Symbolic benefits
Symbolic benefits are the advantages a person gains from what a brand represents, such as expressing their identity, signalling belonging to a group or standing out from others
What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.
What it is and how it works
They concern the social and personal meaning of consumption: what the choice communicates about the person making it. They are common in visible categories such as fashion, cars or technology, but also appear in value-driven decisions, such as choosing sustainable or local products.
They differ from emotional benefits in that they focus not on how the person feels, but on how they see themselves and how they believe others see them. They depend heavily on cultural context, so the same symbol may be read differently in other markets.
Also known as
self-expressive benefits
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