For my practical work, I aim to communicate the idea that a brand image is manufactured and is not derived from the products they sell.
For one of my ideas I could look at the different controversial adverts that fashion houses use in order to create a controversial advert that questions ones self image. Or I could look at creating an advert that breaks the typical image that is associated with that particular brand. This is to highlight the point that it does not matter what the product is, but the image that is associated with it that changes our view. This can be seen through a case study on Burberry's full circle in brand image and the adverts that appear in The Mushpit Magazine that advertise these high fashion goods in the places where you'd never see them.
Mainly my technique in achieving this would be through the use of digital software. Through the use pf photoshop I could create really airbrushed humans to push the image of what a you will look like after adopting the brand. Alternatively I could adopt silkscreen printing to make quick prints of the adverts to represent a sort of guerrilla advertising campaign whereby to get a message out there quickly and in bulk.
Other supporting arguments for my practical investigation include the way in which we perceive sunglasses brands. Brands like Raybans, Prada, Oakley, Chanel and many others all produce their products under the same company Luxottica. However consumers still have a preference over a type of sunglasses despite being made in the same factory. This is a good example of how a brands image can sway our perceived quality over competitors despite having the same actual quality.
One other idea was to create a fictitious brand and to market it to people in a way that convinces them that it is the intended image. This idea will support the argument that the success of a brand is not of their products but of the marketing.
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
Study Task 04 - Summarising and paraphrasing 05
Hae Ryong Kim, Moonkyu
Lee, and Francis M. Ulgado (2005) , Brand Personality, Self-Congruity
and the Consumer-Brand Relationship, Asia Pacific Advances in
Consumer Research [Online] Volume 6, p. 111-117. Available from: http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=11876
The present research examines the emotional process by which a consumer-brand relationship is formed. It focuses on the potential effects on the relationship process of the congruity between brand personality and consumer self-concept. The results of this study show that congruity between brand personality and consumer self-concept kindles such emotions as love, pride, and joy, and ultimately fosters a long-term consumer-brand relationship through brand attachment or self-esteem-building process.
The focus of this study is to examine the processes by which the consumer-brand fit determines product evaluations, or more specifically, consumer-brand relationships.
A brand is considered as an active relationship partner rather than a passive exchange object, and is endowed with human characteristics (Fournier 1998).
The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the psychological processes involved in the formation of a positive relationship with a brand and explain the role that self-congruity plays in those processes.
Also examined in the study are the roles of brand attachment and self-esteem. Brand attachment, an affective concept related to love (Fournier 1998), is associated with one’s identity (Kleine, Kleine, and Allen 1995), and self-esteem implies an overall affective evaluation of the importance and value of one’s self (Judge, Bono, and Locke 2000).
Researchers have defined commitment as "an implicit or explicit pledge of relational continuity between exchange partners (Dwyer, Schurr, and Oh 1987)" or "an enduring desire to maintain a valued relationship (Morgan and Hunt 1994)."
In accordance with these definitions, brand commitment can be described as a construct with the attitudinal aspect of brand loyalty (Oliver 1999) or as the intention to maintain a continuous relationship with a brand (Fournier 1998).
Consumers become attached to a specific brand in the process of defining and maintaining their sense of self (Kleine, Kleine, and Allen 1995).
Attachment is basically the process of developing an emotional bond (Collins and Read 1990), which is facilitated by consistent and repeated experiences between relationship partners (Perry 1998). It can be measured on the basis of dependence, anxiety, and closeness (Collins and Read 1990). Attachment provides psychological comfort and pleasure, and its loss evokes strong distress (Perry 1998). The formation of a romantic love between adults can be explained in terms of the attachment process; the more secure the attachment that lovers have, the more positive aspects of love they experience (Hazan and Shaver 1987). Fournier (1998) also describes love and passion as part of the affective attachment involved in the consumer-brand relationship, and reports that attachment is a condition of emotional dependence involving separation anxiety and irreplaceability.
It is suggested that by using a brand with self-congruent personality, the consumer expresses his or her own values (leading to self-appraisal) and goes through a social adjustment process (resulting in reflected appraisal) at the same time (Hogg, Cox, and Keeling 1998).
Joy or happiness is another emotion involved in self-esteem (Luce, Payne, and Bettman 1999). It often occurs when the consumer uses a brand with self-congruent personality. It is closely related to materialism and such concepts as satisfaction and well-being in life (Richins 1997; Richins and Dawson 1992).
Consumers show a strong attachment to anything self-expressive, that is, an object congruent with the self, which reflects the extent of "me-ness" (Kleine, Kleine, and Allen 1995).
The more attached consumers are to a brand, the more dependent they are on it and the more anxious about it when unable to use it (e.g., Remember the consumer response when New Coke was introduced).
Johar and Sirgy (1991) suggest that the relationship between a brand and the actual or ideal self produces a positive self-appraisal and has an influence on the level of actualization of one’s own present and ideal self, which occurs regardless of other people. On the other hand, the correspondence between a brand and the social or ideal-social self can generate the satisfaction of fulfilling other people’s expectations, eliciting their positive appraisals
The present research examines the emotional process by which a consumer-brand relationship is formed. It focuses on the potential effects on the relationship process of the congruity between brand personality and consumer self-concept. The results of this study show that congruity between brand personality and consumer self-concept kindles such emotions as love, pride, and joy, and ultimately fosters a long-term consumer-brand relationship through brand attachment or self-esteem-building process.
The focus of this study is to examine the processes by which the consumer-brand fit determines product evaluations, or more specifically, consumer-brand relationships.
A brand is considered as an active relationship partner rather than a passive exchange object, and is endowed with human characteristics (Fournier 1998).
The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the psychological processes involved in the formation of a positive relationship with a brand and explain the role that self-congruity plays in those processes.
Also examined in the study are the roles of brand attachment and self-esteem. Brand attachment, an affective concept related to love (Fournier 1998), is associated with one’s identity (Kleine, Kleine, and Allen 1995), and self-esteem implies an overall affective evaluation of the importance and value of one’s self (Judge, Bono, and Locke 2000).
Researchers have defined commitment as "an implicit or explicit pledge of relational continuity between exchange partners (Dwyer, Schurr, and Oh 1987)" or "an enduring desire to maintain a valued relationship (Morgan and Hunt 1994)."
In accordance with these definitions, brand commitment can be described as a construct with the attitudinal aspect of brand loyalty (Oliver 1999) or as the intention to maintain a continuous relationship with a brand (Fournier 1998).
Consumers become attached to a specific brand in the process of defining and maintaining their sense of self (Kleine, Kleine, and Allen 1995).
Attachment is basically the process of developing an emotional bond (Collins and Read 1990), which is facilitated by consistent and repeated experiences between relationship partners (Perry 1998). It can be measured on the basis of dependence, anxiety, and closeness (Collins and Read 1990). Attachment provides psychological comfort and pleasure, and its loss evokes strong distress (Perry 1998). The formation of a romantic love between adults can be explained in terms of the attachment process; the more secure the attachment that lovers have, the more positive aspects of love they experience (Hazan and Shaver 1987). Fournier (1998) also describes love and passion as part of the affective attachment involved in the consumer-brand relationship, and reports that attachment is a condition of emotional dependence involving separation anxiety and irreplaceability.
It is suggested that by using a brand with self-congruent personality, the consumer expresses his or her own values (leading to self-appraisal) and goes through a social adjustment process (resulting in reflected appraisal) at the same time (Hogg, Cox, and Keeling 1998).
Joy or happiness is another emotion involved in self-esteem (Luce, Payne, and Bettman 1999). It often occurs when the consumer uses a brand with self-congruent personality. It is closely related to materialism and such concepts as satisfaction and well-being in life (Richins 1997; Richins and Dawson 1992).
Consumers show a strong attachment to anything self-expressive, that is, an object congruent with the self, which reflects the extent of "me-ness" (Kleine, Kleine, and Allen 1995).
The more attached consumers are to a brand, the more dependent they are on it and the more anxious about it when unable to use it (e.g., Remember the consumer response when New Coke was introduced).
Johar and Sirgy (1991) suggest that the relationship between a brand and the actual or ideal self produces a positive self-appraisal and has an influence on the level of actualization of one’s own present and ideal self, which occurs regardless of other people. On the other hand, the correspondence between a brand and the social or ideal-social self can generate the satisfaction of fulfilling other people’s expectations, eliciting their positive appraisals
Saturday, 21 November 2015
Study Task 04 - Summarising and Paraphrashing 04
This study examines how
the congruence between brand personality and self-image influences
brand loyalty through such mediating variables as consumer-brand
relationship and consumer satisfaction. In addition, this study compares
the proposed model under high/low involvement situations to examine
the moderating influence of involvement.
Park, S & Lee, E. (2005) Congruence Between Brand Personality and Self-Image, and the Mediating Roles of Satisfaction and Consumer-Brand Relationship on Brand Loyalty. Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research. [Online] Volume 6. p. 39-45. Available from http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=11859.
Sirgy (1982, 1986) outlines the importance of self-concept theory in consumer behavior research by explaining that consumers who perceive the product image to be consistent with their actual self-concept are likely to feel motivated to purchase and consume that product.
Graeff (1996) analyzes the influence of the congruence between brand-image and self-image on brand evaluation relating to promotion message. It suggests that under the promotion message that reminds consumers of their own self-image, consumers give more positive evaluations of brands congruent with their own self-image.
Aaker (1999) suggests when self-schema is congruent with brand personality, the brand attitude of a low self-monitor is more favorable, and when the situation is congruent with self-schema, the brand attitude of a high self-monitor is more favorable.
In general, the brand offers opportunities to build relationships with consumers (Wester 2000). That is, consumers want to build a relationship with a certain brand when they regard the brand as beneficial or valuable to them. Thus, if consumers feel that they are getting a good value and are satisfied after initially using the brand, they want to build a relationship with it.
Oliver and Bearden (1983) suggest that consumer satisfaction affects attitude after purchase and this attitude continuously influences the repurchase intention.
Fournier (1998) suggests that consumers build an individual relationship with product/brand they purchase in much the same way that people initiate and nurture relationships with other people. Hence, consumer-brand relationship indicates that consumers and brands contribute to each other in a win-win partnership.
This relationship construct is multi-dimensional and encompasses cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects. Fournier (1998) introduces six dimensions of brand relationship quality: love/passion, self-connection, interdependence, commitment, intimacy and brand partner quality.
Aaker (1997) suggests that the ultimate objective of the brand identity system is the development of a strong brand relationship between consumers and bands, and consumer-brand relationship builds up brand loyalty.
Further reading
- Oliver, Richard L. and William O. Bearden (1983), "The Role of Involvement in Satisfaction Process, " Advances in Consumer Research, 10 (1), 250-255.
Park, S & Lee, E. (2005) Congruence Between Brand Personality and Self-Image, and the Mediating Roles of Satisfaction and Consumer-Brand Relationship on Brand Loyalty. Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research. [Online] Volume 6. p. 39-45. Available from http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=11859.
Sirgy (1982, 1986) outlines the importance of self-concept theory in consumer behavior research by explaining that consumers who perceive the product image to be consistent with their actual self-concept are likely to feel motivated to purchase and consume that product.
Graeff (1996) analyzes the influence of the congruence between brand-image and self-image on brand evaluation relating to promotion message. It suggests that under the promotion message that reminds consumers of their own self-image, consumers give more positive evaluations of brands congruent with their own self-image.
Aaker (1999) suggests when self-schema is congruent with brand personality, the brand attitude of a low self-monitor is more favorable, and when the situation is congruent with self-schema, the brand attitude of a high self-monitor is more favorable.
In general, the brand offers opportunities to build relationships with consumers (Wester 2000). That is, consumers want to build a relationship with a certain brand when they regard the brand as beneficial or valuable to them. Thus, if consumers feel that they are getting a good value and are satisfied after initially using the brand, they want to build a relationship with it.
Oliver and Bearden (1983) suggest that consumer satisfaction affects attitude after purchase and this attitude continuously influences the repurchase intention.
Fournier (1998) suggests that consumers build an individual relationship with product/brand they purchase in much the same way that people initiate and nurture relationships with other people. Hence, consumer-brand relationship indicates that consumers and brands contribute to each other in a win-win partnership.
This relationship construct is multi-dimensional and encompasses cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects. Fournier (1998) introduces six dimensions of brand relationship quality: love/passion, self-connection, interdependence, commitment, intimacy and brand partner quality.
Aaker (1997) suggests that the ultimate objective of the brand identity system is the development of a strong brand relationship between consumers and bands, and consumer-brand relationship builds up brand loyalty.
Further reading
- Sirgy, M. Joseph (1980), "The Self-Concept in Relation to Product Preference and Purchase Intention," in Development in Marketing Science, 3, ed. V. V. Bellur, Marquett, MI: Academy of Marketing Science, 350-354.
- Sirgy,
M. Joseph (1982), "Self-Concept in Consumer Behavior: A Critical
Review," Journal of Consumer Research, 9 (December), 287-300.
- Sirgy, M. Joseph (1986), Self-Congruity, New York: Praeger.
- Graeff, Timothy R. (1996), "Using Promotional Message to Manage the Effects of Brand and Self-Image on Brand Evaluation," Journal of Consumer Marketing, 13 (3), 4-18.
- Graeff, Timothy R. (1997), "Consumption Situations and the Effects of brand image on Consumers’ Brand Evaluations," Psychology and Marketing, 14 (1), 49-70.
- Aaker, David (1991), Managing Brand Equity: Capitalizing on the value of a brand name, New York: The Free Press.
- Aaker, David (1996), Building Strong Brands, New York: The Free Press.
- Aaker, Jennifer (1997), "Dimensions of Brand Personality," Journal of Marketing Research, 34 (August), 347-357.
- Aaker, Jennifer (1999), "The Malleable Self: The Role of Self-expression in Persuasion," Journal of Marketing Research, February, 45-50.
- Aaker, Jennifer
(2000), "Accessibility or Diagnostic? Disentangling the Influence of
Culture on Persuasion Processes and Attitudes," Journal of Consumer
Research, 26 (March), 340-357. - Oliver, Richard L. and William O. Bearden (1983), "The Role of Involvement in Satisfaction Process, " Advances in Consumer Research, 10 (1), 250-255.
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Study Task 04 - Summarising and Paraphrasing 03
Achouri, A. & Bouslama, N. (2010) The Effect of the Congruence between Brand Personality and Self-Image on Consumer’s Satisfaction and Loyalty: A Conceptual Framework IBIMA Business Review. Vol. 2010 p. 1-16
Key points
Consumers rely on the brand image as it is developed in their mind rather than on the inherent attributes and characteristics of the product (Dich et al, 1990). This turns customer loyalty into a major primary marketing objective (Benavant,1995; Trinquescoste, 1996)
Associating the specific personality features to the brands allows the consumer to express a certain conception of himself, so as to acquire some value-enhancing, symbolic benefits from a given consumption (Vernette , 2003)
The description of the personality features will proceed from the five fundemental factors, known as the abbreviation OCEAN:
O - Open mindedness vs narrow-mindedness
C - Conscientious trait, i.e. orientation, lasting behaviour and mastering impulsion.
E - Extraversion vs intraversion
A - Friendliness and pleasantness: concerning the relation with others.
N - Neuroticism or emotional stability
Kapferer (2003), Aaker defines brand personality, not uniquely as a faucet of identity, but as much more global construct. "the set of traits of human personality which are pertinent and applicable to brands". Ambroise et al., (2003) finds this definition too global as it can comprise some brand personality traits which have no equivalents at the human level; and also because it can present some personality features which rather correspond to social judgements. Thus the authors think its fairer to define brand personality as being "the set of traits of human personality associated to a brand".
Measuring Brand personality is difficult because of the abstract nature of the concept and the difficulty of validating the obtained scales at an intercultural level. Kapferer identifies five dimensions according to which a brand can be described, sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication and ruggedness. This primarily North American scale has proven to be a flexible measuring tool according to the product categories (Smaoui, 2006). Ambroise et al,. (2003) have synthesized the different transpositions of Aakers scale in different cultural contexts. Aakers scale is widely recognized but its structural and semantic validity is questioned, notably when it comes to the generalization of the scale in culturally different contexts (Ambroise et al., 2003).
The notion of self-image started to emerge in the marketing field in the mid 1960's and flourished in the mid 1970's.
According to L’Ecuyer (1994), the theory of self-image refers to « the way a person perceives himself, to a set of characteristics, personal features, roles and values, etc. that the person attributes to himself, evaluates –positively or negatively- and recognizes as being part of himself, to the intimate experience of being and recognizing oneself despite changes.
According to Brunel (1990), the definition of self-image requires a certain degree of self-knowledge. In order to be able to describe oneself, one needs to know oneself and that conscience and knowledge cannot be dissociated. He also considered the concept of self-image as a multidimensional variable which comprises of
- a cognitive dimension, the ideas, images and opinions an individual has of himself
- an emotional dimension, the impressions and feelings he has towards himself.
- a social dimension, the concept of self-image is a setting of projection of the others' perceptions of the individual.
Resermberg (1979) considers self-image as being the total sum of thoughts and feelings through which an individual can describe himself as an object.
Aaker (1997) defines brand personality as being " a set of human characteristics associated to a brand".
In the field of marketing, and more specifically in the field of research on the consumer’s behavior, the concept of self is assimilated to the image of self in a rather diminishing way (Vernette, 2003).
The concept of self is conceived of as a multidimensional notion involving different facets (Zouaghi and Darpey, 2003). Researchers have enriched this definition by identifying four dimensions of self-image (Sirgyet al., 1997; Jamal and Goode, 2001).
-The real self: the way an individual sees himself (“what I think I am”).
-The dreamed self or the ideal self: the way I would like to be (“What I would dream to be”).
-The real social self: the way others consider me (“what others think of me”).
-The dreamed social self or the ideal social self: the way I would like others to consider me (“what I would like others to think of me”)
The advantage of this approach is that it makes it possible to figure out the interactions between the different dimensions of the self, and to look for congruence between the brand personality and the consumer’s personality.
Sirgy (1982) explains that the concept of self-image is used as a cognitive referent in the evaluation of symbolic elements. The consumer seeks certain congruence between the features of a brand’s image and the way his personality is presented (Belk, 1988; Sirgy, 1982). In other words, the consumer would express his self-image by choosing brands the personality of which appears to him close to his own personality (Vernette, 2008).
As a matter of fact, brands have an impact on the consumer’s behavior, for the consumer compares his image to that of the brand, whether implicitly or explicitly. He often sets some imaginary relationships with it. He can situate himself in relation to a given brand through congruence, or lack of it, between his own personality and that which he attributes to a given brand (Plummer, 1985; Biel, 1993).
Congruence with self-image is perceived as the similitude between the brand’s symbolic attributes and the consumer’s self-image Munson and Spivey, 1981; Sirgy, 1982).
Page 6 of article. Points on the four dimensional concept of self.
Publicizing celebrities as spokespersons: Advertizing executives use a celebrity to benefit from his or her fame and gain a better memorization of the advertisement, which entails a better recognition of the associated brand. In this context, the authors often refer to congruence as a tool of persuasion (Kamins and Gupta, 1994) or to a “match up effect” (Lynch and Schuler, 1994).
According to the theory of congruence with self-image, part of the individual’s behavior is accounted for by the comparison between his own self-image and the brand’s image as reflected by the stereotype user of the brand (Sirgy, 1986; Sirgy et al., 1997).
Loyalty to a brand is conceptualized as being the intention to purchase a brand or a product and to encourage others to do so (Lau and Lee, 1999). For Walters et al., (1989), loyalty is “the consumer’s propensity to buy the same product (brand) or to frequent the same shop whenever he needs this product”. Others suggest that the concept of loyalty can be described as the attachment of some customers to a brand (Roux, 1986). However, according to Achour (2006), loyalty and attachment to a brand are not always synonyms. The author adds that “some consumers who are loyal to a brand are not necessarily attached to it: it is the case of those customers who are loyal to a brand because they have no other alternative (limited financial resources, availability of the brand, appropriateness of the shop where they go shopping, etc.)”.
The consumer’s satisfaction towards a brand has a positive effect on his attitude towards this brand. The consumer’s satisfaction towards a brand has a positive effect on the level of his preference of this brand. The consumer’s satisfaction towards a brand has a positive effect on his intention of future behavior towards this brand.
The consumer prefers the product the image of which is congruent with his self-image. In other words, consumers only have a favorable attitude towards a specific brand after applying a set of personality attributes and linking them to their self-images. According to the image congruence theory by Sirgy (1985), when the image of the brand is perceived as similar to the consumer’s self-image in terms of personality attribute types, the consumer tends to develop a favorable attitude towards the brand when deciding about a purchase act, or about buying a product again.
Congruence between brand personality and the consumer’s self-image has a positive effect on his attitude towards this brand. congruence between brand personality and the consumer’s self-image has a positive impact on his level of preference towards this brand. Congruence between brand personality and the consumer’s self-image has a positive effect on his intention of future behavior towards this brand.
Key points
Consumers rely on the brand image as it is developed in their mind rather than on the inherent attributes and characteristics of the product (Dich et al, 1990). This turns customer loyalty into a major primary marketing objective (Benavant,1995; Trinquescoste, 1996)
Associating the specific personality features to the brands allows the consumer to express a certain conception of himself, so as to acquire some value-enhancing, symbolic benefits from a given consumption (Vernette , 2003)
The description of the personality features will proceed from the five fundemental factors, known as the abbreviation OCEAN:
O - Open mindedness vs narrow-mindedness
C - Conscientious trait, i.e. orientation, lasting behaviour and mastering impulsion.
E - Extraversion vs intraversion
A - Friendliness and pleasantness: concerning the relation with others.
N - Neuroticism or emotional stability
Kapferer (2003), Aaker defines brand personality, not uniquely as a faucet of identity, but as much more global construct. "the set of traits of human personality which are pertinent and applicable to brands". Ambroise et al., (2003) finds this definition too global as it can comprise some brand personality traits which have no equivalents at the human level; and also because it can present some personality features which rather correspond to social judgements. Thus the authors think its fairer to define brand personality as being "the set of traits of human personality associated to a brand".
Measuring Brand personality is difficult because of the abstract nature of the concept and the difficulty of validating the obtained scales at an intercultural level. Kapferer identifies five dimensions according to which a brand can be described, sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication and ruggedness. This primarily North American scale has proven to be a flexible measuring tool according to the product categories (Smaoui, 2006). Ambroise et al,. (2003) have synthesized the different transpositions of Aakers scale in different cultural contexts. Aakers scale is widely recognized but its structural and semantic validity is questioned, notably when it comes to the generalization of the scale in culturally different contexts (Ambroise et al., 2003).
The notion of self-image started to emerge in the marketing field in the mid 1960's and flourished in the mid 1970's.
According to L’Ecuyer (1994), the theory of self-image refers to « the way a person perceives himself, to a set of characteristics, personal features, roles and values, etc. that the person attributes to himself, evaluates –positively or negatively- and recognizes as being part of himself, to the intimate experience of being and recognizing oneself despite changes.
According to Brunel (1990), the definition of self-image requires a certain degree of self-knowledge. In order to be able to describe oneself, one needs to know oneself and that conscience and knowledge cannot be dissociated. He also considered the concept of self-image as a multidimensional variable which comprises of
- a cognitive dimension, the ideas, images and opinions an individual has of himself
- an emotional dimension, the impressions and feelings he has towards himself.
- a social dimension, the concept of self-image is a setting of projection of the others' perceptions of the individual.
Resermberg (1979) considers self-image as being the total sum of thoughts and feelings through which an individual can describe himself as an object.
Aaker (1997) defines brand personality as being " a set of human characteristics associated to a brand".
In the field of marketing, and more specifically in the field of research on the consumer’s behavior, the concept of self is assimilated to the image of self in a rather diminishing way (Vernette, 2003).
The concept of self is conceived of as a multidimensional notion involving different facets (Zouaghi and Darpey, 2003). Researchers have enriched this definition by identifying four dimensions of self-image (Sirgyet al., 1997; Jamal and Goode, 2001).
-The real self: the way an individual sees himself (“what I think I am”).
-The dreamed self or the ideal self: the way I would like to be (“What I would dream to be”).
-The real social self: the way others consider me (“what others think of me”).
-The dreamed social self or the ideal social self: the way I would like others to consider me (“what I would like others to think of me”)
The advantage of this approach is that it makes it possible to figure out the interactions between the different dimensions of the self, and to look for congruence between the brand personality and the consumer’s personality.
Sirgy (1982) explains that the concept of self-image is used as a cognitive referent in the evaluation of symbolic elements. The consumer seeks certain congruence between the features of a brand’s image and the way his personality is presented (Belk, 1988; Sirgy, 1982). In other words, the consumer would express his self-image by choosing brands the personality of which appears to him close to his own personality (Vernette, 2008).
As a matter of fact, brands have an impact on the consumer’s behavior, for the consumer compares his image to that of the brand, whether implicitly or explicitly. He often sets some imaginary relationships with it. He can situate himself in relation to a given brand through congruence, or lack of it, between his own personality and that which he attributes to a given brand (Plummer, 1985; Biel, 1993).
Congruence with self-image is perceived as the similitude between the brand’s symbolic attributes and the consumer’s self-image Munson and Spivey, 1981; Sirgy, 1982).
Page 6 of article. Points on the four dimensional concept of self.
Publicizing celebrities as spokespersons: Advertizing executives use a celebrity to benefit from his or her fame and gain a better memorization of the advertisement, which entails a better recognition of the associated brand. In this context, the authors often refer to congruence as a tool of persuasion (Kamins and Gupta, 1994) or to a “match up effect” (Lynch and Schuler, 1994).
According to the theory of congruence with self-image, part of the individual’s behavior is accounted for by the comparison between his own self-image and the brand’s image as reflected by the stereotype user of the brand (Sirgy, 1986; Sirgy et al., 1997).
Loyalty to a brand is conceptualized as being the intention to purchase a brand or a product and to encourage others to do so (Lau and Lee, 1999). For Walters et al., (1989), loyalty is “the consumer’s propensity to buy the same product (brand) or to frequent the same shop whenever he needs this product”. Others suggest that the concept of loyalty can be described as the attachment of some customers to a brand (Roux, 1986). However, according to Achour (2006), loyalty and attachment to a brand are not always synonyms. The author adds that “some consumers who are loyal to a brand are not necessarily attached to it: it is the case of those customers who are loyal to a brand because they have no other alternative (limited financial resources, availability of the brand, appropriateness of the shop where they go shopping, etc.)”.
The consumer’s satisfaction towards a brand has a positive effect on his attitude towards this brand. The consumer’s satisfaction towards a brand has a positive effect on the level of his preference of this brand. The consumer’s satisfaction towards a brand has a positive effect on his intention of future behavior towards this brand.
The consumer prefers the product the image of which is congruent with his self-image. In other words, consumers only have a favorable attitude towards a specific brand after applying a set of personality attributes and linking them to their self-images. According to the image congruence theory by Sirgy (1985), when the image of the brand is perceived as similar to the consumer’s self-image in terms of personality attribute types, the consumer tends to develop a favorable attitude towards the brand when deciding about a purchase act, or about buying a product again.
Congruence between brand personality and the consumer’s self-image has a positive effect on his attitude towards this brand. congruence between brand personality and the consumer’s self-image has a positive impact on his level of preference towards this brand. Congruence between brand personality and the consumer’s self-image has a positive effect on his intention of future behavior towards this brand.
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
Study Task 04 - Summarising and Paraphrasing 02
Here are some of the key points I took out from Daniel Miller's Material Culture and Mass Consumption.
The book sets out to investigate the relationship between society and material culture, and to assess the consequences of the enormous increase in industrial production over the last century. Miller talks in a point of view of the British society, commenting that the average inhabitant of Britain is exposed to a large range of material goods such as clothing, furnishing, technology, buildings, etc.
Abercrombie, N., Hill, S. and Turner, B. 1980 The Dominant Ideology Thesis. London: Allen and Unwin. 1986 Sovereign Individuals of Capitalism. London: Allen and Unwin.
Works by Levi-Strauss
Simmel, G. 1957 'Fashion'. American Journal of Sociology, 62, 541-58.
and other works by Simmel.
The book sets out to investigate the relationship between society and material culture, and to assess the consequences of the enormous increase in industrial production over the last century. Miller talks in a point of view of the British society, commenting that the average inhabitant of Britain is exposed to a large range of material goods such as clothing, furnishing, technology, buildings, etc.
- It is argued that contemporary society consists of a series of extremely abstract arenas of social and material order, including commerce, academia, the state and other major institutions. pg16
- Simmel's essential argument is that money is the prerequisite for, and major instrument in, the accomplishment of freedom and potential equality. pg73
- In a close knit society, the sense of personal obligation is overwhelming. Such obligations, usually based upon kinship relations, are highly specific as regards both the actions demanded and the identity of the individual subject to them. That is to say that every individual lives according to highly structured set of personal obligations which he or she must continually fulfil. This condition is characteristic of societies dominated not only by kinship but also by feudalism or slavery; it is also characteristic of the peasant village. pg73
- Money as abstraction is understood by Simmel to be the root of impersonal relations between people. In a monetarized regime, the individual may be under obligation to a far larger range of poeple than was hitherto possible, through mortgages, tax systems and so on. Money extends a concept of equality, in so far as the perception of inequality becomes based upon differences in the possession of money, rather than on an essentialist notion of the intrinsic differences in persons. pg73
- Culture is derived as a historical force prior to the existence of any individual subject, but is only realizable through agency. It is therefore the means by which the individual is socialized as a member of a given society, and is, in turn the form of all individual and social creativity. pg81
- The phenomenon of certain mundane objects becoming so firmly associated with an individual that they are understood as literal extensions of that individual's being was discussed in some detail by Levy-Bruhl (1966: 100-27). In many societies, the clothing, ornaments and tools belonging to an individual may be considered so intergral to him or her that to touch or do harm to these inanimate objects is considered indistinguishable from taking the same action against the person. Such property is identical to the person may stand for that person in his or her absence. pg119
- What makes an object fashionable it is ability to signify the present; it is thus always doomed to become unfashionable with the movement of time. Fashion usually operates within a system of emulation and differentiation in knowledge, such that it uses the dynamic force of object change as a means of reinforcing the stability of the social system within which it is operating (Miller 1985: 184-96; Simmel 1957). pg126
- Most artefacts are either the product of mass production, in which case they are identical to all other items produced by the same process, or else are intended as equal copies of a normative cultural notion. pg127
- Emulation is increasingly significant as a strategy by means of which people lower in social hierarchy attempt to realise their aspirations towards higher status by modifying their behaviour, their dress and the kinds of goods they purchase, since it now becomes possible to mistake a poor nobleman for a wealthy trader. Emulation in turn simulates the desire to retain differentials, which often becomes based upon access to knowledge about goods and their prestige connotations. Fashion emerges as the means for continuing those forms of social discrimination previously regulated by sumptuary rulings. pg136
- In Simmels analysis (1957: 308-15), Simmel argues that fashion plays a major part in many peoples attempt to live out contradictory pulls of this perceived duality. Fashion demands an individual conception of a conventional style, thereby allowing the preservation of a private world, a self-conception which is saved from exposure by the expediency of convention. Fashion then provides a surface which is partly expressive but which also in part protects individuals from having to expose their taste in public. pg174
Abercrombie, N., Hill, S. and Turner, B. 1980 The Dominant Ideology Thesis. London: Allen and Unwin. 1986 Sovereign Individuals of Capitalism. London: Allen and Unwin.
Works by Levi-Strauss
Simmel, G. 1957 'Fashion'. American Journal of Sociology, 62, 541-58.
and other works by Simmel.
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
Study Task 05 - Planning and Structuring an Essay
Sources
I will analyse the graphic design used in fashion and consumer electronics branding, as it is the most common way in which humans express their "individuality".
Essay Structure
These are the key points I aim to discuss in my body of essay.
- Maurya, U (2012). What is a brand? A perspective on brand meaning. European Journal of Business and Management. [Online]. ISSN 2222-2839 Vol 4, No.3. p. 122-133. Available from: http://pakacademicsearch.com/pdf-files/ech/517/122-133%20Vol%204,%20No%203%20%282012%29.pdf
- Quart, A. (2003) Branded. London: Arrow books. Chapter 12 and 13
- Miller, D. (1998) A theory of shopping. Cambridge: Polity Press.
- Poynor, R. (2001) Obey The Giant: Life in the image world. Basel: Birkhauser. p.111.114; p.55-61; p81-87
- Keller, K. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. [Online]. p. 1-22. Available from: http://www.iseg.ulisboa.pt/aula/cad1849/conceptualizing_measuring_managing_cbbe.pdf
I will analyse the graphic design used in fashion and consumer electronics branding, as it is the most common way in which humans express their "individuality".
Essay Structure
These are the key points I aim to discuss in my body of essay.
- I will be establishing the meaning of branding and its role in society. Analysing the different definitions and its purpose in society. I will answer this discussion by choosing a definition that covers the breadth of which branding affects and identifying the key areas of society of which branding affects the most.
- How does design affect branding? I will analyse the different design practices used in creating advertising campaigns. What motifs designers use to entice the consumer and the effects of typeface on selling the brand image
- What effect does branding have on the consumer self? Initially I will establish what my definition of the consumer self is, what it means to be a consumer. Analysing what branding does to the consumer, then to analyse how brand design changes the consumers perception of a brand.
- Why branding is important in creating the consumer self
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
Study Task 04 - Summarising and Paraphrasing
In Miles, S. (1998) Consumerism: As a way of life. New York: Sage, Miles discusses the effects of design on the industry and how it forms the bases of the consumer self.
The idea of planned obsolescence and a divisive social structure are formed by design.
Products are designed with limited life spans in order to ensure a constant stream of demand. As Miles describes 'Compulsory obsolescence is the foundation-stone of the modern design industry and involves the intentional design of products for short-term use.' In order to create this constant stream, products are designed superficially to attract buyers without there being any substantial increase in benefits. As Miles describes 'Consumers are encouraged to become members of a consumer society by purchasing goods primarily through the attraction of superficial differentiation's in design'. This can arguably be seen through Apple's annual release of the iPhone. There are constant debates pertaining to whether there is a substantial increase in technological advancement with each release and whether each release is worth the 'upgrade'. And with each release, the demand for the iPhone increases. This point relates to the effects of consumerism has on society as Miles discusses. He writes 'well-designed goods are actually socially divisive, and that design is actually symbolic of the socially divisive nature of consumption in general'. People buy higher quality goods such as the iPhone to elevate them in the social class. They want to be seen as someone who can afford such wealth and to reflect the image of the brand. However as Miles points of Fiske's point, 'The paradox is that the desire to be oneself encourages consumers to purchase and wear the same products as everybody else.' Thus what is important about consumer goods is not the design itself but the perception of that design. Hence one of the reasons behind the increasing sales of the iPhone is what is perceived through the design of the subsequent iPhone that consumers see as 'revolutionary'.
The superficial differentiation in consumer based product design has lead to creating a a false identity and a culture within itself. Not only are consumers buying well designed products, but they are buying into their lifestyle. This can be seen in Paul du Gay et al's (1977:66) point on the Sony Walkman, 'Sony began to customize the product, targeting different sorts of Walkman at different consumer markets or niches.' Thus by customizing the Walkman, Sony saw the benefit of aiming their product at peoples lifestyles. This practice can also be seen in advertisements. One product Fiske (1989) uses as an example are jeans, namely Levi's. He uses the imagery in an advertisement for Levi's where 'three young people in a run down city street who are sharing the hard-living lives they have been born into'. He uses this advert to comment on the '...idea that whatever your station in life, the opportunities provided by capitalism, ... , mean that anything is possible' (Fiske, 1989; 5-6). Therefore 'consumer capitalism' is a product of companies using their advertising and marketing to sell the product on the basis of superficial design differences. Thus there s an emerging culture where fashion and product designers can '...command a significant degree of cultural capital...' despite whether the people can afford it. This culture dictates how the consumer wants to see themselves as through the purchasing of specific goods aimed at their subscribed lifestyle. However this notion of having an identity through consumerism is a paradox as explained earlier. People create this false identity though purchasing the same goods as everyone else.
The idea of planned obsolescence and a divisive social structure are formed by design.
Products are designed with limited life spans in order to ensure a constant stream of demand. As Miles describes 'Compulsory obsolescence is the foundation-stone of the modern design industry and involves the intentional design of products for short-term use.' In order to create this constant stream, products are designed superficially to attract buyers without there being any substantial increase in benefits. As Miles describes 'Consumers are encouraged to become members of a consumer society by purchasing goods primarily through the attraction of superficial differentiation's in design'. This can arguably be seen through Apple's annual release of the iPhone. There are constant debates pertaining to whether there is a substantial increase in technological advancement with each release and whether each release is worth the 'upgrade'. And with each release, the demand for the iPhone increases. This point relates to the effects of consumerism has on society as Miles discusses. He writes 'well-designed goods are actually socially divisive, and that design is actually symbolic of the socially divisive nature of consumption in general'. People buy higher quality goods such as the iPhone to elevate them in the social class. They want to be seen as someone who can afford such wealth and to reflect the image of the brand. However as Miles points of Fiske's point, 'The paradox is that the desire to be oneself encourages consumers to purchase and wear the same products as everybody else.' Thus what is important about consumer goods is not the design itself but the perception of that design. Hence one of the reasons behind the increasing sales of the iPhone is what is perceived through the design of the subsequent iPhone that consumers see as 'revolutionary'.
The superficial differentiation in consumer based product design has lead to creating a a false identity and a culture within itself. Not only are consumers buying well designed products, but they are buying into their lifestyle. This can be seen in Paul du Gay et al's (1977:66) point on the Sony Walkman, 'Sony began to customize the product, targeting different sorts of Walkman at different consumer markets or niches.' Thus by customizing the Walkman, Sony saw the benefit of aiming their product at peoples lifestyles. This practice can also be seen in advertisements. One product Fiske (1989) uses as an example are jeans, namely Levi's. He uses the imagery in an advertisement for Levi's where 'three young people in a run down city street who are sharing the hard-living lives they have been born into'. He uses this advert to comment on the '...idea that whatever your station in life, the opportunities provided by capitalism, ... , mean that anything is possible' (Fiske, 1989; 5-6). Therefore 'consumer capitalism' is a product of companies using their advertising and marketing to sell the product on the basis of superficial design differences. Thus there s an emerging culture where fashion and product designers can '...command a significant degree of cultural capital...' despite whether the people can afford it. This culture dictates how the consumer wants to see themselves as through the purchasing of specific goods aimed at their subscribed lifestyle. However this notion of having an identity through consumerism is a paradox as explained earlier. People create this false identity though purchasing the same goods as everyone else.
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
Study Task 03 - Reading and Understanding a Text
On researching the question of “What is the relationship between branding and The Consumer Self?”, I read Miles, S. (1998) Consumerism: As a way of life. New York: Sage
Tone of Voice
Tone of Voice
- Critical analysis of writings on the issues of branding, Consumer Culture and the effects designers have on the consumer
- Compulsory obselence is the foundation-stone of the modern design industry and involves the intentional design of products for short-term use. In other words, designers ensure a constant demand for new products by intentionally designing products with limited life spans.
- Consumers are encouraged to become members of a consumer society by purchasing goods primarily through the attraction of superficial differentiation's in design.
- Well-designed goods are actually socially divisive, and that design is actually symbolic of the socially divisive nature of consumption in general.
- The paradox is that the desire to be oneself encourages consumers to purchase and wear the same products as everybody else.
- There is nothing more to consumerism than the rapid consumption of surface imagery which is in fact perpetuated by symbolic differences in design.
- design 'has come to imply spurious value, cynical manipulation, the justification of inflated price through a false impression of status and exclusivity' (Conran, 1996: 17)
- 'If we are to distance ourselves from our condition in order to understand society's values, we need critically to examine the relationship between design and society. We have to remind ourselves that a cultural condition is not natural, but socially, politically and economically constructed.' Whiteley (1993: 159)
- 'Every product, to be successful, must incorporate the idea that make it marketable, and the particular task of design is to bring about the conjunction between such ideas and available means of production' (Forty, 1986: 9)
- 'Instead of a single Walkman sold worldwide, Sony began to customize the product, targeting different sorts of Walkman at different consumer markets or niches. Or to put it another way, Sony began to lifestyle the Walkman' (Gay et al, 1997: 66)
- 'Design by its very nature, has much more enduring effects than the ephemeral products of the media because it can cast ideas about who we are and how we should behave into permanent and tangible forms' (Forty, 1986: 6)
Saturday, 17 October 2015
Study Task 01 - Image Analysis
 |
| Image 1 |
 | ||
| Image 2a |
 | |||
| Image 2b |
Above are
the adverts titled The Uncle Sam Range (1876)
by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York and ‘East African Transport Old Style’
and ‘East African Transport New Style’ by Adrian Allinson from top to bottom
respectively. In this comparative summary I aim to compare and contrast the
font and style of illustration of the images, purpose and meaning of the
images, the target audience and their historical context in production of the
image.
In Image 1
the typeface used is reminiscent of the old west America. With the gold
highlighting the California Gold Rush that spawned a great movement across
America. By having “The Uncle Sam Range” in all upper case, it carries impact
and sends the message across to the reader. The typeface used in Image 2 is reflective of
colonial styles, with it almost serif letter forms and its handwritten style.
The highly visual and use of bright colours in both Image 1 and 2 reflect the
opulence and success of each nation. However, in Image 1 the highly detailed illustrations
are intended for a high classed audience and is aimed to represent America’s
new found sophistication. This is meant to mock the illustration used for the “worlds”
face, in its simpleton caricature. Where
as in Image 2 the simplistic style is meant to speak across nations, for both
in Britain and Africa looking to invest and trust in the Empire. The use of
typeface and styles of illustration in both Images are meant to effectively
communicate to its intended reader.
The purpose
of both Image 1 and 2 is to illustrate the power of the West and the benefits
of technology. Power is represented in Image 1 through Uncle Sam, the excessive
display of nationalistic imagery, the large cooker and its apparent ability to
feed the world. Uncle Sam is central to the image and is seen in full view from
head to toe, unlike the portrayal of the other members who are in partial view
except for the “world”. By having Uncle Sam exposed it represents the height
and stature of America, the West. This is further emphasised from the fact that
the product the ad aims to sell is beside him. To demonstrate how powerful
America has become, there are nationalistic imagery everywhere around the room.
Most notably is the date shown on the clock and the stars and stripes
decoration. On the clock it illustrates that it has been 100 years after the
independence of America and in a 100 years it has become a global powerhouse.
This point relates to the portrayal of England as a small women tucked away in
the corner, away from the attention of the image. Therefore, the overall aim of
the ad is not to sell the cooker, but to show the power and might of America
and hopefully to get the audience to buy into America.
Uncle Sam
is showing what America can offer the world and demonstrating that with a
powerful cooker. This power of technology can be seen through the cookers
ability to cook multiple foods at once with pots spouting steam. Another
depiction of the West’s power is its rather racist depiction of what other
cultures eat. It mocks the other countries diet and relates to how primitive
they are showing that they have other people serving and cooking their food.
This portrayal of western power can also be seen in Image 2b. The white man’s
stance, much like Uncle Sam, is in power, and takes control of both the people
that surround him and the image itself. He is also centered within the picture.
But unlike the Image 1, Image 2b is demonstrating the power of not a country,
but the positive effects of the British Empire. This can be seen through the
new technology, new infrastructure and new trade routes that do away from the
‘old style’s way of transporting goods through wild untamed lands. Image 2 is
implying that that by buying into the British Empire, your country will
develop. And along like Image 1, Image 2 does portray the West’s power through
the racist depictions of other cultures. In Image 2a, the African women are
seen to be wearing tribal outfits and be doing all the work. This advert makes
out that all of Africa is primitive and backward societal values. This is
evident in the context of which the Empire Marketing Board have created this
advert, where gender roles in British society dictate that men do all the work
while the women stay at home. This is not depicted in Image 2a but is in 2b
where the all the work is being done by the men. By doing so, the advert could
be implying that the new style is a predominantly men’s world, and the effects
of colonization has implemented British values onto their society. Therefore,
the power of the West is seen through the central placement of the white man,
the power of technology the West can provide to the world and its mocking of
other cultures in superiority.
In
conclusion, both Images illustrate the benefits of new technology and aim to show
their influence of power. However, through doing so they mock other nations,
question gender roles and manipulate nationalistic imagery to glorify their
actions.
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