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
