The Product of Consumption

 The Product of Consumption

The product of consumption is the object advertised, sold, purchased and used. The product is not simply the material object on the shelf. Consumption is the creation of meaning through the use of particular objects. It converts commodities into signs, even as signs (values, meanings such as social status, efficiency, and tradition) are symbolized as material objects.

The product in the contemporary era includes and markets particular features:

• novelty
• utility
• brands
• cosmopolitanism

Novelty

Novelty can be defined as anything that disrupts a previous set of individual experiences. It marks a moment of pleasure when it interrupts routine and uniform experiences (Bianchi 1998). 

Thus novelty is about pleasure through difference and change.

 But that change or difference should not be too drastic. Take the case of a coffee-drinker. A regular consumer of coffee has to be persuaded that the new brand is an improved, a novel version of what she consumes every day. And it should have an additional feature that makes it novel but remains coffee.

Novelty occurs not only when the object is radically new but also when there has been some delay between the moment of consumption and the past experience. Men's trousers are a good example. From the 1960s through the early 1970s there was the famous 'drain-pipe' style: narrow and tapering further. From the 1970s we see the flaring 'bell bottoms'. In the 1990s the tapering form and the flared style are revived. Even jeans, traditionally narrow in form and fitting, now come in loose, 'bell-bottom' styles. The style is not new, as we can now see. It is novel only because the experience of such a style is well in the past - a certain amount of time has passed since we last saw such a style, and hence there is an element of novelty here.

Consumer culture is based on a cult of novelty. The cult of novelty generates a two-pronged rhetoric:

1. a rhetoric of pluses,
2. a rhetoric of the 'new-now

Rhetoric of pluses

The majority of companies create a sense of novelty by using the rhetoric of pluses. Here rhetoric of pluses means to speak of extras, excess and boundlessness. 

For example:- 

• The Hindu's metro feature is called 'Metroplus'. 
• The television channel is of course STAR Plus. 
• Numerous products advertise their 'extras'. Salt comes with extra iodine. 
• The bar of soap has 25 grams extra.
• Garnier shampoos are now with an extra 25% free. 

Rhetoric of the 'new-now

Contemporary culture speaks of 'new-now' to create the impression of novelty about a product. This is a strategy commonly adopted by brands and marketers. 

For example:- 

• Thus the motorcycle Apache from TVS declares it is 'now or never'. 
• Nokia's new model, N 72, is 'now in gold and black'. 
• Motorazr from Motorola is 'now' available at a reduced price. 
• Air Deccan asks you to book now'. 
• Tata tea is with a New Rich Taste.

Utility.

Utility refers to the satisfaction, happiness and value received from consuming goods and services. For example, when we buy a washing machine to wash clothes or a pair of sunglasses to protect our eyes from the sun, it gives us value, satisfaction, etc. The same thing happens when we buy a mobile, car and particular kind of dress, it adds or purchases meaning to lifestyle.

Brand 

The brand refers to the products and values of a particular company. Brands include name, image, slogan, etc. Brands became an important factor in the 19th century due to the mass production of many products like cars, jeans, and domestic appliances in factories. 

Brands indicate or tell us the identity of the product and the identity of the company. Companies use different names and images as brands in order to make distinguish their product from their competitors. Brands give the proper names for the product. like Reliance Mobile, Usha Fans, Godrej Furniture, etc.

Apart from the name and image, branding also includes the following things Trade mark (logo)- The logo gives a guarantee or an assurance that the product is genuine and reliable. It also helps people to identify a company's product. 

Establishment date- The date of the first establishment of the company also has an important role in the branding process. The older company gets more respect and their product is more reliable than a new one.

4. Cosmopolitanism

Cosmopolitanism is the idea that all human beings are members of a single community. It is one of the most noticeable features of contemporary consumption, especially in the case of clothing and food products. Indian traditional costumes and cultural codes mix with European styles. Hindi tunes are downloadable on Nokia phones. Pizza Hut provides Indian toppings like Chettinad Chicken. 

Many companies or brands advertise their other nation's origin and affiliation. It creates a passive impact on the consumers. For example, Zodiac shirts ensure its European spirit. Opel Astra cars highlight their German technology. In a single shopping mall, you can have the product from different countries. We can consume Italian pizza, we can speak on inland Nokia mobile, listen to music on a Sony machine, drink American Coke and enquire about Korean LG washing machine