Do We Tend to Privilege Style over Substance as Consumers - Essay Example

Do we tend to privilege style over substance as consumers? For past many years, a growing body of literature is seen contemplating the power of style and substance from the perspective of consumerism. While many claim that the element of style in products is surely above everything else, there is also a large percentage of critics which still considers the victory of substance too phenomenal to be ignored. Research evidence unmistakably identifies style as a major factor influencing buyer’s behavior especially as part of rapidly changing consumers’ lifestyle. Stylish packaging of products is a very important factor nowadays because a majority of people desire to stand dignified in the present highly competitive world and so they regularly prefer style over substance in their shopping routine. People wish to be admired and seek appreciative compliments from their friends and family which naturally induces them to buy unique and stylish products which would immediately catch the eye of the viewer. It is due to changing customers’ preferences that style appears to shape their purchase decision more than substance. This essay is basically meant to illuminate reality of the claim that “consumers worldwide are found overly concerned with the stylish appearance of different products they buy than sufficiently pondering over the substance.” The pattern of consumers’ behavior has significantly changed in the last decade or so as the level of competitiveness which was in the past the hallmark of only upper middle class or upper class began to be witnessed with the same intensity in lower middle class also. Regardless of excess of riches, people with incomes below $100000 a year are now seen too competing in the race of surpassing others in increases numbers and with the same zeal as people belonging from high class. This is because the need to impress others has picked momentum with excessively materialistic lifestyle which makes people prefer style over substance and largely ignore all the brains and hard work inside the product they choose for a sophisticated yet pretentious lifestyle. Not everyone pays much attention to the utility of a product as much as on how it looks. So it is rightly claimed that presently “people are so focused on aesthetics and trends that they prefer stylish designs over functional ones” (Mobertz, 2013). Understandably assuming that all overly stylish or chic products lack substance or credibility would be an overstatement. But it is also true that nowadays a large percentage of businesspersons attach more importance to style believing it to be an effective tool of sales promotion and in the process, the element of substance is often left ignored. Style and décor of products is now widely considered in the business world as “an ultimate selling proposition stimulating impulsive buying behavior” (Deliya & Parmar, 2012, p. 49). In everyday life experience, many people can be easily observed buying those products on impulse which ooze style, elegance, and sophistication and overlooking others which may be made out of more sturdy and hardcore material but lack class in appearance. Literature analysis on the worth of style and substance shows that stylish packaging more rapidly attracts consumers than substance of products. This explains why the tool of style is so adored by sellers because it singlehandedly and quite effectively boosts product sales increasing market share and reducing costs. There are more pressures now than ever before to appear cool in all aspects of life and this can be said for all social classes. So it is no wonder really why many impressionable people are likely to be moved more by stylish exterior than substance of a product. A recent survey by autotrader.ca also proves that physique is dominant over practicality as it was found that “over half of Canadian students would rather be seen in a great-looking car rather than one that was loaded with all the latest and greatest safety tools” (Straub, 2012). Substance indisputably has its importance and its share in lending value to a product but if weighed against style and packaging, it certainly comes second because appealing appearance affects customers’ perceptions and mood more than anything else. For example, when a consumer discovers elephantine varieties of shampoos at a large store, he/she definitely finds him/herself more aroused and excited by different vibrant colors and trendy packaging of the bottles than caring to discover what is the composition of the material inside any bottle. It is a very simple observation but one with massive reflections and helps to appreciate the victory of style over substance. Because style lends unique value to products, reduces promotional costs, and modifies buying behavior, definitely considerable importance should be attached to this momentous marketing tool (Deliya & Parmar, 2012, p. 50). Style can be described more as an extrinsic element of a product while substance is the intrinsic element. In this excessively busy and fiercely competitive life when many people are always short of time, only a minority would care enough to invest considerable time in looking what is inside a product and remain immune to the glittery and enticing packaging. In contrast, relying on the power of style as a tool for differentiation and choosing a product would understandably seem a more welcoming proposition. This is why the effect of style on buying decisions is certainly stronger than substance. Contemporary research analyzing association between style and packaging also claims that striking exterior as in what vivacious color, trendy form, and brand name a product carries “could be treated as one of most valuable tool in today’s marketing communications” (Kotler, cited in Deliya & Parmar, 2012, p. 50), which is clearly more than ever could be said for substance. Priorities of customers change with time and they cannot be controlled or customized by manufacturers. That is why companies compete with each other and strive to put in every effort possible to introduce the most outrageously attractive product possible because if a product lacks an appealing exterior, it is bound to fail in the present market. On the other hand, small discrepancies in substance often go unnoticed by a majority of customers. Only a small proportion of buyers who have a very sharp eye are able to detect any shortcomings in substance and reject a product on those grounds no matter how attractive it physically may be. Needless to say, substance is highly important and no matter how much importance be attached to style, a product is still likely to suffer in long-term if efforts are not made by manufacturers to make consumers feel confident with the product they buy in terms of reliability and performance. Concluding, this much becomes clear from the above discussion that the triumph of stylish packaging over substance is quite evident now. Many brands are seen enhancing their image and winning customers’ satisfaction by introducing sparkly well-designed products. More and more people seldom keep in mind that all that glitters is not gold when busy on a shopping spree. This is because it is not substance but style which wins the heart of a customer and people often think more from heart than from mind when they want to buy anything. It is very rare for substance of a product to help consumers in choosing from a wide variety of products or to play the role of a tool for differentiation because it does not possess that power to influence the decisive ability of buyer which style has. Also if style and substance are compared with one another, willingness to pay climbs all heights for the products which scream class instead of those which promise substance. References: Deliya, M.M., & Parmar, B.J. (2012). Role of Packaging on Consumer Buying Behavior – Patan District. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, XII(X), 49-68. Mobertz, L. (2013, Oct 02). Artist Creates Fake Design Studio to Mock Designers Who Value Style over Substance. Retrieved from http://dashburst.com/fake-design-studio-grafik-bs/ Straub, A. (2012, Oct 01). Students prefer style over substance, survey says. Canada.com. Retrieved from http://www2.canada.com/story.html?id=7325908 Read More