Symbolic Consumption Flashcards
How many functions are there of symbolic consumer behaviour
four
What is symbolic consumer behaviour
Consumers use goods and services both for their functional utility and the things they represent
Products, special possessions, and consumption activities are imbued with meaning from culture and by individuals
Symbolism
communicates “who” or “what” we are what we stand for - define cosumers self concept
Four functions of symbolic products
- Emblematic
- Role acquisition
- Connectedness
- Expressiveness
- Emblematic
Use products or features that communicate something about your group membership
-geographic, ethnic, social class, reference group
- Role Acquisition
Using products as symbols to help us feel more comfortable in a new role
Phases: separation, transition, incorporation
Consumers transitioning to new roles will be more likely
to purchase products consistent with the exterior manifestation of that role
Rituals
Rituals
(+ rites of passage) are important: sets of multiple, symbolic behaviors that occur in a fixed sequence and tend to be repeated periodically
– Marital, funeral, religious, graduation, social status
- Connectedness
Use products as symbols of our personal connections to significant people, events, and experiences
e.g. souvenir, photo album
- Expressiveness
Use products as symbols to demonstrate our uniqueness, how we stand our from others
e.g tattoos, style
Examples of special possession
Pets
Memory-laden objects
Achievement symbols
Collections
Characteristics of special possessions
Consumers will not sell them at market value
Have few or no substitutes
People will not discard them even when they lose there functional value
Personify special possessions
Special possessions are often become part of the extended self
Possessions that we are emotionally attached to can be considered as part of ourselves
Any external object that a consumer considers as part of themselves is included in the extended self
e.g personal, possessions, home, furniture, neighborhood, city
“You are what you consume”
-Consumers are driven toward enhancing their self-concept through the consumption of specific goods and symbols
-Consumers demonstrate consistency between their values and the things they buy
-Symbolic self-completion
What is symbolic self-completion
When a specific identity is threatened, individuals feel motivated to engage in activities that substantiate this specific definition of themselves
Big 5 personality ad
Researcher created ads reflecting the Big 5 personality traits
- Result: ads emphasising a particular dimension were rated as more effective when the message was congruent with their own personality traits
Products signal info about who we are - red sneaker effect
“The Red Sneakers Effect”: conspicuous nonconformity signals status and competence
At conference: there was a weak correlation between formality and top journal publications (top writers do not need to impress others with how they dress)
Red sneakers = confidence, wear what they want
Products signal info about who we are - Milan boutique
Sales associates said woman in gym clothes was more likely to afford most expensive items them the woman wearing a dress and fur coat
Stages of gift-giving
- Gestation stage:
-Motives
-Appropriateness and meaning
-Search time - Presentation stage:
-Ceremony
-Timing and surprise elements
-Attention to the recipient
-Recipients reaction - Reformulation stage:
-Relationship bonding
-Reciprocation
Gift-giving experiment
Giver: guessed a low number for how offended a friend would be to receiving a regifted gift
Regift: guessed a low number (but higher) for how offended the original giver would be
Regifters overestimated the extent to which givers would feel offended by regifting
We think that regifting is as bad as throwing it away
