Identity signaling

What is identity signaling?

Identity signaling (also spelled identity signalling) is the use of choices, possessions, or expressions to communicate an identity. A choice can indicate affiliation with a group or distance from it, although the identity others infer may differ from what the person intends.

Research evidence

In Berger and Heath’s four studies, people were more likely to diverge from others in product domains seen as expressing identity. Framing a product as identity relevant also changed the influence of its associated social group.

Illustrative example

Someone might stop wearing a style because it has become associated with a group they do not want to resemble. The style has not changed, but what it appears to say about the wearer has. That distinction is the point of identity signaling.

Why it matters for consumer behavior

A product can do two jobs: serve a practical purpose and communicate something about its owner. Marketing that ignores the second job can miss part of its appeal. But products also differ in price, performance, availability and personal appeal. A car brand alone does not establish its owner’s environmental values or political motives. The studies do not show that all consumer behavior is primarily social signaling.