I, me, and mine—how products become consumers' extended selves

Abstract

Consumer research literature has recognized the consumers' use of products and brands as props to their self-identity. While this literature has illuminated that products indeed serve to extend one's sense of self, the concept of ‘self’ itself is under-identified. In this conceptual essay, we propose a set of components that make up one's sense of self. Then we identify processes through which possessions become associated with one's identity or self-concept. We suggest the utility of using the proposed framework in practice for consumers' self-concept profiles, and for linking brands to appropriate components of ‘self.’ Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.