Symbolic Consumption: The iPhone In this era of emerging economies and growing globalisation, the demand for symbolic goods continues to expand, and at a fast rate. With recent advances in technologies such as personal digital assistants (PDA’s), satellite/tracking devices, mobile phones and many others springing up almost every day, it is not surprising that consumers would be willing to part with large amounts of cash for these products. One of such technological advancement is the iPhone, a fascinating instance of adaptation, which is fast becoming a most sought after brand. The issue however is whether this new technological advancement of the iPhone is going to be a continuous trend or will just fizzle out in the nearer future. To understand deeply the phenomenon of symbolic consumption, we must first understand what it means. According to Kerrigan et al. (2004), symbolic consumption deals with the consumption of products and services as sources of meaning. An important aspect of symbolic consumption is that consumers no longer consume products simply for their functional value, but for their symbolic value, for what these products mean to themselves and to others (Kerrigan et al 2004). In other words, these products more or less become commodity signs. Digital-era commodity goods like the iPhone are symbolic markers or what Thorstein Veblen would call conspicuous consumption or “status symbols” (2007). To make sense of this rapturous reception, the iPhone would however now be examined as a notable instance of symbolic consuming culture. In June 2007, the hottest cellular phone hit town, with a vast array of technological wonders never before put together inside a tiny gadget called cell phone (Blokdijk 2008). It was Ap... ... middle of paper ... ...d therefore argue that products involve a form of natural process within which the designer plays a key role. Like any product, the iPhone has its own life span or in other words, evolutionary timeline, its own inherited traits, its own product design and its own adapted state through its environment. As global technology is continuously introduced and replaced, it would get to a stage where the symbolic value of the iPhone would no longer be appreciated. This is because more advanced and superior mobile devices would have come into place, thereby stealing the limelight from the iPhone. Additionally, the study of behaviors and attitudes towards a specific technology such as the iPhone are extremely vulnerable to new products and trends, making the findings of any study outdated in a very short period of time. In other words, social values also changes over time.
An object worth good value is determined by how society sees it. Hammerslough contends, “A fairly low price and decent quality for an item are no longer the only standards of what makes for good ‘value.’ The other sense of value- a source of strength or esteem-creeps into material objects as well (317)”. As years pass on by, the meaning of value one considers in making a purchase changes. How much an item is worth is no longer what is considered as good value, good value is considered to be an item that gives power, a feeling of being dominant over others who do not have such an item and revere those items. Lasn implies, “Your friends reinforce the brandhunting. Wearing the same stuff and hearing the same music makes you a fraternity, united in soul and form (379)”. Sometimes consumers buy items to fit into a clique or crowd. The clothes and valuables one wears and owns define their place in society. Wearing clothes out of date or different from others may make that person an outsider or outcast. Hammerslough’s claim was accurate because the truth is, most people do not even want the product; only buy it to feel dominant and feeling of acceptance to boost their
“One hundred and thirty-thousand computers are thrown out every day in the U.S., and over one hundred million cell phones every year” (CBS News). We live in a materialistic society where more is good and the newer the better. In our fast paced lives companies used this to their advantage to continual bring out newer upd...
As we progress deeper into the digital era, we rely more and more on our electronic devices. Over the last decade, almost everyone who lives in a developed nation owns a cellphone and they are becoming an integral part of our life.
Apple iPhone is one of the most successful consumer technology products ever created. It has dominated the Smartphone market since it was released in 2007. As Apple moves forward it is important that they do not ignore Hispanic Millennial, which comprises 25% of the up-and-coming segment of potential new customers. This report utilizes a number of sources and analyses trends within the Hispanic Millennial segment. It shows that the Apple brand and their products have a great reputation among the Hispanic Millennial segment and new products are not necessary. It also concludes that in order to keep the current brand image the price of the product is right. This analysis will explore the places iPhones are sold and focus on the importance of
Since the Apple Watch is not a necessity and relatively expensive for even its lower end models, the economic environment could certainly negatively impact Watch sales in present and future markets. One thing Apple has on its side with the release of the Watch, is “the constant thrill that will make the Apple Watch compelling” (Elgan, 2015). To reach another market segment, Apple has succeeded in marketing the Watch as a fashion piece that caters to the “makers that are high achievers who eat, dress, and live well” (Kotler & Keller, 2012, p. 79).
The principal conclusions of this report show that the iPhone is a successful product that combines interesting features: iPod, internet browser and mobile phone, which satisfy the customer’s needs moreover it is also exceeding their expectations thanks to its fashionable design. However the UK current mobile market is very competitive, so Apple will have to deal with tough competition against established mobile phone manufacturers. The report finally comes up with some recommendations that can help improving Apple’s performance and the marketing environment for the iPhone, these are mainly:
The two companies have revolutionized the concept of being innovative and novel. The creations of Apple and Samsung have penetrated our minds with products that make our daily tasks simpler. People don’t need to pick up a paper from a local cafe to catch up on world news. Families don’t need to rely on postal service in order to communicate to their loved ones overseas. Students don’t always feel the need to ask questions, because now all the answers lie right in the palms of their hands. For generations Apple and Samsung have been creating products that our society demands.
Introduction This paper presents a dynamic model on the consumer behaviour in the real world marketing issue. It will further discuss the marketing and industrial experiences encountered daily in everyday business life, in addition to the consumer behavioural issues and consumer analysis and recommendations. Research studies have argued that industries or companies experience lots of issues in awe of the logistics of their daily routine, giving them the knowledge that can be used to anticipate incoming situations with the way of tackling problems. However, with the familiarity and repeated external occurrences in the marketing scope of an industry, there are many implementations carried out in solving such problems without complexity.
The Social Construction of Technology (or SCOT) is a new research tradition rooted in the sociology of technology. SCOT provides a multi-directional model based on the property of interpretative flexibility, and emphasizes on social influences on the technology design and development. This paper will apply SCOT principles to explore the development of cell phone, define the development of cell phone into three different stages historically, and analyze the interpretative flexibility of the cell phone accordingly in the three different stages. Based on SCOT theory, this paper will discuss how the original huge cell phones are shaped and developed by social influences to the smartphones in today’s life.
Many people in today’s society rely on technology to help us with our daily lives and help us stay connected to family, friends, and other people. The advancements in today’s cell phone technology is very complex and made to be efficient for their owners, allowing them to surf the net and IM message people instantly. Cellphones in particular have developed very fast in the past 15 years. From my childhood, cell phones have evolved from the old school Nokia bricks that allowed texts, calls, and simple graphic games, to todays I-Phones that have higher computable capabilities than some computers. In the United States alone, there is an estimated population of around 297 million people, and 197 million people are subscribed to cell phone companies (Starr). With so many people in today’s society with so much power and opportunity in the palm of their hands, we shouldn’t forget that “With great power comes great responsibility” –Voltaire.
With all the hype surrounding the iPod post its introduction into the electronics market, it should be of no surprise that iPod’s unmatched demand for such distinct music management tool would lead Apple to add iPod’s features to the most sold electronic device to date: the cell phone. Thus, you get a hybrid called the iPhone. This highly anticipated electronic trend setter without fault had numbers of people waiting in line at the Apple store in New York; iPod fans want to be among the first to explore some of the most innovative phone features to date. Among those features you will find a 3.5 inch touch screen (the largest of all smart phones), Wi-Fi connectivity, the most usage time of all smart phones, i.e. talk time, internet use, or video playback, and many more impressive characteristics. The iPhone has, thereby, revolutionized the cell phone industry to become a potential best designed and most admired phone of the decade.
Cell phone manufacturers and service providers are at the core of the cell phone industry. These corporations are integral from their research and development endeavors to interactions with the consumer and the marketing of new products. The companies that control such factors of cellular phones are very numerous, so it is difficult to address all the cell phone manufacturers and service providers. However, we have focused largely on only the most significant cellular companies namely in the U.S. marketplace, although many have global ties. Collectively, companies around the world have the same goals in mind – to create desirable cutting-edge technology and to increase consumer satisfaction with hopes of generating sales, and thus profits.
Consumer Decision Making Process A key factor in successfully marketing new/existing products or implementing a product Extension is a thorough understanding of the motivation, learning, memory, and decision Processes that influence consumers purchasing behavior. Consumer purchasing behavior theories have found their way into managerial decision making to help companies more effectively develop and launch new products, segment the market, determine market entrance and in brand management. Therefore, a better understanding of how consumers decide what to purchase is critical to the success of a product. There are numerous theories and models describing the consumer purchasing decision process.
As the world revolves, there are a lot of changes that happens in the world. For example, in terms of technology, there are a lot of improvements already. Back then, for example, features of mobile phones were only call and text. But more ideas have been developed and people have started to think about how to improve some things so that they can attract more consumers. The result is there are now more, in this case, high-tech phones with carious incredible features such as access to social media, hi-quality camera’s ability to upload to and download from the Internet, e-readers, and video calls for quicker and easier communication.
Since the invention of the cell phones, in 1973, it has quickly become the most popular device used especially today during the twenty-first century. Due to its hands-free-easy-to-use design, the amount of people that own a cell phone is rapidly increasing. The useful text messaging feature has proved to be extremely useful in current times. Along with these helpful features, the cell phone is easily accessible and more portable. The majority of phone companies offer a 3G or 4G data plan, meaning internet access can be found on your phone almost anywhere, at any time. In addition to its easy portability, the cell phone is a very useful and helpful device, allowing one to stay connected to the outer world. “With a smartphone, you can connect to the Web from virtually anywhere. You ...