Consumer Behaviour Self Concept

How marketers can use personality and self concept to better market cars

It is understood by marketers on how understanding of personality and self concepts affect consumer behavior and therefore, it is of high relevance that marketers need to carefully conceptualize and apply the appropriate marketing tools to effectively convert potentials/prospects to purchases.

Automakers generally categories their vehicles into types, e.g. Multi-Purpose vehicle, Sports Utility vehicle, Sedan, Hatchback, Luxury Sedan, Sports etc. And each different types of car pose an appeal for consumers of a certain mix of characteristics and personality.

Based on an assumption that research had been done and had resulted that consumers who are attracted to Sports Utility vehicles, are also mostly found to possess personality traits like extroversion, exploratory, adventurous, assertiveness, excitement seeking, and more than often consumer who display such characteristic tends to score high in dogmatism, high optimum stimulation level, more of a visualiser and low in self monitoring. By obtaining such research result, marketer can then design marketing campaign such as trade/road shows in any sports arena, that will enable this targeted consumers to gain information( via handouts or verbal) about the SUV and live demonstration of the versatility of the vehicle. Invitation of an adventurer like Bear Gryll (Host of reality show Man vs. Wild) as a guest of the event and also an ambassador for the vehicle, television advertisements that emphasize vehicle movement through hazardous terrains, placements advertisement that focus on visual aspects of vehicle structure and design. By capturing and analyzing the probable personalities that the target audiences possess, it aids marketers in designing an appropriate and effective marketing campaign

It also helps create an positive image e.g. ‘sporty’ or ‘ruggedness’ for the vehicle, which will be established and perceived to be of congruency to...