Social Class

"Social class is a division of society made up of persons possessing certain common social characteristics which are taken to qualify them for intimate, equal status relations with one another, and which restrict their interaction with members of other social classes" (Krech, Crutchfield and Ballachey, 2000).

A person's social class can be determined by many factors including education, occupation and income and also by what they do or do not have. Social class not only determines how much money people spend, it also delves deep into the complex theory of how the money is spent for example, the majority of people who have always been very affluent do not feel the need to prove that they have the money, whereas the people who have recently come into money, possibly after winning the lottery or gaining a lot of inheritance, may be more likely to indulge in luxury products in order to "promote" their new found wealth.

TV personalities such as the X Factor judges above are examples of people that may not have always been wealthy but have used their ambition, talent and drive to work through bad times and move up the social ladder in order to be the successful celebrities that they are today.

The way in which the specific social classes are perceived in society can be closely related to the "pecking orders" seen in many animal species. A hierarchy is visible in which people that are categorised as being of upper class status may feel that they are far more superior to those of working class status. Many people in the middle and lower classes appear to be highly motivated towards working their way up the social ladder to achieve a higher status and gain more access to resources such as housing, education and consumer goods. It is the desire of marketers and advertisers to target this constant urge to move up the ladder and develop effective marketing strategies to satisfy this consumer need (Solomon, 2006).

The individuals that make up each category of class, whether it be working class, middle class or upper class, are perceived to be equal in terms of their incomes and social status. "They work in roughly similar occupations and tend to have similar tastes in music, clothes etc" (Wright, 2000). Research into social class also suggests that people within the same class share similar values and ideas, and also tend to socialise with one another however, this last aspect may not be 100% consistent among the "group" members. Wright (2000) states that the difference in the distribution of wealth among the classes "is of great interest to marketers, since it determines which groups have the greatest buying power and market potential."

Although the concept of social class is a significant aspect to consider when categorising consumers as many marketing strategies target the different classes (upper, middle, lower and working classes and the sub-classes found between these categories). There are many reasons that have been found in which social class information has not been used as effectively as it could have been in marketing campaigns as a result of the following: marketers have ignored status inconsistency; ignored intergenerational mobility; ignored subjective social class (i.e. the class a consumer identifies with rather than the one he/she objectively belongs to); ignored consumers' aspirations to change their class standing; and also the social status of working wives with many more now going out to work and focusing on a successful career, either instead of starting a family or as soon as possible after starting a family (Solomon, 2006).

It is clear to say that poor people or those that can be associated with the working class status have less to spend than those of a higher status as a result of lower income, although in many cases they tend to have a greater share of expenses including health care, rent and food consumed at home. It is stereotypical to say that people in this class may have many children or be single (mainly female) parents and are possibly unemployed. This "community" may feel alienated to the rest of the world as a result of the constant drive and exposure of the media and other communications to encourage everyone to be successful and better the people around you.

"Working class consumers tend to evaluate products in more utilitarian terms such as sturdiness or comfort, rather than style or fashionability. They are less likely to experiment with new products or styles, such as modern furniture of coloured appliances" such as the kitchen featured below(Solomon, 2006).

We are constantly being exposed to images of the rich, famous and successful with barely a glance on the less fortunate. This portrays the idea that only the best will do and encourages people to never settle for second best but only the few with the drive, passion, enthusiasm and determination to succeed will survive and go on to be the Alan Sugar's and David Beckham's of today. It makes sense for marketers to target this affluent market as they have shown that they are willing to go to any lengths to be the best...and what better way to do it than buying designer clothes, driving flash sports cars and taking luxurious holidays on a private Sunseeker yacht?!

Solomon (2006) states that people within the upper classes should not be placed in the same segment due to the fact that there is far more involved than just high income. This section of the social ladder is seen to be more about a way of life in the way that attitudes and even cultural characteristics may be altered among many other aspects. The interests of these consumers differ greatly from the interests that are associated with the lower classes from sporting events to cultural activities. Spending priorities may be significantly affected by many reasons such as "where they got their money, how they got it and how long they have had it."

In comparison to the consumers of the lower classes who tend to stick with what they know rather than experimenting with elaborate new products, the upper class are likely to try out the new modern twists as they are very "concerned about appearance and body image" and as a result of this they are also more health conscious regularly choosing the diet option in food and drinks (Solomon, 2006).

People that have always had a lot of money and therefore have always been in a position to buy anything they want "no longer revolve around the amount of money they have." The important aspects in these situations tend to be how the person came to be so rich and also how the money is spent - do they donate to charity, buy luxury cars, have a large stately home or just enjoy the simpler things such as dining out with friends, for example rather than constantly feeling the need to be materialistic and "show off" what they have?

The Harrods Sale TV advert shown below clearly demonstrates the way in which the upper class sector is targeted, down to smallest details including the type of music used which in this case is of classical style portraying a sense of elegance, accompanied by the stylish, sophisticated background and the products being promoted.

Personal evaluation seems to be a compulsory part of everyday life with the constant need for people to feel that they must compare themselves to others in terms of their professional accomplishments and their material well-being. We are all very familiar with the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses" which compares your personal standard of living to that of your neighbours who always appear to be significantly better off, with better behaved children, a neat and tidy house, nice clothes = "the perfect lifestyle." The clip from the TV sitcom "Outnumbered" is a perfect example of this status, showing how the neighbours appear to have the perfect lifestyle and have have a far higher status than that of the main character's.