HOW SELF CONCEPT AFFECTS CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
By understanding self-concepts and how they affect consumers, one can use the knowledge to position your products in a way that’s attractive to consumers, thereby causing them the desire to purchase.
The following list provides to marketer with information on how self-concepts affect consumer behavior:
· Individuals perceive themselves differently than others because of previous experiences and present perceptions. It is important to understand how the consumers see themselves, which is often based on the messages they have received throughout life.
· Individuals perceive different aspects of themselves at different times with varying degrees of clarity. Understand the perception of the consumers. Are they focused on their families or careers? For example, if your consumers are focused on family, it probably isn’t a good idea to try and sell them a sports car that only has two seats.
Any experience that an individual perceives as inconsistent with her self-concept can be perceived as a threat. Consumers purchase products that support their self-concepts, so if your consumer feels that your product is in conflict with her self-concept, she may not purchase it in fear that it will threaten her feeling of stability.
· Consumers tend to resist change to their self-concepts. When you understand the purpose of self-concepts to consumers (to provide stability and consistency), it’s easier to support those concepts rather than to try and change them. So, make sure your product supports your consumer’ s self-concept.· Self-concept s changed over a period of time due to drastic life changes or experiences are usually. lb you have a consumer who believes that buying your product is frivolous and a waste of money, you’ll find it nearly impossible to sell her that product.
For example, if I’m an elderly woman and you’re trying to sell me a security system, I may see it as frivolous and a waste of money — until you explain to me how it will keep me safe and protect me from intruders.
Perceived success and failure impact self-concept. Failure in a highly regarded area lowers evaluations in all other areas. Success in a prized area raises evaluations. Understand where your consumer is. Is she in a place of feeling success or failure? For example, if you ask her about her job and she tells you she was just laid off, it probably isn’t the time to show her your most expensive item. However, if she tells you she just opened up her third business; you can probably bring up that big-ticket item and close the deal.
·The world and the things in it aren’t simply perceived; they’re perceived in relation to an individual’s self-concept. You must realize that consumers see things differently. The unfortunate thing is that self-concepts aren’t visible to the eye. so, you have to ask questions and really listen to your consumers in order to understand their perceptions of your product.
· The development of self-concept is an ongoing and continuous process. The self-concepts of consumers are always developing and consumers are always working to achieve them. so, the positioning question that you must ask yourself to reach out to consumers is “How does my product help consumers achieve their self-concepts?”
· Individuals strive to behave in ways that are in line with their self-concepts. It’ s difficult for consumers to step outside of their self-concepts, because they’re sort of like comfort zones. So, if your product pushes them outside of their self-concepts. You’ll find it difficult to get their attention. You must put your product in line with consumers’ self-concepts.
· Self-concept usually takes precedence over the physical body. In other words, individuals often sacrifice physical comfort and safety to achieve emotional satisfaction. When consumers are outside of their self-concepts, they experience discomfort, and so this is why they work hard to stay inside of them. If a consumer has the ideal self-concept that she wants to be in a beauty pageant and win, she’ll go out of her way to achieve that goal — even if it means getting to the gym by 4 a.m. As a marketer, show the benefit of what you offer and how you’ll help that consumer reach her ideal self.
· Self-concept continuously guards itself against self-esteem loss. Self-concepts work to protect consumers. They evaluate the self-concept support that they gain from a product in order to decide on purchasing that product. If it’s in conflict with their self-concepts, including self-esteem, it’s easy for the consumer to walk away. So be sure you know how your product supports the self-concepts of your consumer.
When your marketing message or advertisement relates to a consumer’s self-concept, she has a greater level of recall than she does with advertisements that don’t relate to the self-concept she strives to achieve. This is because of the dynamic component of self-concepts. A consumer is always developing and trying to achieve her ideal self-concept, and memory often serves as a reminder of how to do that.
· A consumer’s self-concept affects product preference through the attitudes she forms when she sees your advertisement. Advertisements or marketing messages that are congruent with the consumer’s self-concept can create a positive attitude toward your Product. Similarly, when your advertisement is in line with the consumer’s self-concept, her desire (intention) to purchase the product is strengthened.