Symbolic Consumption

• It is the process through which consumers—on the basis of symbols—buy, consume, and dispose of products and services.
• Consumers buy and use goods and services for both their utility and the things that they represent.
• Part of consumption is symbolic.
• Are consumers attracted by certain logos?
• Are certain logos appropriate for some products but not for others

Semiotics

• It refers to the study of signs and their meanings
• How consumers use symbols to interpret the world
• How symbols are chosen and given meaning
• How they provide insights into the lives of consumers
• What are the logos for Penn State? For Temple? What are the logos for Rutgers?
• Why were they chosen?

Logos and their creation

• Factual meaning – what’s shown on the logo is related to something factual regarding the product – e.g. Rutgers 1766
• What’s on the FedEx logo?
• Learned meaning  - what’s shown in the logo is created and learned by the consumer – there is no factual relationship – e.g. Nike “swoosh”
• Examples

• Icons—visual representations of objects, persons, or events
• Clear, unambiguous
• Indexes—easily recognizable property(ies) of the idea that they represent
• E.g., the “click” of a well-struck golf shot
• Symbols—learned associations between a signifier and a signified that are used to communicate ideas – e.g Golden Arches

• Are there certain benefits associated with certain brands?
• Does consuming Campbell’s soup provide something special for the user?
• Does wearing clothing from certain designers create a specific benefit for the consumer?

Self-Image: Forms of Self-Image

• Self-image is the configuration of beliefs related to the self
• The relationships between consumers and the products that they buy
• Own a sports car ? attractive and outgoing
• Actual self-image (or private self): it involves those images that one has of oneself about which one feels protective—how consumers see themselves
• The self-consistency motive: doing things that are consistent with one’s own self-image

Forms of Self-Image (continued)

• Ideal self-image: how consumer would like to be
• By acquiring products consistent with their ideal self-image, consumers may boost their self-esteem
• Social self-image: how we believe people think of us, and how we like people to think of us
• The social consistency motive
• Use of products to try to create a self image that is appropriate for a given social situation

Self-Image Congruence

• See diagram
• Self-image congruity: when a consumer’s self-image matches brand-user image
• Actual self-congruity: brand user image is  matching with the consumer’s actual self-image
• Ideal self-congruity: brand user image is  matching the consumer’s ideal self-image
• Social self-congruity: brand user image is matching the consumer’s social self-mage
• Ideal social self-congruity: brand user image is matching the consumer’s ideal social self-image

Gender Roles and Self-Image

• Men’s vs. women’s products
• Gender typed products may be matched with consumers’ gender-role orientation:
• Masculinity—independence, toughness, aggressiveness, competitiveness, achievement, rebelliousness
• Femininity—tenderness, sensitivity, dependence, compliance, cooperation
• Androgyny—both masculine and feminine characteristics

Body Image

• It refers to how people view their bodies, physical selves, and appearance
• It is central to personal identity
• Actual body image  vs. ideal body image
• Consider the growth in cosmetic surgery  - is our view of body image changing?
• Breast enhancements, tummy tucks, botox, chin lifts, eye lifts, lip enhancers, ..
• People are often very satisfied with specific parts of their body – e.g. they really like their hair
• People are often dissatisfied with certain parts of their body – why? Does advertising have any influence?

•  Revlon’s Age Defying cosmetics
• Consider the realities of their customers
• Must choose appropriate models

Personality

• It refers to an individual’s consistent response tendencies across situations and over time – general trends
• State approach to personality—understanding the individual in the context of the whole
• It allows us to predict what a person will do in a particular situation
• Trait approach to personality—understanding personality traits (consistent tendencies to respond to a given situation in certain ways)
• General traits vs. consumption-specific personality traits

How General Personality Traits Influence Consumer Behavior

• Compliance—moving consistently toward the stressor (the person or object generating the stress) and becoming dependent on that person or object
• Products designed to enhance social relationships are in favor
• Aggressiveness—moving consistently against the stressor
• Products associated with high status and success images are in favor
• Detachment—moving consistently away from the stressor
• Products that appeal to independence are in favor
• These are related to retail shopping behavior

Do General Personality Traits Influence Consumer Behavior?
Impulsiveness
It is measured using 12 adjectives*: impulsive, careless, self-controlled (RC**), extravagant, farsighted (RC), responsible (RC), restrained (RC), easily tempted, rational (RC), methodical (RC), enjoy spending, and planner (RC).
 

Specific Personality Traits and Consumer Behavior

• The market maven consumer—the kind of consumer who has information about many kinds of products, places to shop, and other aspects of the marketplace.
• Has early awareness of new products
• Exhibits high levels of specific information provision to others
• Demonstrates a high level of general market information
• Demonstrates a high level of market interest
• Tends to read much of direct mail advertising
• Implications for the marketing of new products

Consumer Innovativeness

• It refers to the tendency on the part of consumers to be among the first to purchase new products within specific categories
• Diffusion of innovations
• Implications for the marketing of new products

Opinion Leadership

• An opinion leader is a person who is well versed in a product category because perhaps his or her job is related to the product
• Being motivated to “spread the word” (positive or negative)
• Market maven versus opinion leader
• Implications for the marketing technological innovations

Other Consumption-Specific Personality Traits

• Coupon proneness—the tendency to redeem coupons by purchasing the advertised product or service
• Value consciousness—the amount of concern the consumer has for need-satisfying properties of the product or service in relation to the price of that product or service
• Deal proneness—the tendency to look for “deals”
• Three different views