As a marketer or business owner, you can use social class to increase product

influences by:

 ✓ Creating different products, services, and product/service lines

intended for different social classes: For example, try offering your

top-of-the-line product to those in the upper class (who can afford it and

view it as a product that sets them apart in social status), but then also

take the time to create products that are specific to young profession-

als in the middle class. Even though they can’t afford the top-of-the-line

products, they’ll still have an option of purchasing a product from you.

For example, consider the BMW 1 series that was created for the middle

class individual who couldn’t afford to purchase the BMW 7 series.

 ✓ Marketing the types of products you offer to the social class whose

members typically buy them: For instance, upper class is a good market

for real estate, prestigious cars, designer clothes, foreign wines, expen-

sive hobbies, posh restaurants, and so on.

 ✓ Selling items of status, or conspicuous items, which are products that

social classes are likely to talk about and compare among themselves:

Fashion, jewelry, or flashy automobiles are all visible items that create

status for consumers. They’re items that others will talk about. These

items often make consumers feel important and be perceived as being in

a higher social class than their peers (which is often the reason behind

purchasing these products).

 ✓ Aiming your promotional messages to appeal to a specific social class:

For example, the promotional messages directed to the upper class con-

sumers have to stress status, style, taste, and sophistication. These mes-

sages must also show these high-end consumers what they can do with

the product to express themselves.