The effect of brand's symbolic values on hedonic consumption

Today's postmodern consumption culture affects individuals through psychological and sociological aspects and reveals its effect on creation of identity and interaction with social environment processes. Due to this fact, hedonic consumption idea, which represents the emotional satisfactions gathered by consumption rather than satisfactions based on needs and benefits, has come up in literature. Hedonic consumption is explained as getting more satisfaction from consumption's emotional aspect and consumption of symbols of brands. The symbols that are being associated with brands during societal processes that are being shared among individuals, affect the choices of consumers. Within a postmodern consumer life style, the brands and symbols that are fitting with this life style are being selected to create a highly individualistic story. Clearly, in this story, the symbols associated with brands are the most important actors. These symbols and the meaningful world that symbols develop are intertwined with the individual's emotional world. The passion for the symbols or brands create the need to have the symbols and individuals' feel happier as they have more and feel more sorrowful as they have less. Within this aspect, the aim of this study is to examine the brands and symbols that are being centered in individuals' life to reveal the impacts on hedonic consumption. In addition, a qualitative research is used to support the data that is explained through a detailed literature examination with scientific facts.