Symbolic Consumer Behavior and Special Possessions

Symbolic Consumer Behavior and Special Possessions

 

·         Purpose
Values
Disposal Behavior

 

Cultural categories

 

·         The natural grouping of objects that reflect our culture

 

Cultural principles

 

·         Ideas or values that specify how aspects of our culture are organized and/or how they should be perceived or evaluated

 

What is it?

 

·         Consuming products/services that have symbolic meaning derived from certain culture, group, or individual.
oConsumers use products with various meanings to achieve a set of "intangible" functions, such as the:
⎯Emblematic function: Culture/Group member
⎯Role Acquisition function: Culture/individual
⎯Connectedness function: Individual/group member
⎯Expressiveness function: Individual/individual

 

Emblematic Function.

 

·         The use of products to symbolize membership in social groups
-Geographic Emblems
-Ethnic Emblems (food, cloth)
-Social Class Emblems (Possessions)
-Gender Emblems (Dress and style)
-Reference Group Emblems

 

Role Acquisition Function

 

·         The use of products as symbols to help us feel more comfortable in a new role (graduation, getting married:involve a variety of products and rituals)
o Separate from the old role: Throw away things associated from the old role.
o Transition: experimenting products/services that may help move to the new role.
o Incorporation: take on the new role and identify with it.

 

Connectedness Function

 

·         The use of products as symbols of personal connections to significant people, events or experiences

 

Expressiveness Function

 

·         The use of products or symbols to demonstrate our uniqueness-how we stand out as different from others
EX: Indian chef with headset

 

Consumer Behavior Related to Symbolic Consumption: Characteristics (purchase frequencies)

 

·         -We often make symbolic consumption with self awareness
-We also make symbolic consumption without self awareness

 

Symbolic Consumer Behavior: Serving Multiple Functions

 

·         Actual identity schemas
Ideal Identity schema

 

Actual Identity Schema

 

·         The set of multiple, salient identities that reflect our self concept

 

Ideal Identity Schema

 

·         A set of ideas about how the identity would be indicated in its ideal form

 

Product/Advertising fit with self concepts:

 

·         -Products can help define who we are
-Our self-concept can also be maintained by selecting products with images that are consistent with who we think we are

 

Types of Special Possessions

 

·         Pets
Memory Laden Objects
Achievement Symbols
Collections

 

Why Some products are special

 

·         -Symbolic value/Meaning:
o Emblematic
o Role acquisition/adoption
o Connectedness
o Expressiveness
-Mood-altering properties: May invoke feelings of comfort
-Instrumental importance: The usefulness of them

 

Consumer Behavior Related to Symbolic Assumption: Characteristics-

 

·         Social Class
Gender
Age
-Consumers are less price sensitive toward "expensive" symbolic consumption
-Consumers report getting more value but less product satisfaction for getting a discount for a symbolic product

 

Possession Rituals

 

·         Rituals we engage in when we first acquire a product that help to make it "ours:

 

Grooming Rituals

 

·         Rituals we engage in to bring out or maintaing the best in special products

 

Divestment Rituals

 

·         Rituals enacted at the disposition stage that are designed to wipe away all traces of our personal meaning in a product

 

Sacred entities

 

·         People, things and places that are set apart, revered, worshiped and treated with great respect

 

Profane things

 

·         Things that are ordinary and hence have no special power

 

Symbolic Consumptions

 

·         Motivations
Meanings

 

Motivations

 

·         Relationship to self esteem
-Sense of confidence
-Psuedo-scientific belief for happiness

 

Meaning

 

·         -Consumers derives lots of meaning when consuming symbolic products
-Marketers: How do I give meanings to the products?

 

Symbolic Consumption: When does that happen?

 

·         •Where there is a discrepancy between the Actual self --- Ideal self
•When individuals are pursuing a sense of:
o Stability
Reliability
Familiarity
Security

 

 

Value perception

 

·         •plain coffee cup vs. ole miss coffee cup (average price average person will pay for and compare)

 

 

Special Possessions

 

·         Symbolic needs---special possessions

 

Types of special possessions

 

·         Pets
Achievement symbols
Memory loaded objects
Collections

 

Characteristics of possessions

 

·         -Not sold at market value
-Few/no substitutes
-Not discarded
-Not always used for original purpose
-Evoke powerful emotions
-Frequently personified

 

Why are some products special?

 

·         Symbolic value, mood altering properties, instrumental importance, perfectly fits consumer characteristics

 

Three Stages of Gift Giving

 

·         Gestation Stage
Presentation Stage
Reformation Stage

 

Gestation Stage

 

·         Motives
Nature of the gift
Value of the fist
Search time

 

Presentation Stage

 

·         Ceremony
Timing and surprise elements
Attention to the recipient
Recipient's reaction

 

Reformation Stage

 

·         Relationship bonding
Reciprocation