group two or more individuals who share a set of norms values or beliefs that have certain implicit or explicit defined relationships to one another their own behavior Reference Group a group whose presumed perspectives or values are being used by an individual as the basis for Groups are classified in terms of 1 strength of ties 2 type of contact and 3 attraction Primary Groups involve strong ties and frequent interaction that has considerable influence Secondary Groups involve weaker ties and less frequent contact Examples include professional associates Groups that one is not a part of can also influence behavior Dissociative Reference Group have negative attraction Tell you what not to do Aspiration Reference Group have positive attraction Influence behavior Consumption Subculture a distinctive subgroup of society that self selects on the basis of shared commitment to particular product class brand or consumption activity These groups have 1 identifiable hierarchical structure 2 set of shared beliefs or values and 3 unique language rituals or modes of symbolic expression o Reference groups for those who want to avoid or join them Brand Community a non geographic bound community based on structured set of social relationships among owners of brand and the psychological relationship they have with the brand itself the product in use and the firm o Brand communities can be found online in social network sites o When marketing to brand communities must create intrinsic value and brand engagement Reference groups can take three forms 1 informational 2 normative and 3 identification Informational Groups occurs when individual uses the behaviors and opinions of reference group members as potentially useful information See someone using a certain brand then you try it because of your respect for that reference group member Normative Group also known as utilitarian influence occurs when an individual fulfills group expectations to gain a direct reward or to avoid a punishment Strongest influence when individual has ties to the group and the product involved is publically consumed Identification Group also known as value expressive influence occurs when an individual has internalized a group s values and norms These values now guide the individuals behavior without thought of reward or Asch Phenomenon individuals are more likely to agree with people in public even if others are wrong or have punishment incorrect judgment Strategies for markets include 1 appealing to brand experience 2 showing usage situations and 3 show consistency of product with a group image Section2 Demographics Psychographics and Segmentation Personality an individual s set of characteristic response tendencies across similar situations Most commonly uses personality theory in marketing is trait theory This theory examines the personality as an individual difference and allows marketers to segment consumers as a function of their personality differences Trait theory assumes 1 all individuals have internal characteristics or traits related to action tendencies and 2 there are consistent and measureable differences between individuals on those characteristics The Five Factor Model identifies five basic traits and measures their presence in individuals The five factors are 1 extroversion 2 instability 3 agreeableness 4 openness to experience 5 conscientiousness Single trait theories emphasize one personality trait as being relevant understanding to a set of behaviors Consumer Ethnocentrism reflects an individual difference in consumers propensity to be biased against the purchases of foreign products thinking Need for Cognition NFC reflects an individual difference in consumers propensity to engage in and enjoy Need for Uniqueness reflects an individual difference in consumer s to seek differentness relative to others through the acquisition utilization and disposition of consumer goods A lifestyle is how a person enacts their self concept and is determined by past experiences innate characteristics and their current situation Psychographics include attitudes values interests activities demographics media patterns and usage rates of individuals Used as a quantitative measure of an individual s lifestyle General approaches to psychographics include VALS and PRIZM