Self Presentation Theory – Consumer Behaviour Essay Example

Presentation 1) Self- esteem, 2) identity development 3) social and material reward 4) social approval.

A self presentation can enhance an individual’s sense of self worth. The fundamental motive involves seeking respect and honor to enhance self esteem. The Self Presentation Theory has highlighted different kinds of self presentation by different theorists: Defense Self presentation: Focus on excuses and Justification typologies of accounts where excuses minimizes the responsibility but admit the behaviour is wrong (Benoit, 1995; Bromley, 1995; D’ arcey,1965 ) Assertive Self Presentation: This projects favorable identities unlike defensive presentation, where an individual projects or is projected in favorable light.

Non verbal behaviour: This identifies smiling, eyecontact, body language space, and paralanguage as self presentational strategies (Schlenker(1980), DePaulo (1992)) Positive association: Cialdini (1989) conceptualised BIRG theory where he asserts that psoitive association is an indirect form of self presentation where an individual clains connection other people, objects and events that are positively valued. BIRG therefore stand for Basking In Reflected Glory. Rendering Favours: Self presenter give out favours because people who give favours are generally liked. Jones, 1964; Jones and Pittman, 1980) Opinion Conformity: The relationship between liking and similarity of opinion is well documented ( Berscheid and Walter ,1978) We tend to like people who share common liking, belief and goals. Compliments: Those who give compliments are well liked by those who receive it ( Arson and Linder, 1965, Mette, 1971) Self Enhancement: When we tell people about who we are and what qualities we possess, those are opportunities for self enhancement and promotion and reflects the target in positive light to the audience ( Bromley, 1993)

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND SELF PRESENTATION

Self Presentation and Consumer Interaction

styles are innterrealted. Primarily there are those people who adopt and acquisitive self presentation style – who are expected to be more assertive than others, they are those who request information, seeking redress, and resisting sales request. People adopting a protective self presention style are expected to be less assertive with respect to same consumer interactions (M salma,Kevin Celuch, 1995) Thus, Self Presentation relies on corporeal ( meaning : having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body: opp : not spiritual display).

Mauss (1973) labels body techniques to communicate the desired identity, or self. The social actions required for self-presentation are consumption oriented and depend upon individuals displaying signs, symbols, brands, and practices to communicate the desired impression (Williams and Bendelow 1998). The art of self-presentation is both a manipulation of signs (Wiley 1994) and an embodied representation and experience (Brewer 1998) to impart identity. Consumers self-present daily as they select clothes, hairstyles, automobiles, logos, and so forth, to impress others in any given context (a shopping mall, movie theaters etc. ).

Goffman (1959) asserts that the presentation of self is contextual, based on a specific setting and facing a definable and anticipated audience. Consumer behaviour with regards to product purchase having either high involvement or low involvement depends on both his self presentation and the presentation of the product it self. The Self concept of how one views themselves gets reflected in the Prsentation style and in product purchase. To date, the literatures on consumption and identity has yielded significant insights into consumption motives and practices; however, identity per se may not be the subject of these studies.

Identities often consist of abstractions left intangible

by intention (we are what we choose not to have by voluntary abstention), as a result of few resources (we cannot afford to consume what would block out our identities), through denial (we choose not to reveal aspects of identity to obscure their presence), or because the identities are not prone to concrete expression (we cannot locate strategies to express complex facets of our identities). ANALYSIS From the above theories and studies we can say that self – presentation is important, it is a refection of who we are and what we are or what we think we want the others to see us as.

As consumers, individuals take in various roles – from defensive self-presentation to self-enhancement. Each characteristics and theories are present in different strata of society, depending on their economic and social level. The self presentation perspective can be segmented on this level as well. E. g. A economically sound man would be more inclined to present himself in favourable light with assertive self presentation than a person with unsound economic background.

Similarly consumer behaviour can be modulated as self-presentation theory asserts that positive association and compliments helps an individual think and feel good about them-shelf. Marketeers can ‘capitalize on outcome’ ( Arkin and Shepard, 1990) with a storyline on success which would make consumers think the success as being personal, example being the CNN hero – Anuradha Koiral whose success can be capitalised to market product or service to most Nepalese as they can relate to her and her success.

With the entitlement of success as being the ‘ best’, ‘ first’, ‘cleanest’ etc makes the individual consumer think positively about the product or

brand. This leads to consumer inclination to purchase a product. Therefore, Self Presentation – whether of individual, brand or organisation depends upon the kind of image or impact one wants to present to the society. It is an image that might or might not be a true reflection Self. A person can be introvert but might project or present himself or herself as being an Extrovert. Similarly, an organization can also present itself differently than it is.

However, Self presentation of an ‘enhanced’ self helps in bringing positive outcomes. From Movie stars in the West – who have PR agencies build their image to the public to Corporate houses all over the world, everyone use Self Presentation to cast a favourable image of themselves to the outer world. Conclusion Self Presentation Styles are important in understanding how interpersonal factors of individuals / consumers affect the marketplace because it is related to susceptibility to interpersonal human relationship influences.

Different self-presentation styles imply different forms of interpersonal interactions. These different forms of interpersonal styles would them affect and influence the marketplace behaviour including sales transaction, consumer behaviour, word of mouth communications etc. With the understanding of acquisitive and protective presentation styles and nature of consumers, Marketers can guide and benefit from the consumer’s behaviour pattern.

A protective presentation style would work great on advertisement of deodorants, mouthwash – as this would lead people to avoid social risk. Acquisitive presentation style would work on advertisement for high involvement goods like cars, branded perfumes, jewellery etc. where the need to be seen, heard, and enhanced personally is reflected through the advertisement. Thus it seems that the study of self-presentation is useful in

understanding many important consumer behaviour.

The correct use of different styles of self-presentation tactics can be used to analyse consumer behaviour in most of the situation and using the Self-presentation styles marketers can convert the target demography into loyal consumers.

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