Personality Report

Personality Report

Table of content

1. Introduction .............................................................................................3

2. Theory Summary .......................................................................................3

2.1 Personality ..............................................................................................3

2.2 Freudian Theory ....................................................................................3

2.3 Neo-Freudian Theory ..............................................................................4

2.4 Trait Theory ...........................................................................................4

2.5 Brand Personality ......................................................................................4

2.6 Self-concept ..........................................................................................5

3. Journal 1 ...................................................................................................5

3.1 Aim of the journal ....................................................................................5

3.2 Background and Methodology .......................................................................6

3.3 Findings ................................................................................................7

3.4 Implications ...............................................................................................8

3.5 Applications ...............................................................................................8

4. Journal 2 ....................................................................................................8

4.1 Aim of the journal .....................................................................................8

4.2 Methodology ..............................................................................................9

4.3 Findings .................................................................................................9

4.4 Implications ..............................................................................................10

4.5 Applications ...........................................................................................10

5. Conclusion ..............................................................................................10

6. Appendices .............................................................................................11

7. References ..............................................................................................14

1. Introduction

In the following report will describe a general overview of the most important personality theories. They will be used to help analyse and summarise two academic journals. Marketing implications will be outlined and relevant applications will be provided in order to give an insight of how these theories could be applied in the marketing environment.

2. Theory Overview

2.1 Personality

Personality is a person's unique psychological makeup and how it consistently influences the way a person responds to his or her environment (Solomon 2004: 188). The word personality derives from the Latin word "persona," which stands for "actor's face mask." Personality accompanies individuals throughout their life, similar to an actor's facemask. It is a combination of innate drives, learned motives, and experiences that dictates how a person will react to certain situations. It is also composed of manners, habits, and actions that distinguish one individual from another. Therefore, personality is the study of differences between people. Marketers pay close attention to personality when determining their target market.

2.2 Freudian Theory

An essential personality theory that is important to marketers is the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud that distinguishes three basic structures of an individual's mind. This includes the id, ego, and superego. The id is entirely oriented towards immediate gratification - it is the "party animal" of the mind (Solomon 2004: 188). It operates at the unconscious level. It is selfish and focuses a person towards hedonistic gratification. It is only concerned with pleasure and disregards any future consequences. The superego represents values and morals given to us by society and operates as a person's conscience. It is constantly clashing with the id's need for immediate gratification because it is logical and greatly considers future repercussions. It consciously controls a person's behavior to operate by society's norms. The ego aims to strike a compromise between the id and the superego. It operates using the reality principle, to subconsciously mediate between the two. It aims to satisfy the id in ways that are socially acceptable, in order to satisfy the superego. Marketers can tailor their strategy to appeal to a certain level of consciousness.

2.3 Neo-Freudian Theory

Based on Freud's research, other psychoanalysts developed theories of personality. Their findings are known as Neo-Freudian. The most prominent researcher is Karen Horney. She felt it was more important to analyze interactions between people, rather than their inner development of personality traits. She categorized people as compliant, detached, or aggressive in their relationships with others.

2.4 Trait theory

A trait is any characteristic in which one person differs from another in a relatively permanent and consistent way. (Mowen, Minor 2001: 103) Traits are a way to define and distinguish one person from another.