Holts Taxonomy of Consumption

4 metaphors to describe the

motives for consumption
Why do we consume?
 What do people do when they
consume?
To address this question Holt produced a
taxonomy of consumption practices based
upon 2 concepts.

1. The purpose of consumption

2. The structure of consumption
 The purpose of consumption

Holt describes that, the purpose of

consuming may involve the use of the
consumption object as purely an end in
itself (autotelic/ terminal actions) or
alternatively as a means to achieve some
other purpose (instrumental/ means to an
end actions).
 The structure of consumption

Involves the consumer either directly

engaging with the consumption object
(object actions) or alternatively, using the
object as a focus to enable interactions
with others (interpersonal actions).

Crossing these two dimensions of purpose

and structure, yields a 4 cell matrix.
4 Metaphors
for Symbolic Consumption

Experience Integration
Emotional or Assimilate
Physical consumption
Pleasure with self for a
richer
experience
Classification
Play Delineate
Interact with associations
others with others
 Consuming as experience
These are the felt experiences resulting
from the pleasure of consuming an object.
This examines consumers subjective,
emotional reactions to consumption
objects.
These emotional experiences are
enhanced by consumer learning an
interpretive framework.
3 different ways in which
consumers use this
interpretive framework

Experience
Accounting

Evaluating

Appreciating
 Accounting requires using an
interpretive framework to make sense of
an object or to account for actions
associated with its consumption.

Evaluating practices involve the

construction of value judgments about
objects and actions. These judgments
require reference to three types of
benchmark: norms, histories and
conventions
 Norms: official norms (trophies, awards)
Histories : past experiences
Conventions : rituals, socially accepted
behaviour

Appreciating involves the emotional

responses or feelings towards objects,
actions persons or situations that involve a
product consumption. (senses of sight,
smell and taste)
 Consuming as an integration
Describes how consumers acquire and
manipulate object meaning
Meaning making and facilitating the
symbolic use of the object
Recalling prior knowledge, experience and
memories
These integrating methods are facilitated
through 3 processes.
Integration
Assimilation

Producing

Personalising
 Assimilating: involves consumer
developing specialized knowledge and
skills that enable them to interact socially.

. Producing: methods used by consumers

to enhance the perceptions that they are
involved directly in the production of the
object.
some actively engage in production of the
object but others may resort to
storytelling involving prediction and
bonding practices.
 Predicting before unwrap a package you
predict to show off
Bonding celebrity

Personalizing : of clothing and the

integration of individual experience in to
the consumption event.
 Consuming as play
Use of consumption object as a resource
to facilitate social interaction among a
heterogeneous group of consumers who
often have little else in common.
Sharing mutually felt experiences with
each other, and making use of experiential
practices to entertain each other
 Play
Socialising

Communing
 Two types of playing practices
Communing : this occurs when consumers
share a mutually felt experiences focusing
upon a central object. Sharing ones
intimate thoughts.

Socializing : involves performative

entertaining of others
Classification
Through

Objects & Actions

 Consuming as classification
Refers the practices consumers use to
classify themselves in relation to others.
Consumers use these practices either to
build affiliations with others or to enhance
distinctions from others.
Two distinct methods: classification
through objects and classification through
actions
 Objects: classifying themselves through
souvenirs, signed books, ornament
collections, memberships, document given
as a token of attendance to a special
event and etc.

Actions: how the consumer interacts with

the consumption object. (same practices
used for the purpose of integration)