What is the Self????

The Self Concept

People's product consumption is often determined by the way someone feel about their self and the way they strive to fulfill society's expectation of how someone should look and act. 

The Self-Concept is how a person evaluates his self based on his own beliefs and attributes. Carl Rogers (1959) believes that the self concept has three different components one of them is the ideal self.

1.Ideal self is what hat you wish you were really like.



An example of an Ideal self advert is the Fitness Center Campaign by Arseniy Laskaris Encourages Getting in Shape. This campaign is showing a powerful message by displaying a woman working hard to achieve her ideal weight goal, which is projected in the mirror in front of her.

2. Actual self refers to a person's realistic evaluation of the qualities they have and they don't have. Actual self-image is how consumers see themselves—their personal identity.

Self- Esteem refers to the extent to which a person like to accept or approve and value their-self. People with low self esteem are anxious with their performance therefore they would try and avoid failing, rejection and embarrassment.

Due to ideal self advertising many people are questioning whether beauty products actually works. Most advertisement these days focused on trying to influence the audience to copy the model on the adverts. For example Victoria Secrets models are known for being thin and sexy they are the ideal self for almost every women. However, Dove Real  Beauty campaign convey the message that real is beautiful that they don't have to change anything to reach an ideal standards. This encourages young and older women to love their body and love themselves the way they are. Dove plays up the concept of self-esteem and tries to improve individual self-esteem.

Multiple Selves is when a person has many selves due to having different social roles. Their self is defined by their position. For example a woman can have a professional self at work and a femme fatale at a bar. The self a person holds at that time also affects the product choices they make and marketers pitch products to these different selves that they have.

In 1998 Bacardi launches a $15 million advertising campaign under the theme "Bacardi by night." "We know our consumers do something each day -- they work, they have responsibilities. But at night they let off steam," This add is targeted for audiences that has multiple selves. The ad is sending a message to the audience that they understood that some people have different self whether is work related and that they can have the chance to be someone else by the help of Bacardi.

The Looking-Glass Self 



In 1902, Charles Horton Cooley created the theory of the looking-glass self, which examined how identity is formed. According to him a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others. The term refers to people shaping themselves based on what other people perceive and confirm other people's opinion of themselves.

John Lewis' virtual dressing room is a marketing example of how marketers tap into the concept of the looking glass self. The idea of virtual dress is it allows customers to try on dress without physically doing it. Some clothing stores allows people to try on dress virtually and the camera broadcast live image of you wearing it online and your friends can log in to instant message and tell you what they think and the comments shows on the side of the mirror. They can also choose items for you to try on.This is what the sociologist call the process of imagining others' reaction by taking the role of others. 

Marketers take advantage of the self concept theory in designing and promoting their product and services. For example they provide products and services that would provide remedy for customers with low self esteem.

Reference


Young, M. (2016). Ideal Body Projection Ads : Fitness Center Campaign. TrendHunter.com. Retrieved 16 April 2016, from http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fitness-center-campaign

Sirgy, M. (1982). Self-Concept in Consumer Behavior: A Critical Review. J CONSUM RES, 9(3), 287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/208924

McLeod, S. (2016). Self Concept | Simply Psychology. Simplypsychology.org. Retrieved 16 April 2016, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/self-concept.html

NEW BACARDI ADS REVEL IN NIGHT LIFE TO SKEW YOUNGER: $15 MIL LIFESTYLE CAMPAIGN SET FOR WIDE RANGE OF MAGAZINES. (2016). Adage.com. Retrieved 16 April 2016, from http://adage.com/article/news/bacardi-ads-revel-night-life-skew-younger-15-mil-lifestyle-campaign-set-wide-range-magazines/65599/

Source: Boundless. “Cooley.” Boundless Sociology. Boundless, 30 Mar. 2016. Retrieved 17 Apr. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/socialization-4/theories-of-socialization-44/cooley-274-8258/

John Lewis' virtual dressing room technology in action. (2016). V3.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2016, from http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/v3-co-uk-labs-blog/2170834/john-lewis-virtual-dressing-technology-action