Research On Starbucks' Consumption Symbols From The Perspective Of Symbolic Consumption Theory

Starbucks coffee becomes more and more popular among the youth in China.Starbucks stores that act as social places and consumption premises also play an increasingly significant role in people's daily lives.Consumers are used to associating Starbucks with high-quality coffee beans,customized coffee,exotic coffee shops,and even the dark-green two-tailed mermaid trademark.However,the confusion of identity and the alienation of consumption concept caused by these cultural symbols have developed into notable phenomena in today's society.With the assistance of symbolic consumption theory put forward by Baudrillard,this paper focuses on two issues.The first is the negative effect consumption symbols of Starbucks have on consumers.The second relates to how Starbucks' consumption symbols trigger the buying behavior of people.To begin with,this thesis investigates the possible adverse impact Starbucks consumption symbols have on buyers through methods of questionnaire and observation.Questionnaires aim to verify whether Starbucks' consumption symbols unfavorably affect consumers' psychological feeling and social life from two dimensions of self and group identity.Observation method takes advantage of narrative descriptions and pictures to observe and analyse representative cultural symbols of Starbucks.Besides,the article concentrates on the process of Starbucks coding its goods to trigger purchases.Starbucks first turns the abstract cultural concept into the natural attribute of its commodities through the arbitrary relationship between the signifier and signified of the sign,making its goods cultural symbols.Then this coffee brand creates a simulated world through advertisements,store layout and other ways in an effort to strengthen the symbolic value of its items.In this way,the cultural connotation of its products represent is widely accepted by most members of the society.When potential consumers aspire to obtain the symbolic meaning behind Starbucks by purchasing its products,buying behavior is likely to be promoted.Finally,the survey result shows that most of Starbucks consumers are college students and young company employees,and this brand has exerted a negative impact on their identity and consumption view to varying degrees.In this way,effective measures including avoiding to build identity on consumption symbols,distinguishing between true and false needs as well as eliminating reifiedconsciousness are expected to be taken.