Consumer Identities

Identity & Consumption

In what ways can products/services relate to consumer's identities ?

- a form of representation
- it has been established that we judge others by their material possessions, meaning that consumption is now an important part int eh creation and maintenance of identities
- people can use different types of products to represent them
- we consume in the hope of reinforcing or establishing the roles in which we find ourselves or that we would like to be in. We consume in order to represent our social role, including our jobs, political views etc. Or you can buy things to give off a certain impression.
- people have made use of belongings to express who they are
- in combination with the constant mass bombardment of advertising continuously 

How do consumers use products/services within social interaction ?

- The continuous comparison to others is driven by a need to maintain and sometimes increase positive self-esteem
- individual self esteem is linked to feelings of belongingness, which is supported by being a member of a group
- 'just as clothing, accent, grooming and jewellery can distinguish an individual from others and express an individual sense of being 
- Upward comparison - Ideal self, celebrity endorsements, comparing yourself to people you see as superior to yourself, people who you aspire to be
- Downward comparison - presenting one product (personality) as superior to another. Comparing yourself to someone inferior to yourself. eg, If you're in a car, looking down at people on a bike.
- Consume to create / maintain a community
- community/ group identity 

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

- Apple - Associate personality types
- Nespresso - George Clooney (celebrity endorsement), lifestyle, upward comparison
- Body Image - perfume ads etc, ideal self
- Dove advert - actual self, natural beauty
- Humour - Seth Rogan movies, far from ideal self, more actual self, group identity/interaction

Are there any ethical issues ?

- Consumerism stereotypes people into categories
- society based on reductive categories is a negative thing - they say people can be matched together judging by what car they drive and how they dress
- Othering - people defining themselves in opposition with other people (I am good looking because you're ugly)
- Self-fulfilling prophecy
unconscious, unaware
- negative body images

Practical Investigation

Investigation Questions

1.TECHNIQUE(s)

- Publication design. e.g. magazines and newspapers
- Traditional printing methods?

2.CONTENT

- content of my choice that allows me to fully convey my hypothesis.

3.COMMUNICATION / MESSAGE

- Print and digital media working as a hybrid

3.RESEARCH / ANALYSIS

- Explore how magazines nowadays survive in such a predominantly digital age.
- Look for how print and digital medias have been combined previously. Successful? why or why   not
- Look at apps that already exist. e.g. newspaper / magazine apps. Have they taken over the         print publication?

4.EXPLORATION / EVALUATION

- Different ways in which both methods and medias can be combined
- interactive print / images coming to life

5.TESTING

- Produce a few examples of how the concept can come together

Questions

- What is your research question?

Discuss the role of print media in the digital age

- Do you have a hypothesis?

Print media has to work in hybrid with digital media in order to survive and have a future.

- Contexts of my research

Previous magazines are seeing a downfall in reader numbers. This is due to the accessibility of information online. A lot of magazines are now turning to websites and smartphone apps as an alternative, leaving behind the production of printed publications.

- Sources of primary/Secondary research

- Online: magazine websites, blogs
- existing printed magazines that survive the shelves

- How will your practical work answer the research question

Whats the best solution for combining print and digital media so they can both survive and thrive along side one another as apposed to digital taking over completely.

- What methods of research, development, creative and test work

- Traditional print methods...
  - Printing Press
  - Screen Printing

- Editorial Design

- Smartphone Application design