During Black Friday, consumers topple over each other as they crowd into Best Buy to get the latest and best steals for the holiday season. Some leave the store with a copy of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare while others exit with an iPad Air for their daughter, an iMac for family use, and an iPhone 6 for themselves, even though they leased a Chevy Volt the prior week. In truth, these consumers did not need most of the products in their Best Buy blue shopping cart. Yet, many consumers consistently upgrade their cars, clothes, and phones yearly as they add to their already substantial credit card debt. Some of these consumers do not know that they have fallen into the trap of excessive consumerism. After examining product variables, consumer
…show more content…
Multiple consumers fall into the price-cognitive and cognitive group of consumers by making informed decisions when they upgrade from the iPhone 4S to iPhone 6. Busy parents may purchase an iPhone 6 for checking their gmail for work, staying in contact with their clients, and planning their work schedule. However, when looking at excessive consumerism and the iPhone, the consumer group emotion reactors stands out. These consumers respond to what the product symbolizes in society and purchase products more so on the social view of the product as opposed to functionality. Many emotion reactors go out and purchase an iPhone, because the phone demonstrates style. These consumers do not look at the true functional value of the phone. Instead of considering if the phone adds value over their current smartphone, they purchase the iPhone 6 Plus due to the style it delivers. This form of consumer behavior with the iPhone defines excessive consumerism in modern society. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, excessive consumerism occurs when consumers have an “emphasis on or preoccupation with the acquisition of consumer goods”. Both the wealthy and lower classes potentially fall in this cycle of consuming. The wealthy class may purchase an iPhone 6 Plus after a half of year of owning the iPhone 5s. This leads to multiple …show more content…
To achieve a higher social status, consumers look for specific brands that extends their personal identity. Levy in 1959 explained that, “Most goods say something about the social world of people who consume them. The things they buy are chosen partly of social position” (Patsiaouras and Fitchett 167). When looking at the iPhone, consumers identify the phone with the middle to upper class in part due to the phones design as well as the way Apple markets their products. Due to the iPhone 6’s space gray, gold, or silver aluminium back, the phone conveys wealth when consumers spot the phone’s modern display at Verizon. The commercials also demonstrate what the phone says about the social world. For example, last holiday season Apple created a commercial where a boy filmed his family as they played in snow, baked cookies, and sledded down hills. The young boy later showed his family the short clips that he filmed with his iPhone. The family gathered around to watch As the clips projected on the television with heartwarming music. Near the end of the video, some of the family cried. This demonstrates that Apple attempts to demonstrate support for family by showing that a boy can make a home video by using the iPhone 5s for his family. This leads to the idea that Apple wants consumers to purchase the iPhone, because it can do everything. However, what Apple shows the iPhone doing in the commercial,
Multiple consumers fall into the price-cognitive and cognitive group of consumers by making informed decisions when they upgrade from the iPhone 4S to iPhone 6. Busy parents may purchase an iPhone 6 for checking their gmail for work, staying in contact with their clients, and planning their work schedule. However, when looking at excessive consumerism and the iPhone, the consumer group emotion reactors stands out. These consumers respond to what the product symbolizes in society and purchase products more so on the social view of the product as opposed to functionality. Many emotion reactors go out and purchase an iPhone, because the phone demonstrates style. These consumers do not look at the true functional value of the phone. Instead of considering if the phone adds value over their current smartphone, they purchase the iPhone 6 Plus due to the style it delivers. This form of consumer behavior with the iPhone defines excessive consumerism in modern society. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, excessive consumerism occurs when consumers have an “emphasis on or preoccupation with the acquisition of consumer goods”. Both the wealthy and lower classes potentially fall in this cycle of consuming. The wealthy class may purchase an iPhone 6 Plus after a half of year of owning the iPhone 5s. This leads to multiple …show more content…
To achieve a higher social status, consumers look for specific brands that extends their personal identity. Levy in 1959 explained that, “Most goods say something about the social world of people who consume them. The things they buy are chosen partly of social position” (Patsiaouras and Fitchett 167). When looking at the iPhone, consumers identify the phone with the middle to upper class in part due to the phones design as well as the way Apple markets their products. Due to the iPhone 6’s space gray, gold, or silver aluminium back, the phone conveys wealth when consumers spot the phone’s modern display at Verizon. The commercials also demonstrate what the phone says about the social world. For example, last holiday season Apple created a commercial where a boy filmed his family as they played in snow, baked cookies, and sledded down hills. The young boy later showed his family the short clips that he filmed with his iPhone. The family gathered around to watch As the clips projected on the television with heartwarming music. Near the end of the video, some of the family cried. This demonstrates that Apple attempts to demonstrate support for family by showing that a boy can make a home video by using the iPhone 5s for his family. This leads to the idea that Apple wants consumers to purchase the iPhone, because it can do everything. However, what Apple shows the iPhone doing in the commercial,