Social Class Post 5

Article: Social Class Influence

In this article, it talked about how the social class one is in affects a consumer's behavior and the effects that has on marketing strategies used. Obviously the higher social classes have more money, and are able to spend more on products. Social class is known as an "external influence" on consumer behavior because it doesn't have to do with feelings or knowledge. People of the same social classes tend to buy the same kind of products and shop in similar stores. People in higher social classes tend to buy more products, as well as products with a high quality than their lower class counterparts. Also, according to the article, the higher social class tend to be the primary buyers of luxuries such as fine jewelry, while the lower classes tend to buy mainly the necessities. The article also explains how marketing is tailored for certain social classes. The upper class consumers tend to be "future-oriented" people who have already achieved their economic goals and are now looking to better their ways of life. Quality of the product is a very important marketing tool directed at the upper class consumers. For the lower class, they are usually focused on affordable prices, which is something marketers tend to stress when dealing with the lower classes.

I always knew that certain classes were more likely to buy certain types of products and brands, but I never really thought about the marketing approach that companies had to use when dealing with certain classes. Thinking about it now, it makes a lot of sense. Marketers need to understand the values, ambitions, and aspirations of the social class that they are marketing to. It is all a lot more complicated than I had previously thought. I think this is a good thing. There shouldn't just be one flat set way to market to the people. To divide it by social class seems like a good idea, because generally people in the same social classes have the same priorities, values, and interests, which might differ a lot from someone of a different social class. Social class really does affect all aspects of life, including the economy and the marketing of products.