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CHAPTER 12
SELF-CONCEPT AND LIFESTYLE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
LO1: Describe self-concept, how it is measured, and how it is used to position products
LO2: Define lifestyle and its relationship to the self concept and to psychographics
LO3: Explain specific lifestyle typologies and summarize those for luxury sports cars and
technology
LO4: Explain general lifestyle typologies and summarize those for VALSTM and PRIZM®
LO5: Discuss international lifestyles and one existing segmentation scheme
SUMMARY
LO1: Describe self-concept, how it is measured, and how it is used to position products
The self-concept is one’s beliefs and feelings about oneself. There are four types of self-concept:
actual self-concept, social self-concept, private self-concept, and ideal self-concept. The self-concept
is important to marketers because consumers purchase and use products to express, maintain, and
LO2: Define lifestyle and its relationship to the self concept and to psychographics
Lifestyle can be defined simply as how one lives. It is a function of a person’s inherent individual
characteristics that have been shaped through social interaction as the person moves through his or her
life cycle. It is how an individual expresses one’s self-concept through actions.
LO3: Explain specific lifestyle typologies and summarize those for luxury sports cars and
technology
Lifestyle measurements can be constructed with varying degrees of specificity. At one extreme, firms
can conduct very specific lifestyle studies focused on those aspects of individual or household
lifestyles most relevant to their product or service. For these studies, lifestyle measurement is product
LO4: Explain general lifestyle typologies and summarize those for VALSTM and PRIZM®
At the other extreme, marketers can study the general lifestyle patterns of a population. These general
lifestyle approaches are not specific to any one product or activity, so they have broad applicability in
developing marketing strategies for a wide range of products and brands. General approaches include
VALS and PRIZM.
individual household with 66 lifestyle segments organized around social groupings and life stage.
LO5: Discuss international lifestyles and one existing segmentation scheme
In response to the rapid expansion of international marketing, a number of attempts have been made to
develop lifestyle measures applicable across cultures. Roper Starch Worldwide conducted a large
multinational survey and found six global lifestyle segments based on core values.
LECTURE TIPS AND AIDS
1) Have the students rate their own actual self-concept, their desired self-concept, the product
concept of their favorite beverage, and the person concept of their favorite celebrity of the same
2) A useful beginning is to have the class identify four to seven major student lifestyles on your
campus. Write brief descriptions of each on the board. Have the students discuss the causes of
each lifestyle and describe the marketing implications of each. Ask what type of lifestyle the
students with each student lifestyle will have five years after graduation.
3) Discuss the technology segments presented in the chapter. Then have the students describe what
they feel are the dominant technology segments among students on your campus. Then have them
4) Have the students identify a TV character that fits each of the eight VALS profiles. This is a good
5) Have the students do Internet Exercise 1. This will give them a good insight into the VALS
process.
6) Assign and/or prepare one or more of the CB PRESS HIGHLIGHTS articles for class discussion.
7) Build a recent news story or commercial into your PowerPoints. The searchable Video and
Commercial Links Database can be found in the Instructor Resources in Connect.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is a self-concept? What are the four types of self-concept?
It is the totality of the one’s thoughts and feelings toward one’s self. It is one’s attitude toward
2) How do marketers use insights about the self-concept?
Marketers attempt to create product images that are consistent with the self-concept of their target
market.
3) How can one measure the self-concept?
4) How does an interdependent self-concept differ from an independent self-concept?
An independent construal of the self is based on the predominant Western cultural belief that
and emphasis on familiar, cultural, professional, and social relationships.
5) What is the extended self?
6) What is a brand engagement?
Brand engagement refers to the extent to which an individual includes important brands as
part of their self-concepts.
7) What ethical issues arise in using the self-concept in marketing?
Marketers have been criticized for focusing too much attention on the importance of being
8) What do we mean by lifestyle? What factors determine and influence that lifestyle?
Lifestyle is defined simply as how one lives. It is determined by our past experiences, innate
9) What is psychographics?
Psychographics refers to attempts to measure consumer lifestyles quantitatively. These studies
typically measure include the following:
10) When is a product- or activity-specific psychographic instrument superior to a general one?
A product- or activity-specific psychographic instrument is superior to a general one when a
11) What are the dimensions on which VALS is based? Describe each.
The two dimensions of VALS are primary motivation and resources. There are three primary
12) Describe the VALS system and each segment in it.
Using measures of motivation and resources, VALS divides the United States into eight groups:
Innovators are successful, sophisticated, take-charge people with high self-esteem. They
are change leaders and are the most receptive to new ideas and technologies. Their
purchases reflect cultivated tastes for upscale, niche products and services.
Thinkers are mature, satisfied, comfortable, and reflective. They tend to be well educated
13) What is geo-demographic analysis?
14) Describe the PRIZM system.
PRIZM, by Nielsen Claritas, incorporates extensive data on product consumption and media usage
15) Describe the global lifestyle segments identified by Roper Starch Worldwide.
Strivers (23 percent) – value material and professional goals and are driven by wealth, status, and
power. They like computers and cell phones but have little time for media beyond newspapers.
Middle aged, and skewing male, Strivers are found disproportionately (33 percent) in Asia.
Discussion Questions
16) Use Table 12-2 to measure your four self-concepts. To what extent are they similar? What causes
the differences? To what extent do you think they influence your purchase behavior?
17) Use Table 12-2 to measure your self-concept (you choose which self-concept and justify your
choice). Also measure the images of three celebrities you admire. What do you conclude?
It probably makes most sense to choose the ideal self. Most students’ celebrities will be somewhat
18) Respond to the questions in Consumer Insight 12-1.
Q1 - Many of your students will have likely seen the Dove campaigns and may be eager to share
their initial reaction as well as that of their friends. Ask students if they were aware of the ensuing
parodies, criticisms, support that followed the debut of the campaigns. Probe to see if this altered
initial reactions.
19) What possessions are part of your extended self? Why?
This leads to interesting discussions that clarify this rather abstract concept. It is another good one
20) Is your self-concept predominantly independent or interdependent? Why?
21) What ethical concerns are associated with ads that portray a standardized ideal image of beauty?
Marketers have been criticized for focusing too much attention on the importance of being
22) For each of the following products, develop one ad that would appeal to a target market
characterized by predominantly independent self-concepts and another for a target market
characterized by predominantly interdependent self-concepts.
a) Amazon.com
23) Use the self-concept theory to develop marketing strategies for the following products.
a) The National Alzheimer
Association contributions
d) A & W root beer
for the brand that is consistent with that target market.
24) Does VALS make sense to you? What do you like or dislike about it?
For most applications, the answer should be yes. VALS provides an insightful breakdown of the
US population. It has been successfully tied to a wide variety of other databases to relate the eight
25) How would one use VALS to develop a marketing strategy?
For a specific product, one would first determine to which VALS segment the dominant consumer
26) Develop a marketing strategy based on VALS for:
a) Starbucks
b) Grand Canyon Kayak vacation
c) Sirius satellite radio
d) Kawasaki Jet Ski
e) Triumph motorcycles
f) NBA
Create a multiple of six groups and assign one of the product categories above to each group. For a
27) Develop a marketing strategy for each of the eight VALS segments for:
a) Verizon Wireless
d) CNN
28) Does PRIZM make sense to you? What do you like or dislike about it? Is it really a measure of
lifestyle?
In general, most will say yes. The PRIZM system is based on demographic and consumption
differences organized into 66 lifestyle segments.
29) How would one use PRIZM to develop a marketing strategy?
For a specific product, one would first determine to which PRIZM segment the dominant
30) Develop a marketing strategy for each of the Roper Starch global lifestyle segments for the
products in Question 26. What challenges do you face in trying to market these products to global
market segments?
Create a multiple of six groups and assign one of the product categories above to each group. For a
given category, the student group should select the appropriate Roper Starch segment, and develop
31) The following quote is from Paul Casi, president of Glenmore distilleries: “Selling cordials is a lot
different from selling liquor. Cordials are like the perfume of our industry. You’re really talking
high fashion and you’re talking generally to a different audience—I don’t mean male versus
female—I’m talking about lifestyle.”
a) In what ways do you think the lifestyle of cordial drinkers would differ from those who drink
liquor but not cordials?
b) How would you determine the nature of any such differences?
c) Of what use would knowledge of such lifestyle differences be to a marketing manager
introducing a new cordial?
32) How is one likely to change one’s lifestyle at different stages of one’s household life cycle? Over
one’s life, is one likely to assume more than one of the VALS lifestyle profiles described?
Most students will feel that resources will increase with age at least to a point. However, is this
33) To which VALS category do you belong? To which do your parents belong? Which will you
belong to when you are your parents’ age?
First have the students speculate on this. Then have them visit the VALS Website and determine
the categories. A useful discussion of the differences can result.
34) Generalizing from the global fashion lifestyles in the chapter opener, develop a marketing strategy
for:
a) A Spa
d) Shoes
