Internal Consumer Behavior - Essay Example

Internal Consumer Behavior – exploration of personality theories It is important to understand the basic idea of personality before we go deep into the personality theories and try to explore how these personality theories are applicable to behaviorist pattern of the consumers. Personality has been defined by various psychologists and philosophers of different times in different ways. Thus it is quite tough to define personality of a person, but if an attempt is made by churning out all the major definitions of personality, it can be said that all people posses a set of organized and dynamic features and that set of features controls motivation, thought process and behaviorist approach of a person in different situations. This set of characteristics or can said to be personality of an individual. Since the late 19th century personality study has emerged as the sole way to understand a person and almost every discipline that is related to social study or human relations, in the modern times, is trying to represent their points from the perspective of personality analysis of individuals. (Gilbert and Connolly, 1991, 23) The 19th and 20th century has witnessed great progress in the field of personality analysis and several famous figures have appeared in this arena who have interpreted human psychology in their own ways and it has helped them to come up with different types of personality theory. Results of such analysis have been used in various disciplines of human actions, starting from literature to selling of products. Among various other disciplines personality theories proved to be a boon for the business houses and industrialists and these theories opened up different avenues to them through with they started reaching people in way that was never experienced before. Analysis of the personality theories helped the business house to understand their consumerist traits and they started to launch their products according to desire of the mass. At the same time various innovations were also implemented to the methods of advertising and the business groups, in order to expand their consumer circle, used advertisement so that it can capitalize over personality traits of an individual. The personality theories can be classified into seven major divisions, namely, a) Trait theories, b) Type theories, c) Psychoanalytic theories, d) Behaviorist theories, e) Social cognitive theory, f) Humanistic theory and g) Biopsychological theories. (Awrshay, 1971) Among all these theories we see that business houses focus mostly over Type theories, Psychoanalytic theories and Behaviorist theories to access individual psychology and use their understanding as the best instrument to sell their products to people. The psychoanalytic theory has been introduced by Sigmund Freud and it is still considered as one of the most authentic ways to interpret behavior of a person. According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, personality of an individual is like the nucleus and around this nucleus there systems are revolving, the Id, the Ego and The Superego. These three systems are on a continuous process to interact and influence each other and due to this interaction finally, personality of an individual is also influenced. Interaction between Id, Ego and Superego changes according to change in circumstances, education and association of an individual and at the same time it also affects his personality or the set of organized and dynamic features of his character. Understanding this factor, the business houses in these days have become so keep over developing their brand personality so that the consumer can identify himself with the brand. (Soloman, 2002) Brand personality can therefore be defined as the ‘set of human characteristics associated with a brand’ (Aaker, 347). According to 21st century marketing management, brand personality has been identified with human nature and, by attributing the human characteristics to a brand, the famous business organizations throughout the world are writing their success story in a new way. In the famous book ‘The Hero and the Outlaw’, the authors Mark and Pearson have cited for various archetypes from their analysis of various brands like, Marlboro, Nike, Ivory and several others. (Mark and Pearson, 110, 114) Through their studies the authors have shown that most of the successful brands of the world have become successful in their business due to their communication with certain basic patterns that prevail in the subconscious mind of the people. These fundamental patterns in subconscious mind of the people are known as archetypes. The currently run business houses have understood it clearly that depending only over their respective services and products; it would not be possible to survive in market until and unless stronger relationship with people are developed. This very idea or business philosophy has given birth to the idea of developing personality traits among brands. The conception of brand personality trait is applicable for both corporate as well as product brands but a corporate brand has the capacity to cover wider range arena to reach people, while for a product brand the arena is restricted. In this aspect further differences can be drawn between corporate brands and product brands. A corporate brand comprises certain personality traits, which are broader in dimension and every single personality trait in this set of traits, differ in comparison with personality traits of a specific product brand. If we judge from the perspective of nature, corporate brand personality is regarded as a human personality whereas a personality trait of a product brand appeals to consumers through use of product related imagery. Though the business houses are very careful to maintain product personality traits but at the same time they are more focused over maintaining their corporate brand personality. The main reason for undertaking such initiative is to present before consumers such an image of the company that they must receive clarity of internal image of the company so that the consumers are attracted to it and it becomes easier for the company to reach a greater section of customers. It has been understood by the companies that until and unless through these personality traits values and behavior of the employees to the customers cannot be conveyed, it would not be possible to receive successful results against other competitors in the same sector. (Kassarjian and Robertson, 1994; Schiffman and Kanuk, 2003) Corporate houses of 21st Century have understood it clearly that brand personality traits of a company mainly depend over three factors, namely products manufactured by the company, steps to make those products better and communication with consumers. For example, a particular product of the company is highly appreciated in the market and it has goodwill of its own. The company has to look after the matter that the rate of supply of the product does not decrease and at the same time there must be certain innovation must be introduced to the product so that the rate of demand must remain constant. Standing over the foundation of such goodwill the company can launch another range of products and it is not unnatural if consumers have some kind of grievance against such products. Now, it is completely the onus of the company to interact with consumers and understand their point of grievance, so that it can take appropriate actions in modifying those products according to customer requirement and provide them with proper remedies. Every successful company across the globe focuses over all these issues and they try their level best to bring a harmony between all these steps. (Engel, Blackwell and Miniard, 1995) Hence it is clear from the intention of the corporate houses that how much the Freudian theory of psychoanalysis has helped them to develop the idea of brand personality and finally come up with it to the consumers. But the psychologists, who belong to Neo-Freudian school, disagree to the theory of Freud. Freud in his psychoanalysis has given most importance to the unconscious biological need of an individual and he says that actions or behaviorist approach of a person depends completely over such unconscious biological needs. Thus, according to Freud personality of an individual is essentially dependent over impulses that are coming from his unconscious mind. (Freud, 2007) The Neo-Freudians claim that influence of social relationship that also includes culture and history of a society play a dominating part developing personality of a person. A major figure among the Neo- Freudians, Alfred Adler feels that in a social relationship people always see to be greater then the others and ways want to get an upper hand over his sense of inferiority. According to Harry Stack Sullivan, it is the common trait in people’s psychology that they always seek to enjoy such a relationship with other that would be significant and at the same time they would be able to gain something out of it. Interpretations of both these psychologists are very relevant in modern context. Consumerist behavior among people since the middle part of 20th century has drastically increased and one of the main reasons is nobody wants to see him inferior to other and they desperately try to possess all such products that would prove them superior to his associates or at least equal. To satisfy this requirement sometimes they go beyond their financial capacity to purchase. Economists consider such tendency as one of the main reasons for occurrence of the Great Depression in U.S. (1929). At the same time we see a common tendency in people that they are always keen on expanding their range of associates and most of the time they wish to gain something out of such relations. Such action also indicates increase in consumerist behavior of common people and it also shows, at the same time, that people have learnt to judge relationships in terms of materialistic gain. Hence, from the above discussion we understand that personality theories play a leading role in orienting purchasing habit of the consumers. The personality theories have opened up various avenues that help the corporate houses to form their own brand image or brand personality traits. Consumers identify themselves with such brand image and they keep on purchasing products of the same brand repeatedly. The leading brands of the world have done more progress in this field. (Fournier, 1998) Through their analysis they have come to know that people, during their purchase, follow certain patterns that exist in their subconscious mind and those brands capitalize over those patterns to attract more customers. It is through the understanding of personality theories the brands have explored different personality dimensions of an individual and they also have renovated their marketing strategies accordingly to reach people in a better and more productive way. References 1. Awrshay, L.H. 1991, The Current State of Sociological Theory: Diversity, Polarity, Empiricism, and Small Theories, Sociological Quarterly, Volume 12 Issue 1, Pages 23 – 45 2. Aaker, J.L. 1997, Dimensions of Brand Personality, Journal of Marketing Research, August, 34, 3 3. Engel, J.F., Blackwell, R.D., and Miniard, P.W. (1995). Consumer Behavior, Eighth Edition, Forth Worth, TX: Dryden Press 4. Fournier, S. 1998. Consumers and Their Brands: Developing Relationship Theory in Consumer Research, JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc. Vol. 24, March 5. Freud, S. 2007, The Origin and Development of Psychoanalysis, NuVision Publications 6. Gilbert, D.G. and Connolly, J.J. 1991, Personality, Social Skills, and Psychopathology: An Individual Differences Approach, Springer 7. Kassajian, H.H. and T.S. Robertson, 1981, Perspectives in consumer behavior, Scott, Foresman. 8. Mark, M. and C. S. Pearson, 2001, The Hero and the Outlaw, McGraw Hill, 2001 9. Schiffman, L. and L.L. Kanuk, 2003. Consumer Behavior, Prentice Hall 10. Solomon, M.R. 2008. Consumer Behavior, Prentice Hall Read More