[News Terms] "I’ve Been There" Differentiation Through Space: ‘Spacedentity’

Focus on the 'Space' that Differentiates 'Me'
Companies Also Strive to Provide Space Experiences
Space Experience Acts as a Kind of Specification

In 1957, French philosopher Gaston Bachelard stated in his book The Poetics of Space that "a house is our corner of the world." The everyday space of a house signifies a person's world and a universe in itself. He grasped the meaning of the ‘image’ that arises when one thinks of a person connected to the house they live in.

Even today, the recognition of the value of space seems valid. Recently, among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), there has been an increasing trend of expressing one’s identity through ‘space.’ Spacedentity is a term combining Space and Identity.

The idea that ‘the space I am in tells about me.’ In other words, the reason the MZ generation focuses on space is to show a ‘differentiated self’ through ‘space experience.’ They decorate the spaces they occupy and freely express their sensibilities down to the smallest details. Not only homes but also offices, vehicles, and other spaces are filled with items that express their identity.

Home decor and other hashtag search result screen
[Photo by Instagram]

The emergence of internet platforms has contributed to the spread of spacedentity. In the past, opportunities to look inside other people’s homes were limited. Information from traditional media such as magazines and broadcasts targeted the existing customer base of the interior industry, mainly housewives. However, with the popularization of smartphones, taking photos became easy, and a culture of expressing one’s life and sharing information through social networking services (SNS) was established. Spaces filled with individuality can be conveyed through photos and videos without complicated explanations.

The impact of COVID-19 is also significant. As the pandemic increased the time people spent at home, they began paying more attention to their interior spaces. Beyond home gyms equipped with various health and Pilates equipment, movements to create spaces specialized for personal lifestyles such as home offices, home cafes, and home bars have become active. As of the 19th, hashtags like ‘home deco’ and ‘home decorating’ have been searched 5.6 million and 2.6 million times respectively on Instagram, showing active sharing of personal lifestyles and interior know-how.

Space identity is also important for companies. Companies are actively implementing strategies that satisfy consumers’ ‘space experience’ in line with the spacedentity trend. The ‘pop-up store’ is a representative example. Pop-up stores are places where consumers with similar tastes gather. Consumers purchase limited edition goods or take photos to upload on SNS. The recently popular idol fandom cafes are similar. Consumers enjoy their ‘deokjil’ (fan activities), and companies benefit from promoting their stores. There is also the advantage of attracting visits from overseas fans who learn about birthday events and other news through SNS.

The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. [Photo source=Pixabay]

Furthermore, companies deliberately place stores in inconvenient or secluded locations to encourage consumers to visit intentionally. The strategy is to make the space experience of visiting the store a kind of credential, as in ‘I’ve been there.’ This is interpreted as an effort to enhance the brand’s value and accessibility beyond simply selling products. In this way, space has become as important as content. Both decorating a space well and visiting a well-decorated space have become regarded as a kind of credential in today’s era.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.