“Silverstein and Fiske [authors of Trading Up]…say people buy New Luxury items because of a ‘relatively small set of emotional drivers, both positive and negative.’ They describe four ’emotional spaces’ that influence consumption: Taking Care of Me, Connecting, Questing, and Individual Style. Home furnishings are typically Taking Care of Me goods, while Connecting goods (food, liquor, jewelry) help buyers to impress a potential mate or show affection. Questing is about adventure — traveling to exotic locales or sampling the latest new cuisine. Individual Style is about consumption as self-expression. Silverstein and Fiske say consumers increasingly split their purchases between commodities and items they really care about. The authors convincingly predict companies that focus on selling conventional midprice goods — things that are neither great values nor compelling — will suffer ‘death in the middle.'”
Editor’s Note: read a similar, more detailed discussion in the article, “The Price is Right” at
Thomas D. Sullivan
Source: BusinessWeek
Subjects: Marketing / Sales, Trends / Analysis
