How Consumers Use a Product Meaningfully: a Classification of Consumers As Value-Creating Practitioners

Recently there has been an increased interest in consumer research to study the practices by which consumers create value (Schau et al. 2009, Warde 2005). This study analyzes how consumption objects become meaningful for the consumers through their own use patterns and practices. Drawing from sociological practice theory, the value-creating practices of novice and experienced as well as innovative and conservative consumers will be examined through qualitative case study research. The study provides an insightful classification of consumers who use a traditional low-involvement product in different meaning-laden ways to create value.

Citation:

Elina Leppälä (2011) ,"How Consumers Use a Product Meaningfully: a Classification of Consumers As Value-Creating Practitioners ", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Alan Bradshaw, Chris Hackley, and Pauline Maclaran, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 584-586.