HOW IDENTITY AFFECTS PURCHASE BEHAVIOR
Self-concept describes how consumers see themselves and how they think other people see them. So it is an important concept to determinant of consumer behavior. Consumer attempts to support their self-concepts by using those products that communicate particular personal characteristics to themselves. For example, self-concept is the basis for why a consumer wears certain fashions, purchases particular products, and drives specific cars.
Products and brands are an important part of how an individual defines it. In other words, products and brands help a consumer stay in line with the self-concept she has developed. The subjective meaning of a product ties in closely with one’s self-concept or image. A consumer will buy products that she feels reflect her established image.
Self concept and life style both are the factors that determine the consumer identity. Lifestyle is reflective of self-concepts.
Lifestyle refers to the way a consumer lives. It represents the external characteristics that pertain to how a consumer lives: the activities he engages in, his habits and possessions, and the interests he expresses. In other words, lifestyle represents what he sees as value in his life. This value is reflected in the way that he spends his time and money, Lifestyle is the result of a consumer’s motivations, education, attitudes, behaviors, beliefs and opinions, demographic factors, and personality. At the same time, lifestyle also represents a consumer’s income level, marital status, culture, social class, and buying power. These different roles all combine to reflect the consumer’s lifestyle.
DIMENSIONS OF SELF CONCEPT
Individuals act differently with different people in different situations. Here are the four basic dimensions of self-concept:
ACTUAL SELF
The actual self reflects how an individual actually is at the present moment. A consumer’s actual self-concept can include social status, age, gender, occupation, and so on. For example, I’m a marketing consultant. This is a real perception of me, and it’s what I portray to others.
IDEAL SELF
The ideal self is a consumer’s perception of who he would like to be (but isn’t). As consumers, many people are in constant pursuit of bettering themselves, whether it’s through education, income, health, or occupation. Because they aspire to have the ideal life, they often purchase products that make them feel closer to that ideal self-concept.
PRIVATE SELF
The private self is one that isn’t intentionally revealed to others. The private self represents who a person is or would like to be to himself (versus who he wants to be to others). Private self-concept can represent how you believe that you act, such as friendly, creative, loving, or adventurous,
PUBLIC SELF
The public self is revealed to others. The public (or social) self-concept is how a consumer wants to be seen by others how he wants to fit into society. For example, consumers may want to feel attractive, intelligent, and successful.
| ACTUAL SELF CONCEPT | How an individual actually is in the present moment. | How I actually see myself |
| IDEAL SELF CONCEPT | Consumer’s perception of who would like to be | How I would like to see myself |
| PRIVATE SELF CONCEPT | Part of consumer that he does to intentionally reveal to others | How others actually see me |
| PUBLIC SELF CONCEPT | How a consumer wants others to perceive him. How he wants to fit into society. | How I would like others to see me. |
A person’s self-concept can change over a period of time. This change most often happens during an identity crisis or traumatic experience. During this time an individual will often go through a reassessment and develop new self-concept. When a person’s self-concept changed, their lifestyle may also change because of change in both internal and external factors. That’s because a consumer’s lifestyle is reflective of his self-concepts; the corresponding consumption patterns change as well.
