Self-Concept
Self-concept is a narrower dimension of personality. It has become a popular concept in recent years to investigate possible relationship between how individual perceive them and how they behave as consumer. It can be defined as the totality of an individual thought and feeling having reference to him as an object. Basically, one's self concept is comprised of the attitude one holds toward one self.
Define Self Concept
Self-concept is defined as the way, in which we think, our preferences, our beliefs, our attitudes, our opinions arranged in a systematic manner and also how we should behave and react in various roles of life. Self-concept is a complex subject as we know the understanding of someone’s psychology, traits, abilities sometimes are really difficult. Consumers buy and use products and services and patronize retailers whose personalities or images relate in some way or other to their own self-images.
Traditionally, individuals are considered to be having a single self-image which they normally exhibit. Such type of consumers is interested in those products and services which match or satisfy these single selves. However, as the world became more and more complex, it has become more appropriate to think of consumers as having multiple selves.
The self-concept is broadly divided in two parts are –
- Actual and Ideal - Actual refers to who I am now and Ideal refers to who I would like to be.
- Private and Social component - The private self refers to how I would like to be myself and how I am and social self pertains to how I am seen by others and how I would like to be seen by others.
What is Self-Concept?
The below are some of the major aspects of Self-concept
- Self-Concept is Organized - We all have various views about ourselves. We all may think we are kind, calm, patient, selfish, rude and what not. It doesn’t matter what perception you have about yourself, but the one perception that facilitates all these insights is organized self-concept. When a person believes in something that matches his self-concept he sticks to his view and does not agree to change the same and even if does, it takes a lot of time.
- Self-Concept is Learned - It is believed that self-concept is learned and no person is born with a self-concept. It develops as and when we grow old. Our self-concept is built when we meet people socially and interact with them. We are the ones who shape or alter our self-concept and its quite natural that we may have a self-concept different for ourselves as compared to what people think about us.
For example − If an individual thinks, he is very generous and helpful, it may not necessarily be the case with others. Others may see him as a selfish person.
Self-Concept is Dynamic
Our self-concept in life is not constant and it may change with instances that take place in our lives. When we face different situations and new challenges in life, our insight towards things may change. We see and behave according to the things and situations.
Thus, it is observed that self-concept is a continuous development where we let go things that don’t match our self-concept and hold on those things that we think are helpful in building our favourable perception.
Self-concept is the composite of ideas, feelings, emotions and attitudes that a person has about their identity and capabilities.
Role of self-concept in Marketing
Marketing uses self-concept to design their marketing strategies. The relationship between self-concept and product purchase can be logically explained with the help of following sequence.
- An individual has a self-concept.
- One's self concept is valuable to oneself.
- Since self-concept is valuable an individual always strives to enhance it.
- Certain product serves as social symbol and communicates social meaning about those who own and use such products.
- The use of product as symbols communicates meaning to one's self and to others.
Certain products therefore are brought because they project a desired self-concept. The brand purchased must match the self-concept of the consumer to result in satisfaction. In brief we can say that individual have of themselves actual and ideal; private and social serve as a guide for many products and brand choice. As marketer strives to develop new product and new appeal for customer, they need to keep in mind this important variable. Basically, consumer prefers brands that are similar to their self-concept.
