The daily struggle of a consumerist culture

: who are we without our possessions?: a study of an effective strategy to boost product sales

Abstract

According to research on extended self and compensatory consumption, consumption is a way of expressing, reinforcing, and resolving identity discrepancies (Belk, 1988). The investigation suggests that there is a glaring gap between these domains and marketing, making it crucial to develop additional research to better understand how organisations can more effectively interact with consumers. In this way, the present dissertation seeks to determine an effective strategy to persuade the consumer to buy a certain product. First, the two most important factors in the decision-making process were determined (the first study), and then the accuracy of the results was assessed in an A/B test (the second study). The dissertation proposes that highlighting personal discrepancies, which in turn highlight needs, can be an effective way to increase sales. It suggests that the discrepancy arises through the mental perception of the product, i.e., when campaigns make consumers visualise their ideal selves and experience emotions associated with that visualisation. Associated with each discrepancy is a need that the consumer wants to satisfy. The product must then be positioned as the optimal solution to bridge the gap between the consumers’ current selves and their ideal selves and as a means of fulfilling (partially or totally) their needs. This strategy results from the fusion of three important marketing theories: extended self, compensatory consumption, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which are believed to be interconnected, with the first two being a way to fulfil the last-mentioned.

Date of Award	11 May 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Daniel Fernandes (Supervisor)