Self-presentation through TOFAŞ vehicle ownership: TR21 sample

In the modern period and afterwards, it has begun to be understood that consumption is not just consumption. It is seen that individuals who make up the society do not consume objects only for production purposes, but also obtain additional and often virtual benefits from them. This new society, in which even consumption itself is consumed, has begun to be described as a consumer society. In a consumer society, individuals may tend to define their identities through the objects they consume. Marketing efforts aimed at increasing consumption often focus on individuals being themselves and presenting their identities through marketed products. At this point, the role of consumed objects in self-presentation begins to become visible. The effect of the automobile, which is one of the important consumption objects today, on the male individual can be evaluated in a similar context. There are signs that indicate that male individuals present themselves through the car brands and models they buy and use. For many men, the automobile is perceived and reflected as a sign of power, status, and a set of direct and indirect messages given to society. In this study, the relationship of male TOFAŞ brand car owners residing in the Thrace Region (TR21) with their cars and the effects of this relationship on their self-presentation were examined.