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Symbolic consumption in the case of brand communities

Author

Listed:
  • Szabolcs Prónay

    (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Szeged)

  • Erzsébet Hetesi

    (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Szeged)

Abstract

The idea of symbolic consumption is based on the assumption that consumption is more than just functional problem solving: products and brands have significant meanings; therefore, they can be utilized as symbols in the cultural ecosystem. However, grasping the meaning of a specific brand can be confusing because it would presume knowledge about the brand as a symbol shared by the customers. We review the contradicting findings in the literature about the symbolic meaning of brands, and we initiate a new reference point in order to dissolve the above mentioned conflict. According to our understanding, the symbolic meaning of a brand shall be examined in the context of specific brand communities and not in general. We suggest that limiting the scope of research to brands with brand communities resolves several limitations of symbolic consumption studies focusing on general issues. Our theoretical model distinguishes the different types of brand communities based on their main cohesive force. In the model, at one end we find image based brand communities where the brand image is the main cohesive force, while at the other end we find brand-subcultures where the members are more committed to each other than to the brand.

Suggested Citation

  • Szabolcs Prónay & Erzsébet Hetesi, 2016. "Symbolic consumption in the case of brand communities," Society and Economy, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 38(1), pages 87-102, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:aka:soceco:v:38:y:2016:i:1:p:87-102
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Hiroaki HAYAKAWA, 2017. "Socio-cultural Evolution, Institutionalized Dispositions, And Rational Expressive Behavior," Journal of Economic and Social Thought, KSP Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 1-40, March.
    2. Pei-Hua Chao & Ho-chia Chueh, 2022. "Enactment of Ideal Parenthood through Consuming a Multi-Functional Space Named “Nature”—Blogging Family Camping in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    consumption; consumer behavior; brand community;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing

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