Self–object relationships in consumers’ spontaneous metaphors of anthropomorphism, zoomorphism, and dehumanization

How consumers relate to possessions and consumption goods, and pursue identity goals through spontaneous metaphors of anthropomorphism, zoomorphism, and dehumanization (AZD) in consumption, has not been explored. Whereas previous studies primed and prompted AZD by focusing on consumers’ reactions to marketers’ AZD, we examined AZD metaphors that emerged spontaneously from our conversations with Greek consumers in this phenomenological study. We identify four patterns that show how different attachment styles to consumer goods were combined with different types of AZD metaphors to provide different emotional benefits relating to identity goals. The study contributes to our understanding of how consumers employ AZD as self-therapeutic metaphors to cope with unwanted feelings such as guilt and ambivalence within identity conflicts, approach and feel closer to their desired selves, experience self-augmentation, and cope with their undesired selves and self-diminishment in consumption. We discuss how marketing campaigns linked to product design, branding, and advertising might facilitate consumers’ metaphoric coping by stimulating consumers’ AZD metaphors.