JOURNAL OF ASIAN FINANCE ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS, no.5, pp.421-432, 2021 (ESCI)
The study aims to investigate the relationships among two socio-psychological concepts (self-esteem and public self-consciousness) and two marketing concepts (symbolic consumption and brand consciousness). The questionnaire method was used for data collection; 274 questionnaires were collected through convenience sampling. Exploratory factor analysis was first done with SPSS. The AMOS 23 was used to test the model applying structural equation modeling. The results show that self-esteem has a positive influence on symbolic consumption, brand consciousness, and public self-consciousness. The positive influence of public self-consciousness on symbolic consumption and the positive influence of symbolic consumption on brand consciousness were also determined. Studies on the measurement of relationships between variables discussed in this article are scarce. Revealing these relationships is important in terms of contribution to the theory and practice. The results reveal that self-esteem is positively related to symbolic consumption (both direct and indirect through public self-consciousness), and to brand consciousness (both direct and indirect through symbolic consumption and public self-consciousness). Individuals that evaluate themselves highly are more concerned about public opinion. Individuals who care about their presence in society will use products that reflect their lifestyle. Consumers who make purchasing that is congruent with their lifestyle and self are more brand-conscious.