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 enhance their self-concepts. Marketers, particularly those in international marketing,
have found it useful to characterize individuals and cultures
by whether they have a predominantly independent
self-concept (the individual is the critical component)
or an interdependent self-concept (relationships
are of primary importance).
An individual's self-concept, the way one defines
oneself, typically includes some of the person's possessions.
The self-concept including the possessions one
uses to define oneself is termed the extended self.
Lifestyle can be defined simply as how one lives. It
is a function of one'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.
Psychographics is the primary way that lifestyle is
made operationally useful to marketing managers. This
is a way of describing the psychological makeup or
lifestyle of consumers by assessing such lifestyle dimensions
as activities, interests, opinions, values, and
demographics. Lifestyle measures can be macro and
reflect how individuals live in general, or micro and
describe their attitudes and behaviors with respect to a
specific product category or activity.
The VALS system, developed by SRIC-BI, divides
the United States into eight groups -- Innovators,
Thinkers, Believers, Achievers, Strivers, Experiencers,
Makers, and Survivors. These groups were derived on
the basis of two dimensions. The first, primary motivation,
has three categories: ideals (those guided by their
basic beliefs and values); achievement (those striving
for a clear social position and influenced by others); and
self-expression (those who seek self-expression, physical
activity, variety, and excitement). The second dimension
is the physical, mental, and material resources
to pursue one's dominant motivation.
Geo-demographic analysis is based on the premise
that individuals with similar lifestyles tend to live near
each other. PRIZM is one system that examines demographic
and consumption data down to the individual
household. Based on the most recent Census data, it has
developed 66 lifestyle segments organized around social
groupings and life stage.
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.
