Chapter 5
Chapter Spotlights
Symbolic consumption – how
symbols influence consumer
behavior
Brand-user image and brand
personality
Self-image in the marketplace
Symbolic Consumption
It is the process through which consumers
– on the basis of symbols – buy, consume,
and dispose of products and services.
Consumers buy and use goods and
services for their utility/psychological
benefits and the things that they
represent.
Semiotics
Semiotics is the study of signs and
their meanings. Researchers work to
understand:
How consumers use signs to interpret
the world
How signs are chosen and given
meaning
How these signs provide insights into the
Signs and their Influence
Icons – visual representations of objects,
persons, or events
Clear, unambiguous
Indexes – easily recognizable property(ies)
of the idea that they represent
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.
How Consumers Perceive
Brands
Brand Image: the overall vision or
position of a brand in the mind of
the consumer.
It is a combination of both tangible
and intangible attributes
Attributes are classified by the type of
consumer benefits they deliver:
Types of Consumer Needs
Utilitarian or Functional
Products that help consumers remove or
avoid problems – e.g., a driver’s side air
bag
Experiential or aesthetic
(psychological)
Products that satisfy sensory
expectations --- e.g., the unique
Needs (continued)
Value-Expressive or Symbolic Needs
Products that help consumers express their
self-image – e.g., buying a sports car versus
buying a compact car, because the former is
“you”
Hence brand image/”personality” is tied to the
brand-user image based on value-expressive
attributes that characterize the brand.
Brand image versus self image – congruence
Forms of Self-Image
Self-image is the configuration of
beliefs related to the self
Actual self-image (or private self): it
involves those images that one has of
oneself about which one feels protective
–how consumers see themselves
The self-consistency motive: doing things
Forms of Self-Image
(continued)
Ideal self-image: how consumer
would like to be
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
Forms of Self-Image
(continued)
Ideal social self-image: how
consumers would like others to see
them
Self-Congruity
Self-image congruity: when a consumer’s
self-image matches brand-user image
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
Gender Roles and
Self-Image
In the marketplace some products are
viewed as “men’s” or “women’s”
Gender-typed product image targeted to
match consumers’ gender-role orientation:
Masculinity – independence, toughness,
aggressiveness, competitiveness,
achievement, rebelliousness
Femininity – tenderness, sensitivity,
dependence, compliance, cooperation
Androgyny – both masculine and feminine
Body Image
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
Personality
An individual’s response tendencies across
situations and over time
People also have consumption-specific
personalities
State approach to personality
Personality formed based on external influences
Trait approach to personality
Personality formed based on person’s position on the
How General Personality Traits
Influence Consumer Behavior (See
Exhibit 5-6 for Summary)
Compliance – moving consistently toward the
stressor (the person or object generating the
stress) and becoming dependent on that person or
object.
Products designed to enhance social relationships are in
favor
Aggressiveness – moving consistently against the
stressor
Products associated with high status and success images
are in favor
Traits (continued)
Generalized self-confidence – being
comfortable making decisions
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
Being sensitive to the image people
Traits (continued)
Self-monitoring – the ease with which people
adapt to different situations and so manage
the impressions they make on others
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
Traits (continued)
Self-esteem – how one feels about
him/herself, the level of regard for oneself
High self-esteem
feeling good about
oneself and expecting more
Dogmatism – the tendency of being
closed-minded, seeing life in terms of
black and white
Traits (continued)
Rigidity – being less flexible than
others in tastes and preferences
Rigidity correlates negatively with
risk-taking behavior
Tolerance of ambiguity
Willingness to deal with ambiguous
(unclear best choice) purchase decisions
Tolerant people gather information by
Traits (continued)
Attention to social comparison information
(ASCI)
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.
Traits (continued)
Impulsiveness
It is measured using 12 adjectives*:
impulsive, careless, self-controlled
(RC**), extravagant, farsighted (RC),
responsible (RC), restrained (RC),
easily tempted, rational (RC),
Traits (continued)
Extroversion – refers to the extent
to which people seek stimulation
from the environment
extroversion-introversion
Neuroticism –the tendency to
Traits (continued)
Need for cognition – the tendency
to think through purchase decisions
more thoroughly than others
Individuals high in need for cognition
tend to process advertising arguments
more extensively
Need for power – the motivation to
Traits (continued)
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
Traits (continued)
Affect intensity – experiencing
emotions with greater strength
when exposed to emotionally
Specific Personality Traits
and Consumer Behavior
The “market maven” consumer – a consumer who
has information about many kinds of products,
places to shop, and other aspects of the
marketplace.
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
Consumer Innovativeness
(See Exhibit 5-7 for
Summary)
The tendency of some consumers
to be among the first to purchase
new products within specific
categories
Diffusion of innovations
Opinion Leadership
An opinion leader is a
person who is well
versed in a product
or service category
Motivated to “spread
the word” (positive or
negative)
Market maven versus
opinion leader
Implications for the
Product-specific
Self-Confidence
This is the extent to which certain
consumers feel confident about
making decisions about products in
a specific category (e.g.,
computers, automobiles)
Product-Specific
Self-Efficacy
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)
Product-specific Subjective
Knowledge
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
Other
Consumption-specific Personality Traits
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
Other traits (continued)
Product-specific involvement –
being emotionally involved in a
particular product class or
