The role of art infusion in enhancing pro-environmental luxury brand advertising

Underpinned by art infusion theory, this present research examines the effect of art infusion on brand attitudes under different brand conditions (i.e. pro-environmental luxury brands and luxury brands) in advertising. Across two experimental studies, this research offers empirical evidence to a moderated mediation model, such that when an advertisement features an artwork (vs. no-artwork), consumers will perceive lower levels of incompatibility between luxury and sustainability, leading to a more favorable brand attitude toward the pro-environmental luxury brand. However, such differences will not occur among consumers evaluating an ordinary luxury brand. The findings of this research broaden the current body of knowledge related to the art infusion effect and provide important implications for marketers in their advertising strategy. Furthermore, these findings suggest that art infusion may be the solution to the dilemma facing sustainable luxury brands since luxury and sustainability are often perceived as incongruent concepts.     

Mediational role of perceived personal legacy value between consumer agentic generativity and attitudes/buying intentions toward luxury brands

This study evaluates three luxury watch brands of different luxury intensity according to their perceived values with a special attention to personal legacy value. It uses the agentic dimension of consumer generativity as a segmentation variable for luxury brands. A parsimonious and reliable scale of perceived personal legacy value is first developed and further used to discriminate the luxury level of brands. Results show the superiority of a high-end luxury watch versus an accessible and a typical luxury brand on personal legacy. Structural equation modeling shows a mediation effect of personal legacy value between consumer agentic generativity and attitudes/buying intentions toward brands. Implications in marketing literature and industry practices highlight the important role of personal legacy as an added value for luxury brands. It also demonstrates the relevance of targeting agentic generative consumers in a luxury consumption context.     

The effect of distribution channel diversification of foreign luxury fashion brands on consumers’ brand value and loyalty in the Korean market

The purpose of this research is to examine South Korean consumers’ brand value and brand loyalty toward foreign luxury fashion brands and current distribution channels for those brands (i.e., Department stores/Specialty stores, Factory outlet, Internet retailing, TV home shopping). Furthermore, this research examines the impact of channel diversification on consumers’ brand value and brand loyalty toward foreign luxury fashion brands. This study employed a quantitative research method. Factor analysis, ANOVA, Duncan test, and multiple regression analysis were employed to test the hypotheses. When testing brand values for each channel diversification case, participants evaluated brand value differently depending on the type of distribution channel. Participants did not show significantly different brand loyalty depending on distribution diversification cases. When the influence of brand value on brand loyalty was tested, different brand values affected brand loyalty depending on the type of distribution channel. Also, this research could suggest possible distribution channel options for foreign luxury brands to be successful in the Korean market and values they need to put an importance depending on the retail types. In addition, foreign luxury brands could apply the results of this study to their own markets.     

Counterfeiting: Friend or Foe of Luxury Brands? An Examination of Chinese Consumers’ Attitudes Toward Counterfeit Luxury Brands

ABSTRACT

While the Chinese luxury industry is enjoying rapid growth, the market for counterfeit luxury brands is growing equally fast. There are contradictory views regarding the role counterfeit luxury brands play in the marketplace. Luxury brand owners denounce counterfeit luxury products for harming the reputation of luxury brands and reducing their profitability. Others believe that the availability of counterfeit luxury products may help increase the brand awareness of luxury names and thereby make authentic products more sought after. In this study, we examine the impact of counterfeit luxury products from the consumers’ standpoint. Specifically, the authors investigate whether and how Chinese consumers with different luxury consumption experiences view counterfeit luxury products differently. The study contributes to a better understanding of Chinese consumers’ attitudes toward counterfeit luxury products and thus helps marketers and policy makers develop more effective strategies for dealing with the issue.     

Crafting Extraordinary Stories: Decoding Luxury Brand Communications

Advertising is central to creating brand meaning by endowing brands with symbolic values and embedding them within their broader sociocultural context. This study analyzes how the symbolic meaning of luxury brands is constructed in print advertisements. In particular, the study shows how brand communications of luxury brands systematically differ from those of premium and mass-market brands. Through a comparative analysis of thematic and formal characteristics of 208 print advertising campaigns consisting of about 1,700 individual ads from the primary advertising campaigns of four luxury brands, four premium brands, and four mass-market brands, this study identifies three distinguishing factors of luxury brand communication: enrichment, distancing, and abstraction. First, luxury brand advertising enriches the communication content by using more complex campaign templates that make more frequent use of symbolism, rhetorical structures, and storytelling. Second, luxury brand advertising systematically uses distancing techniques, such as temporal, spatial, social, and hypothetical distancing. Third, luxury brand ads use higher-level discourses that allow for different interpretations of brand advertisements. Therefore, this study provides insights into the construction of brand identity in the luxury field, as well as the broader sociocultural construction of luxury and the evolution of its core symbolic constituencies.     

Visual strategies of luxury and fast fashion brands on Instagram and their effects on user engagement

This study aims to examine what makes the image content of fashion brands successful on Instagram, while comparing between luxury and fast fashion brands. A quantitative analysis of a massive collection of fashion photos posted by notable luxury and fast fashion brands was therefore conducted to identify specific patterns in these images based on four important visual content variables: the use of a brand name, brand logo, text, and hashtag. This study also examined how user engagement levels vary depending on each visual content variable. This study made several interesting findings: (1) luxury brand images with logos and brand names had higher user engagement whereas fast fashion brand images did not show this same trend; (2) the size of the brand name and logo in an image was negatively related to the user engagement or had no effect, regardless of the brand category; and (3) the use of embedded text within an image positively influenced user engagement for luxury brands whereas it negatively influenced user engagement for fast fashion brands.     

Identifying antecedent conditions for luxury brand purchase

This research draws upon self-termination and complexity theories and aims to identify the antecedent recipes for Chinese consumers' intention to purchase Chinese- (referred to as domestic) or non-Chinese (referred to as foreign) luxury brands. Two studies were undertaken. First, an online survey was undertaken to examine the antecedent conditions of luxury brand purchase. The opted conditions in this study include value perceptions, special occasions, and demographic profiles. An asymmetrical method by employing fsQCA was used to identify the unique antecedent conditions of purchase intentions. Symmetrical testing was also performed prior to fsQCA as a comparison. The findings from symmetrical and asymmetrical methods share few similar, but nevertheless complementary findings, hence providing new insights into consumers' luxury brand choices. In the second study, interviews were conducted to deepen the understanding of Chinese consumers’ knowledge, perceptions of, and attitudes towards luxury brands. Discussion and implications for marketing luxury brands in the Chinese market conclude this paper.     

Co-creating value for luxury brands

The global market for luxury brands has witnessed dramatic growth over the last two decades but the current challenging economic environment contributes to the difficulty brand owners experience in ensuring that customers perceive sufficient value in their luxury brands to compensate for the high prices. According to recent service-oriented research, customers and suppliers co-create value as a result of a shift from a firm- and product-centric view of value creation to one that focuses on personalized brand experiences. In this paper, the authors develop a theoretical framework of types of value for luxury brands, and use case study research to identify processes of value creation in this particular setting. The findings highlight the variety of interactions taking place between luxury brand owners, their customers and members of their respective networks, which help to differentiate luxury brands and co-create a superior value proposition.     

Effect of value perceptions on luxury purchase intentions: an Indian market perspective

India is witnessing a phenomenal growth in the luxury market segment. However, empirical studies in this domain are few and far between. The main objectives of this study are, firstly, to build and empirically test the theoretical framework designed to measure the effect of value perceptions on intention to purchase luxury fashion brands among Indian consumers. Secondly, to determine the role of gender in understanding the relationship between luxury value dimensions and purchase intention. This study employed researcher controlled sampling and questionnaires were administered through the personal interview from actual users of luxury fashion brands. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to test proposed hypotheses using AMOS. The statistical analysis indicated that conspicuous value was the most significant predictor of purchase intention among Indian luxury consumers followed by hedonic value and social value. The results of the study also revealed that gender does not play moderating role in the relationship between luxury value dimensions and purchase intention among Indian consumers.     

Drivers of Brand Extension Success: What Really Matters for Luxury Brands

The use of brand extensions has become fundamental to the business model of most luxury brands. Many traditional luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton or Chanel have expanded into traditional luxury sectors beyond their core business. Some brands such as Armani or Prada even crossed boundaries to nontraditional lifestyle segments to pursue new business opportunities. Given the high practical relevance of brand extensions for luxury brands and the importance to understand the success factors for their extendibility and potential backward effects on the parent brand, surprisingly little research has addressed these issues for luxury brands in comparison to nonluxury brands. The current research reveals extension‐related differences between luxury and nonluxury brands by simultaneously analyzing key dimensions of parent brand value, fit, and extension category involvement on the consumer's attitude toward the brand extension, which in turn influences the postextension image of the parent brand. Results of a structural equation model based on a survey among 492 participants show that the predominant driver of brand extension success for both luxury and nonluxury brands is overall extension fit, followed by the consumer's involvement in the extension category. The influence of functional value of the parent brand on the extension evaluation is more important for nonluxury brands. The hedonic value of the parent brand is found to be of relevance only in case of luxury brands. Moreover, a reciprocal spillover effect between the extension evaluation and the parent brand evaluation is observed. The degree of luxuriousness of the parent brand moderates this relationship. This effect is weaker for luxury brands.     

Legitimately luxurious: Creating authentic luxury brands

In recent years, greater disparities in incomes and growth in wealthy consumers have fueled new opportunities in luxury markets. As firms launched luxury brands, some have thrived as others stumbled. One important difference between those who succeed and those who struggle, we suggest, is brand authenticity. Scholars have studied authenticity extensively, and research has isolated different sources of authenticity. How firms draw on these sources to create legitimate luxury brands has, however, received surprisingly little attention. In this article, we discuss the research on the sources of brand authenticity, and we explore how brands rely on those sources to craft authentic luxury brands. Using the examples of Canada Goose and Shinola, we illustrate how one firm drew on multiple sources of authenticity and, through the symbolism of its actions, successfully created an authentic luxury brand. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for other firms seeking to enter the luxury market.     

Dimensions of Luxury Brand Personality: Scale Development and Validation

Both the marketing industry and academia have been paying more attention to the growth and potential of the luxury market. This research developed a theoretical framework for understanding the dimensions of luxury brand personality and a reliable and valid scale that measures these dimensions. When 30 luxury brands, ranging from fashion to automobile and retail, were assessed on a set of diverse personality attributes, six dimensions representing luxury brand personality were identified: Excitement, Sincerity, Sophistication, Professionalism, Attractiveness, and Materialism. Findings indicate that while three dimensions, Sincerity, Excitement, and Sophistication, share similar qualities with those identified in Aaker's (1997) scale for general brand personality, the other three dimensions, Professionalism, Attractiveness, and Materialism, reflect meanings unique and specific to luxury brands. Altogether, the results of this research hold the notion that luxury brands serving as consumption symbols provide both utilitarian benefits and symbolic meanings to contemporary consumers.     

Uncertainty and affluent teenagers’ luxury buying-decision: The role of avoidance-related indecisiveness

Global teen population constitutes a sizable market in the luxury brands industry. However, little is known about the mechanism through which teens form an attitude towards luxury brands, particularly in the context of emerging economies. Drawing insights from self-concept theory, self-discrepancy theory, and social consumption motivation, our study proposes a theoretical framework to explain how teenagers' self-related perception influence social consumption motives through avoidance-related indecisiveness, thereby determining teenagers' attitude towards luxury brands. Using a sample of 610 affluent private school students across five major cities of India, we empirically validate our theoretical framework through structural equation modelling. Our study contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating the impact of teenagers’ self-perception on the display of avoidance-related indecisiveness and resisting social consumption motives of luxury brand purchases.     

The picture of luxury: A comprehensive examination of college student consumers' relationship with luxury brands

This study examines college student consumers' relationship with luxury brands through two studies. Study 1 analyzes collages to determine what represents luxury to them, how consumers perceive their relationships with luxury, and who they are as luxury consumers. Study 2 analyzes qualitative interviews to validate the findings of Study 1 and to add further insights. Results of Study 1 suggest that college student consumers represent a vibrant segment in the luxury market. These consumers perceive a wide variety of products and brands as meeting their luxury needs. They are currently interested in luxury and their potential will only increase as their incomes do. Results of Study 2 confirms their views of luxury and emphasizes the critical roles social media, peers, and family play in influencing college student consumers' luxury consumption and provide insights for how to build an emotional bond with them. Luxury marketers can build brand relationships with college student consumers by offering them entry-level products as they are current luxury consumers and see their consumption expanding in the future. Given that college student consumers are both vulnerable and savvy in recognizing when they are being manipulated, caution needs to be taken in approaching this segment in relationship-building efforts.     

弘扬民族工艺 开拓中国奢侈品发展之路

2011年中国奢侈品消费占全球份额1/4,几乎所有奢侈品都是国外品牌,庞大的市场需求和缺失的本土品牌形成鲜明对比,随着时间的推移这种反差还在继续加大。如何改变这种局面,如何让外流的消费回到国内为国民经济发展作贡献,本文通过分析中国奢侈品消费现状及成因,指出只有合理引导消费,加强消费者文化教育,培育本土品牌,才能彻底改变消费外溢、资金外流的局面,并且提出了将中国民族工艺和元素与现代设计理念相结合的方法来创建本土品牌,从而开拓中国奢侈品发展之路。     

Enhancing brand coolness through perceived luxury values: Insight from luxury fashion brands

Consumers of luxury brands have been described as seekers of products that can offer a signaling value to present to others but also a value for their self-concepts in an existentialist spirit potentially linked to being “cool or not.” Prior studies have conceptualized brand coolness and evaluated its impact on consumer responses to brands. However, few studies have contextualized the construct of brand coolness concerning luxury brand realism. We assessed the semiotic tension that luxury brand consumers feel between self-concept and self-presentation to others via a theoretical consideration of four antecedents of brand coolness: individual, social, financial, and functional luxury values; and one intentional outcome such as consumers' passionate desire to use luxury fashion brands. Our findings indicated that luxury values positively influence brand coolness, and brand coolness positively influences passionate desire. We further confirmed that brand coolness plays a complementary mediating role between luxury values and passionate desire. A final contribution is to invite brand managers to consider how luxury values and brand coolness might be used proactively to drive consumers' passionate desires in the relationships with luxury fashion brands.     

Brand addiction in the contexts of luxury and fast-fashion brands

Although research on consumer-brand relationship has gained increasing interest among scholars, little is known to date about its most intense form – brand addiction. This research explores the main motives and outcomes of this phenomenon in the two brand categories: luxury and fast-fashion brands. The authors conducted 21 in-depth interviews in the U.S. to tap into the respondents' addictive experiences with luxury and fast-fashion brands. Different themes emerged regarding the motivations for luxury and fast-fashion brand addiction. Self-expressiveness, status consumption and perceived quality are motivators for luxury fashion brand addiction while continuous update of fashion-led items, perceived value, and product assortments are motivators for fast-fashion brand addiction. As for the consequences, interpersonal relationships and financial issues emerged as common themes for addiction to certain luxury and fast-fashion brands while selectivity of style and motivation to work harder surfaced as themes for addiction to particular luxury brands. The results also show that brand addiction may cause both positive and negative effects on consumers’ well-being. This research provides important implications for consumer-brand relationships and ethical considerations for brand managers.     

What women want: Creation of a luxury brand

South Korea was first introduced to luxury brands in the 1990s. Since then, a great interest in luxury products, or myungpoom, and foreign products, called waejae, has developed. Despite the strong preference for fashion products from the United States and Europe, Sang A, a brand founded by a woman born and raised in Korea, is recognized as a myungpoom in Korea. This new luxury brand is also known for its designer handbags in the United States and is quite successful in both countries. In a comparative study of Sang A and the internationally well-known luxury brand Jimmy Choo using literary research, Internet research, field research, and interviews with Sang A bag consumers, I identified several key elements of success for the two brands: niche market targeting, storytelling, a ‘hungry attitude,’ high prices but accessible discounts, thorough management of distribution channels, and image-making through star power. This article implicates that Korean consumers have complex desires that go beyond simply wanting foreign goods.     

Understanding the effect of personal and social value on attitude and usage behavior of luxury cosmetic brands

The growth of the luxury market has been phenomenal in recent years, especially in the emerging markets such as India. This research studied luxury value aspects (personal and social) of luxury cosmetic brands and their impact on consumer attitudes and usage behavior, with a focus on women consumers. Data was collected in the form of a survey from 372 women luxury cosmetic users. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the framework. Hedonism and status value were found to have high significant relationship towards attitude whereas usage behavior was influenced by materialism and status value. Hence the symbolic and psychological traits among consumer will show their willingness to buy and preferences on luxury cosmetic brands. The findings of this study provide valuable insights to marketers and managers to understand consumer trends, attitudes and behavior in the luxury cosmetic market and develop marketing strategies to successfully market their products.