Identity and Consumption - Study Task 06

In what ways can products or services relate to consumers Identity?

• Through there advertising by displaying peoples roles and stereotypes.
• E.g Nike show sporty people who are strong, determined and show different sports people can relate to. 
• A good campaign for women identity is This Girl Can showing many stern

How do consumers use products/services within social interaction?

• They use products to represent themselves and to communicate who they are to other people. E.g Someone wheres a band t-shirt to tell other people there interests
• People also use platforms such as youtube to show people what they own such as clothing and home goods.

Using theories discussed suggest some visual communication strategies that effectively promote a product to its target consumer?

• Advertisements showing certain people to reinforce who they are and effect self esteem 
• Using celebrities in ads which can create upward social comparisons
• Advertising products in a certain way can create symbolic interactionism
• Posters, Tv Ads, Social media ads, campaigns, radio ads, etc.

Are there any ethical issues?

• Lowering self esteem
• Mental health 

Cathrine Jansson-Boyd talks about identity and consumption by analysing the research that people use their possessions to express who they are not just for their function purpose. Self recognition develops around the age of 2. Individuals identity are formed by prototypes and stereotypes that are usually represented in products and services. Individuals are always comparing themselves to those who appear less better or more desirable. This is known as the social comparison theory. We learn about symbolic value of products starting from a young age through observation and the media. The social identity theory shows individuals using brands, products and services to different themselves from others by using them to demonstrate their community. An example of this is wearing a football team t-shirt, showing what your interests are though products. A Narcissist is someone who wish others to see them as special and superior. Whereas other people have more of a lower self esteem. Individuals have an actual self that is who they actually are, ideal self who they desire to be and ought self, who they ought to be. There are ethical issues with the way in which identity is used in advertising such as the way in which females are used to show clothing and fashion. The stereotype women in the advertisements are usually a have a more unrealistic size and look which leads the audience, mainly younger people to look at themselves negatively and compare themselves to these women. This is known as upward social comparisons and can leave young people feeling depressed and have a bad self esteem. This is also shown by the way individuals avoid products with an undesirable meaning. 

This can also be seen in the protest design I am looking at in my essay due to the fact the design is there to represent a certain class or people with the same options who need a voice. An example of this was The Miners Strike 1984-85 when posters and banners were designed to protest pit closures and the designs were successful at getting large communities involved with the protests.