Social Class and Purchase

The good old words of Solomon would say that SOCIAL CLASS is someone’s standing in society and is “determined by a complex set of variables, including income, family background and occupation.”

Personally I feel that description is too “neat” and “final” for the reality of the discussion of “what is social class?” First of all you have to take into consideration what culture we are looking at. Social status is very different around the world. For example, in some Asian countries your social status is considered to be very high if you are a larger person? So what about here in the UK? (Before we start, I don’t think weight has any relation to social class in our country; put down that mars bar.)

Let’s brainstorm what we would believe is a variable of someone’s social class:

· Geographical – Chelsea Vs Croydon
· Dress – Jimmy Choo Vs Pineapple
· Where someone goes to socialise – Spa’s Vs Park Bench
· Education – Eaton Vs Community College
· Money they earn - £500,000 p/y Vs Unemployed/Benefit system
· Occupation – Surgeon Vs Road Sweeper

Krech, Crutchfield and Balladey (2000) state that “Social Class is a division of society made up of persons possessing certain common social characteristics which are taken to qualify them for intimate equal status relations with one another and which restrict their interaction with members of other social class”- This PERFECTLY literates the tone of the previous video by Cleese, Barker and Corbitt.

Thinking about it, it all comes down to the divisions of society, the “rungs” on a ladder that separate the population in a hierarchical manner. If you look at the examples I’ve used, the common denominator seems to be money. Keep this thought on the back burner as we move on...

Here are the factual socio-economical class categories:
A – Upper Middle Class (Heritage)
B – Middle Class (Exam based professions) - Doctors
C1 – Lower Middle (Office Job Careers) - Managers
C2 - Skilled Working Class (Skilled hands on job) - Plumbers
D – Working Class (unskilled jobs) – Till Clerk
E – Lower (Contributes nothing into society) – OAP’s/Students/Unemployed/Homeless

We’ll I’m going to be honest I’m not too happy with being pigeon holed with bums...sleeping into the afternoon, constantly drunk, no job, living on the taxes of others...swings and roundabouts. As a Facebook group beautifully articulates: Being a student is like being on the doll but your parents are proud of you.

In comparison in India the Social Class System goes as:

Brahmins – (Priests and Teachers)
Ksatriyas – (warriors and Rulers)
Vaisyas – (Farmers and Merchants)
Sudras – (Labourers)
Untouchables – (Polluted labourers)

On second thought I’d rather be a “social class group E” than considered a polluted labourer.

And just for fun, but still in a relevant way, the Animal Kingdom:

A – Swan (Literal Royalty)
B – Eagle (Not quite loyalty, but still has its face on a lot of emblems)
C1 – Hawk (does just as good as an Eagle, but just not as cool)
C2 – Chicken (provides us with that epic staple food AND KFC)
D – Pigeon (doesn’t do anything impressive but they’re part of daily life)
E – Do Do (Epic Fail of Life)

So there are the categories for Social Class, but can we change our social status? Well I guess if you’re born into a C2 Lower Middle Class Family, get the scholarship to go to a decent private school, get to University and land a sweet paying medical job...CONGRATULATIONS you just upped the levels from C2 to B and all in the space of 25 years! So is it money that ultimately determines your class? Well if you look at someone like Katie Price who not many would say is full of class; her huge... bank account that leads to her Porche and wardrobes of D&G, Gucci and Prada would put her automatically in high social class ranks.

Does our Social Class determine who we are? Or do we determine our Social Class?

I could go on and on and round and round like a contradicting schizophrenic , debating whether class is a simple category you are born into, if you can change it with money, or if someone can have a different social class status attached to each variable. But instead I’ll exchange the philosophy for some marketing.
So Mr Mark Eter, (Mark-eter...get it?), with great knowledge comes great power; what can you do with this knowledge of social class?

· People recognise that classes are associated with certain items. Eg. Expensive designer clothes for those higher in the “ranks” – these are called status props; if someone has this prop, we assume they are connected to the class. For marketers this is great; make your product a social prop, those in the class have to have it to be in keep, and those who ASPIRE to be in the higher classes may save up for it.

- Things such as Channel Lipstick show your social class, due to their symbolic “pull out at any old time” nature. People see it in use. Its considered a moderate purchase item as its around £17.00. For a lippy its expensive BUT everyone can afford £17.00 and therefore the social prop.

- Fridge’s are non symbolic as no one really sees or judges you on where you store your milk. It is on the other hand an expensive purchase item denting your purse at about £200 - £2000. These items are those that decipher your income.

- Income and Social Class together are determined by, yes you guessed it BOTH, symbolic and expensive items. Such as my beloved Audi R8 V10 (pause for dramatic effect and to wipe the drool form around ones mouth.)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

So as a marketer if you can attach the correct social status denotation and connotation to your product, bob is your dad’s brother.For example this next video advertisement shows a product aimed at a specific social class of C2 with the workers on screen: (couldn't find a more blaitently obvious video if i tried!)

This might all sound quite easy and straight forward but alas, due to the changes of society, more people in higher paying jobs, people working later into life, a rise in incomes, better educational systems and the ever growing world of the working woman...the neat little step ladder triangle, has been moulded:

Because of all the above variables, the system has been fragmented and developed to this place where we have much more people in working and lower class, very littel in upper, but many in the segments of middle class. It is becuase of this increase of the middle classes that politicians shift their focus to gain votes. It also begs the question that with so many fragments, are we not now in a classless society? Simon Hattenstone from The Guardian has written a report on such a topic in relation to the present General Elections, a part of his report looking at a very Labour area says: "Why are so many people voting Labour here? "Because we're workers. And they look after people. I live with a disabled bloke and you get looked after." What about Cameron? "Oh yes! He went to Eton, didn't he. Ordinary working person, aren't I? Could do with more money on the pension though."

A very interesting and relevant artical that can be read in full here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/apr/14/general-election-social-class-salford