If market forces of supply and demand are directly dependent on consumer behavior; then there is need to understand human personality in entirety, before linking the same to consumer habits in the markets. On the one hand, behavior has been defined as all individual traits that make someone unique, while on the other, personality has been defined as the visible traits of a person that portray the character (Ahmad " Thyagaraj, 2015). Therefore, the uniqueness of every person is intrinsic to his or her personality and behavior. The elements that define individuals based on who and what they are like to others, that defined character as far as the hereditary, social and personal experiences are concerned. Among many, some of the unique aspects that characterize human behavior include agreeableness, workaholism, individualism, friendliness, self-confidence, low self-esteem, consciousness, adaptability, extraversion, dogmatism, compulsiveness, aggressiveness, as well as competitiveness (Griskevicius " Kenrick, 2013). In the market arena, experts and the corporate champions study the insight behind the relationship between personality and behavior, compared to consumer habits (Duhachek " Iacobucci, 2005). Consequently, designers usually bring new products in the market, with a clear understanding of the needs and requirements of specific groups of individuals to purchase the goods or services delivered. On the other hand, markets do advertisements and ads well-tailored to please or get the attention of specific clients, who are able and willing to take such goods at a given price. Indeed, personality is an essential element that influences when what, and how certain individuals choose to consume particular products. Apparently, globalization and technological inventions have made the world in the twenty-first century a digital society; which has similar effects on personality and behavior when it comes to consumer habits. Therefore, other than discussing How Personality Affects Consumer Behavior, it is not only essential to outline specific personality traits among consumers, but also critical to link such habits with market forces of supply and demand.
Personality linked traits influence consumer habits. The factors related to specific characters significantly affect how people behave. Based on the background hitherto, the consumer behavior is hence derived. Therefore, people purchase goods and services not only to satisfy their needs but also to pronounce and assert of who they are and want things done (Duhachek " Iacobucci, 2005). Consequently, the products bought would typically blend with the traits individuals think they portray, unique to themselves. As such, the business world has since learned to appreciate and recognize that goods and services can only get consumed if the personalities of people in respective target market are best interpreted. Indeed, matching products and services to the perceived characters of potential buyers is core in the corporate world. Among other aspects, factors like lifestyle, references groups, age, social class, and cultural backgrounds determine the buying and consumption habits of the clientele.
Lifestyle is an integral pattern of individualism, and hence directly influences choice and behavior for each person. For daily activities, lifestyle is what determines substances and products termed or perceived as suitable by the mind for all people, regardless of age and gender (Orth, Limon, " Rose, 2010). Lifestyle is, therefore, a mirror that gives an accurate reflection of one's attitudes, personality, beliefs, values, interpretation of the world around, challenges one is facing, relationship with others, the perception of the environment, and hence the consumer behavior. In essence, lifestyle defines what life means to an individual. In fact, advertisements and marketers often promote their goods and services bearing in mind the lifestyle of a given targeted clique in the society. Therefore, generalization is not part of marketing strategies, once lifestyle and personality come in phase.
Social identity is another factor that influences the personality trait of people, and hence the consumer behavior. Social identity determines relationships, and most marketers understand the principle of social habits of their clients. One`s opinion-makers, entertainers, and such qualities in a seller are interested; the buyers know who to associate with and share their commercial concerns. Hence they end up doing business frequently (Orth et al., 2010). For example, a celebrity could be paid to promote specific products in the market. Because such a star identifies with millions of supports across the world, it is almost guaranteed that a famous footballer wearing a certain T-shirt and listening to certain music could attract millions of supports who would purchase similar products; if the player is admirable to many (Avnet " Higgins, 2006). Consequently, identity influences social relationships, and the latter determines behavior. Therefore, human motives are nurtured, shaped, and tamed by associations. How people fit in the mainstream society is regulated jointly by their friends, relatives, family members, who they work with, among other social aspects. Therefore, such behavior, of who to associate with, culture, and class; expressly affect what people purchase and consume in their lives.
Family influences and roles directly determine what people buy, consume, and admire to purchase. The position an individual occupies. Whether a father, mother, or sibling, to a great extent determines what they end up consumer in the market because of the attached expectations (Punyatoya, 2011). Primary units could be multiple, say a person could be a mother, wife, and employee in a certain company. Because such an individual would want to fit in different facets of livelihood, the market forces of supply would have to adequately satisfy the diversity in need. Decision making is significantly affected by family members, as such is the basic unit of livelihood in human circles (Punyatoya, 2011). Therefore, markers well too appreciate and recognize that behavior and character are modeled by family expectations, as parents would want to teach their children on certain consumer habits at every given moment in life. While people could have different tastes though, the family would always pressure them to consume certain service or hoods in the market; because the cultural values of an individual have their first line of influence as a family. At the end of it all though, family decision making and consuming habits is a mix of individual contributions to consumer specific products. On the other hand, because most families do not stay together due to career issues and the likes, children would normally influence consumer behavior, and hence marketers would capitalize on children priorities in such cases. It is approximated that $160 billion is spent annually by adolescents in the US, and children up to 11 years of age spend $18 billion per year (Punyatoya, 2011). Consequently, the corporate world is in part under a robust bearing from minors in the society at the family level.
Other the family unit, people also identify with either social factions in their daily interactions, for instance; friends, workmates, professional stakeholders, and civic partners among others. The interaction with others commonly influences people to assimilate different values, traits, attitudes, and behaviors typical to their social circles (van Dijk, Antonides, " Schillewaert, 2014). Therefore, dissociation and association groups are evidenced, whereby individuals choose not to belong and yes to belong respectively. As such, marketers would be right to target individuals who chose to belong to certain social habits of consumerism. Therefore, in a single group, there could be tens of hundreds of affiliates, and all of them have common characteristics that influence their consumer habits in the market. Such social umbrellas that bring people together and directly determine their traits of consumer behavior include tribes, professional specialities, ethnicity, and even social experiences, as well as age. On the other hand, the outcome that a certain group would busy specific products is heavily dependent on whether the seller can influence the willingness of such reference factions to develop an interest in the products and services on offer.
Social status influences personality, and hence consumer characteristics of an individual. Income and wealth, as well as the level of education, social status, and culture, determine the social class of a person. In essence, a social class compromises a people sharing equal power and wealth, and with comparable statues in the society (van Dijk et al., 2014). On the contrary, in developed and civilized nations like the US, social classes are determined and categorized by the wealth, income, race, possession, ethnic backgrounds, education, and occupation of a people. While personality, values, and individual habits have a significant bearing on the purchasing habits of a person; even to a greater extent than the amount of money within their access, it has been confirmed that social classes as well influence the consumer habits of people (Ahmad " Thyagaraj, 2015). The quantity and quality of products and services a person purchase is directly proportional to their social class in most cases. The lower class would typically purchase close to their homes, while the high class typically prefer pre-research purchases and far from home; may be on order. Therefore, where people go shopping is determined by their social class, and the marketers would decorate their stores to reflect a certain class in the society. Indeed, family and social class are similar aspects that affect and influence consumer behavior.
Finally, both subculture and cultural aspects of human persons affect the consumer behavior in the society. The set of attitudes, ideas, and values accepted as the morally upright amount to culture. The culture of a given people usually is transmitted from one generation to the next. How people relate, eat, buy, and consume is directly determined by their respective culture. Furthermore, when and how such purchases are made is substantially dependent on cultural values. The ethics, ethnicity, age, tribe, and geographical locations of a people could render social differences and hence create subcultures in a common whole. The elements like social norms, customary beliefs, religionist, racial alignments, and social groups are as well affected by the culture and traditions of a people. Consequently, how people travel, wear, eat, and interact is determined by cultural practices. America, for instance, is distinguished by the cultural aspects of individualism, freedom, and education as well as good health; elements that determine the consumer behavior of the populace (Griskevicius " Kenrick, 2013). Because the aspect of time management is a practical cultural factor in the US society, any product or service that saves time or helps make possible time management would typically enjoy high demand in the market.
References
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