Research into social class enables marketers to build social class profiles, which then provides a general illustration of the values, attitudes and behaviour that separate the members of those social classes (Bednall et al., 2001: 361). This research can then be used when developing marketing strategies for a product or service.
Clothing, Fashion & Shopping.
A consumer's self-concept or self-image, as well as their perception of their own social class membership directly influence their decisions on the clothes that they purchase, and the way that they choose to shop (Bednall etA consumers home is one of the principal indicators of their social class, and in particular, the living room represents to guests the way in which that person wishes to be perceived (Bednall et al., 2001: 362). As a direct result, the furnishings found in a living room will be highly influenced by that consumers social class.
The existence of various magazines such as Vogue Living (upper-class) and Better Homes & Gardens (lower-middle-class), outline the importance of decorating a home in the 'right' way. Each magazine attracts and identifies with a different social class, and as such the advertisements found in the magazines will differ accordingly. For instance, when American chain Saks Department Store Group launched a multimedia campaign for a new house wares line endorsed by a celebrity, the different advertisements were adapted for each store and target market, so as to ensure a high brand appeal across all classes (O'Loughlin, 2003: 9).
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