Sellisesse

Sellisesse is a neologism in marketing and consumer behavior describing a selling approach that centers on enabling consumers to express their self-identity through products and brand ecosystems. The term blends sell and self, reflecting the idea that value emerges when customers embed products within their self-narratives.

Origins and scope: Coined in the early 2020s in scholarly and industry discussions about social commerce and platform-enabled personalization, sellisesse is used to analyze how brands design products, interfaces, and incentives to let buyers project and signal aspects of their identity.

Concept and mechanisms: Core elements include co-creation and customization that let users adapt products to personal meaning; narrative framing and storytelling features that tie purchases to life events; social proof and community channels that reward sharing and peer validation; and reward systems that align consumer identity with continued participation.

Applications: The approach is observed in fashion and beauty platforms, gaming ecosystems, and consumer electronics where users build digital or physical goods around personal identity, often leveraging influencer networks and user-generated content.

Benefits and criticisms: Potential to increase engagement, loyalty, and perceived value; risks include privacy concerns, pressure to conform to certain identities, manipulation risks, and unequal access to expressive features.

See also: platform economy, consumer co-creation, social commerce, influencer marketing.

Further reading: discussions of identity-driven marketing and co-creative consumption.