All of us, in one way or another, are consumers of something, any products of production and services. In the modern world, there’s nowhere to go! For each of us, they are simply necessary in order to carry out vital activities, to establish life. In this regard, distinguish various types of goods intended for different purposes. Therefore, a small scientific excursion will not hurt.
The definition of "product"
Roughly speaking, this is all that satisfies our needs and needs. What is offered for the purpose of consumption and further use or to attract attention. The demand and supply of goods in the modern "consumer society" is practically self-regulating and submits to basic economic laws. It is known from history that artificial regulation leads mainly to disastrous results and is a destructive factor for the economy. Any product is essentially a service to solve a problem, as many prominent sellers claim. So, Elmer Wheeler, for example, said that it was necessary to sell not a steak, but the process of his delicious hissing in a pan. And Charles Revsoy declared that cosmetics were being produced at his factory, and hope was being sold at his store!
Product classification
There are two large groups:
We dwell on the latter in more detail. It includes the following groups.
- Products for durable use. These are tangible products intended for repeated use. Examples: clothing, refrigerators, cars.
- Non-durable goods. Consumed in one or more cycles. Examples: salt, cereals, sugar.
- Consumer goods. They are bought often, regularly, without too much thought, comparisons among themselves. Examples: tobacco products, newspapers, soap, toothpaste.
- Impulsive purchase goods. They are purchased, as a rule, without preliminary searches and planning; buyers are not specifically looking for them, since they are sold in many places, for example, at the box office. These are chocolate bars, magazines, chewing gum.
- Emergency goods. Bought, as a rule, when there is an urgent need for them. Examples: umbrella during heavy rain, snow shovel during snowfall.
- Goods pre-selection. The buyer selects them ahead of time, carefully analyzing and comparing with each other in terms of quality, price, suitability, appearance. Examples: furniture, appliances, clothes. An important role is played by the profession of a sales consultant who can give you the necessary information about your purchase.
In addition, there are so-called consumer goods (consumer goods) and consumer goods. What are they?
Consumer goods (consumer goods)
These are those without which it is impossible for a person to do. They, in turn, are divided into food and non-food. Consumer goods are used by all walks of life and are not exclusive or objects of art. All this determines their mass character and availability. The production of this kind of goods is the economic basis of the “state of consumption"! Their deficiency leads to disastrous results, and sometimes to the overthrow of the existing system.
Special goods
As a rule, the buyer spends additional efforts to acquire them. These are things of certain trademark brands, photo equipment, sound equipment, women's evening dresses, men's suits, and cars. They do not imply any preliminary comparison. The buyer already knows in advance what he is acquiring - the "company"! An additional factor is only the time taken to get to the dealer who represents a particular brand. This is called "consumer goods." Examples in the world of cars - expensive toys for grown-up boys - cars of Mercedes or BMW brands. In the world of cameras - Sony or Nikon. In the world of clothing - Adidas. Usually, they buy “special” goods based on a well-established public opinion about a particular brand, and not on a comparison of price and quality or other criteria. In this case, this already plays a secondary role for the buyer.
The concept of "prestige"
But in the beginning, as they say, we define ourselves in terms. What is, in fact, prestige, and how does it determine the hierarchical ladder of modern society?
Prestige (from the French “prestige” - charm, charm) today means something close to the concept of “authority” - the influence exerted, respect (youth “respect, respect”). In the social sense - the significance that is attributed in the public consciousness to various aspects of people's activities: profession, social status, psychological qualities, as well as social groups, organizations, institutions. Still - some of the benefits and physical merits of individual individuals and groups. In many respects, prestige is the result of priorities set by society (or traps where each of us can fall into), a completely tangible and explainable substance, a position for which many people lose their heads, spend their lives on it.
Prestige, unlike money supply, which initially has its own units of measurement, is often not so specific. Everyone has their own understanding of prestige, but there are also some unspoken rules, principles, concepts common to all. After all, for someone it’s “cool” to live in the center of a provincial town, and for some, a penthouse in New York is a shack! But nevertheless, prestige and authority should not be confused. Because credibility must be earned, and prestige is simply enough to buy if you have enough money.
The concept of "prestigious product"
So all the same, is it possible, right away, to give a definition: goods of prestigious demand are ... By acquiring attributes and benefits worth a lot of money, a person gets the deceptive feeling that now he, even for one more small step, but climbed the illusory social ladder that his personal status had now grown. The bottom line is the apparent difference from others, the feeling of one's own “chosenness”, the increase (and overstatement) of self-esteem: I bought it, but you couldn’t, I got it - but you don’t! Because it is much more important not what you have, but who you are. However, despite all of the above, prestigious goods are an objective fact, without which it is impossible to live in our modern world. They have uniqueness, special qualities, as a rule, have either a well-known trademark or an exclusive origin (which further elevates the owner over other people). Some buyers are willing to incur significant costs in terms of cash and time to purchase prestigious goods. The examples are impressive in scope. One, to buy a prestigious car, takes a huge loan, which is then absolutely impossible to repay. Another agrees to establish an existing business for the sake of achieving the goal of prestige: to enter the circle of people deciding the fate of others.
Features of this type of product
Prestigious goods are almost always luxury. Villas, yachts, luxury and collectible cars, jewelry, watches ... They are also characterized by a very high price. They are also rarely purchased. So, for the consumer promotion of these types of products a special role is played by the implementation of personal, personal sales. Their advertising strongly emphasizes the uniqueness of the purchased product. And manufacturers prefer an exclusive distribution method, which emphasizes their special status.
Housing as a prestigious product
The fundamental center of the economy is a person, his interests and needs. And the hardest thing for society is to satisfy its housing needs. Some researchers even argue that the lower the cost of food and clothing (the most necessary), the higher they are to pay for housing. In addition, the "roof over your head" is also a product of prestigious demand. People striving to emphasize their high social status try to buy comfortable housing not only for convenience, but also to demonstrate their wealth to others. As an example, in Russia in recent years the construction of magnificent expensive mansions has begun to show who is the "master of life" here! Good or bad - judge for yourself.
Summary
Of course, prestigious goods are a kind of life motivator, one of the ways a person can move up the social ladder. It is impossible to deny their certain positive role in the formation of states and communities. But still, one should not forget that prestige is an insidious and volatile thing, and it is better to acquire and gain credibility after all than to use purchased prestige.