Consumer Identity: Pride of Texas

Texas is well known as a larger than life state with a diverse and often wildly stereotyped history and culture. The pride of Texans is often mentioned as a defining characteristic of the state, and it is not an unfounded descriptor. In order to discover whether this state pride can motivate consumers toward buying local over outside goods, research and personal interviews of Texans were conducted. Both the research and subsequent interviews concluded that Texans' identities are deeply tied to their state, an identity that they maintain through a cycle of consumption and attachment to both promote and affirm that connection. In order to facilitate in-state consumption of Texas-made goods, companies should heavily promote their goods' production point. While Texans routinely seek out American-made products, they feel a deeper attachment to products made within their hometown and state.