The article looks at the role of consumers' social identities in their
purchasing decisions, and hence in the creation of effective marketing
strategies. It says that people generally belong to multiple social
groups, any one of which may have the most salience for them in a given
situation. It reports on social psychology research on how a person's
connection with a particular social identity can be triggered and
discusses the idea in the context of marketing products including the
Toyota Prius hybrid-electric automobile, Nescafé instant coffee, and the
Jeep all-terrain vehicle.