The Role of Advertisements in Conspicuous Consumption Trends within Postmodern Consumer Culture

Abstract

The concept of consumption, which has existed in every period from the past to the present, is the main subject of the entire process from the economy to the final stage of economic goods and services. For centuries, human beings continued their lives in the natural environment with a hunter-and-gatherer consumption culture and did this only to survive. In later times, consumption gradually increased and went beyond a simple need. With this, a consumer society was formed. While there were limited options and access to technology before the modern period, increasing consumption has formed with the modern period. One of the main factors in the formation of consumer societies is that individuals motivate each other. Today, consumer society is associated with the understanding of social status, identity and prestige beyond meeting the needs of individuals. My research aims to determine the role of advertisements in conspicuous consumption management. In this context, a sample group was created from different socio-cultural environments in a wide age range. In our study, the Conspicuous Consumption Tendency Scale and the 27-item Factors, Determinants and Segments in Consumers' Advertising Criticism Scale were used. According to the findings obtained in our research, demographic factors such as printed publications, place of residence, place of residence and frequency of shopping have been determined to have significant effects on conspicuous consumption orientation. These results show that advertising strategies should be customized according to demographic characteristics and that conspicuous consumption-oriented advertisements may be more effective, especially for low-income, low-education individuals.