MKT 201 Buyer Behavior Chapter 5 Supplementary Examples

MKT 201 – Buyer Behavior Chapter 5 Supplementary Examples 1

The Self Perspectives on the self - Self-concept - Self-esteem (Real & Ideal self, Fantasy) - Multiple-selves (Role identities, symbolic interactionism, Looking Glass self) - Self-consciousness (Self-monitoring) Consumption of the self concept - Identity Marketing - Products that shape the self: Symbolic self-completion theory - Self/product congruence - Extended self Sex roles Body images 2

Self-esteem and Advertising • A man looks in his bedroom mirror and sees all that bare scalp gleaming through his thinning hair. He holds a three-way argument with himself: one real self, a bald self on his right and the last self, with a full head of hair, on his left. The bald self is insecure and whiny. The fully thatched self is self-confident and assured. At that moment the real self decides that he must do something before he goes completely bald and becomes like the insecure one. He obviously would rather be self-confident and assured, an argument winner like his hairy self. • This is an example of commercial that rely on the concept of selfesteem, that the purchase of a product will raise how a person feels about herself. 3

Self-esteem and Advertising • Self-esteem is a combination of psychological factors that can include confidence, assertiveness, self-respect, strong bonds to and/or the respect of other people. Sometimes it includes conceit, arrogance and an attitude of superiority. • Those with low self-esteem do not think they will perform well and will try to avoid embarrassment, failure, or rejection. • Those with high self-esteem expect to be successful, will take more risks, and are more willing to be the center of attention. • Self-esteem Advertising attempts to change product attitude by stimulating positive feeling about the self. 4

Self-esteem and Advertising • Ads aimed at men will show the product or service will allow purchaser to raise his status in his hierarchy. They will be more attractive, more intelligent, richer, stronger, younger. But certainly in some way superior to others. • For example, some business machine (copiers, computers, etc) commercials will have one man accomplishing something well by using the product, He then refuses to tell how he did it. This places him in a superior position that he maintains through secrecy. The aim of the commercial is to sell the product to men who would like to do the same. Personal grooming products, such as deodorants, colognes, shaving aids, hair coloring, etc. are also sold using self-esteem through improving appearance. Most of these ads use the idea of drawing the attention of attractive women, of increasing sex appeal and sexual success. • 5

Self-esteem and Advertising • • • Ads aimed at women will show the product or service will enhance their connection with those people with whom they wish a bond. For example, there is an ad for a weight loss program. The woman says that she couldn’t lose weight on to her programs, and she was so fat that her kids couldn’t even put their arms around her. However, the sponsor’s product allowed her to lose weight she wanted to. The implication is clear: using the product enhances the bond with the children. Many food products are sold to women by using self-esteem. A recent coffee commercial opened with a husband wife waking up, obviously uncomfortable with each other because of the unresolved fight of the night before. The man gets up and makes the coffee. When the woman arrives, they smile at each other over their cups – they are back together, connected, and the coffee was the catalyst 6

Self-esteem and Advertising • Other foods show a woman can increase the love and closeness of her family and friends because she serves them the product. • Personal grooming and hygiene ads, such as for cosmetics, hair coloring, skin creams and lotions, douches, napkins and tampons, etc. , also use self-esteem through connection. • Summary: People need self-esteem. It gives them the sense of self -worth that allows them to like themselves, like others, and find life worth living. By appealing to this need in people, advertising has a powerful tool for selling. 7

Commercial with Fantasy Appeal • • • Style of commercial that uses special effects or caricatures to create the idea of fantasy about the product, such as the Little Elves who make cookies, or Mr. Clean, or the Jolly Green Giant. The technique of a fantasy commercial is principally to appeal to the emotions to arouse interest in the product. In a fantasy commercial, the focus is the message itself, whereas in a testimonial commercial, the focus is the source of the message. 8