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Masstige model and measure for brand management
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to reconceptualize the term “masstige” (Mass Prestige) marketing, develop a masstige model for brand management, and extend the use of the Masstige Mean Scale (MMS). The study was conducted based on the data from 600 individuals living in the United States, France, and India using a structured questionnaire consisting of different factors/sources of brand equity, such as mass prestige, brand knowledge, and perceived quality. On the basis of the findings, we establish that the greater the brand's Masstige Mean Index (MMI) value (“MMIV”), the higher the potential customers' top-of-mind brand awareness. Low MMIVs imply that firms have a long way to go to build their brands. We argue that MMI may allow firms to measure brand equity in different regions, within a country or in foreign countries, to derive insights into the popularity of their brands. We posit three theoretical propositions and develop two theoretical models (i) a hexagon model and (ii) a three-stage model for masstige marketing to define, reconceptualize, and explain the phenomenon.
... These brands possess superior quality, are readily accessible, and are priced lower than traditional luxury items. There are two distinct categories of prestige brands: those that are inherently prestigious, such as Apple, Starbucks, and Victoria's Secret (Kumar et al., 2020;Paul, 2019); and those that began their decline as luxury brands, including Channel, Prada, and Hugo Boss (Robertson et al., 2022). ...
... The three categories of masstige research are conceptualization of masstige, customer perception of masstige value, and consumer association with masstige brands. The initial stream definition places particular emphasis on operationalization and scale development (Mundel et al., 2017;Ishaq et al., 2023;Baber et al., 2020;Paul, 2015Paul, , 2019. The second research line examines the motivation and value derived from luxury value brands (Das et al., 2022;Purohit & Radia, 2022). ...
... Research has shown that individuals experience positive affective and psychosomatic effects from making luxurious purchases, as their subjective well-being is impacted by their communal identity and lifestyle choices (Prentice & Loureiro, 2018). Due to the fact that masstige value is considered a crucial indicator of brand equity, we extend our previous research on consumer well-being to the masstige sector (Paul, 2018(Paul, , 2019. The ability to purchase premium products restricts well-being to a specific subset of consumers (Zhang, Wei, Yu, Sharma, & Olson, 2023). ...
The purpose of the current study is to understand the underlying structure of Brand masstige and its subsequent effects. Specifically, this study aims to empirically examine the impact of Masstige (Mass prestige, brand perception, and propensity to pay premium) on consumer well-being (CWB) and brand loyalty (BL). Furthermore, the aim of this study is to investigate the impact of CWB on BL, and the mediatory role of CWB between Masstige (MP, BP, and PPP) and BL. Additionally, it seeks to investigate the interactive effect of Lifestyle congruence with Masstige (MP, BP, and PPP) to enhance CWB. Employing a cross-sectional research design, data has been collected through multi-stage and convenience sampling from masstige Hotel visitors (N=395) in the twin cities of Pakistan. The results of the study show a positive impact of MP, BP, and PPP on CWB. Furthermore, the current study supports the mediating role of consumer well-being between MP, BP, and PPP with Consumer loyalty. Moreover, the results prove the moderating role of lifestyle congruence between the association of Masstige and consumer well-being. Our study of masstige marketing for luxury services does not take into account technological advancements; thus, future studies can consider the importance of technology in the market, which can be useful to understand customer behavior and thus provide marketers with insights to plan for customer consumption and loyalty.
... Consequently, brands today rely less on exclusivity and rarity for profitability and market share, turning instead to relational and social factors like the bandwagon effect and consumer brand engagement as key elements defining "prestige" in today's market (Oyedele and Goenner 2021). This paradigm shift has given rise to "masstige" brands that blend mass appeal with luxury, catering to the expanding demographic of consumers with disposable income who desire accessible luxury (Paul 2019). ...
... Although the concept of masstige is relatively new, it has been discussed using various terms across the scholarly landscape, such as opuluxe, populous, premium, ultra-premium, trading up, and hyper luxury (Kumar, Paul, and Unnithan 2020;Kumar, Paul, and Starčević 2021;Paul 2019;Truong, McColl, and Kitchen 2009). Silverstein, Fiske, and Butman (2005) describe masstige brands as "premium but attainable", positioning them between traditional luxury brands and conventional brands (Paul 2015). ...
... The concept of masstige, a portmanteau of the words "mass" and "prestige," represents a new category of products that combine elements of luxury with mass-market appeal (Silverstein and Fiske 2003). Masstige theory has emerged as a distinct research domain, differentiated from traditional luxury marketing, to understand and explain the unique characteristics, consumer perceptions, and marketing strategies associated with masstige brands (Paul 2019;Kumar, Paul, and Unnithan 2020). Masstige brands are positioned as affordable luxury, offering prestige and high quality at a price point accessible to middle-class consumers (Hong, Lee, and Yun 2010;Paul 2015). ...
This study examines the interplay between masstige brands and key consumer factors, including the need for uniqueness, pride, bandwagon effect, conspicuous consumption, and consumer brand engagement. Employing a two‐stage sampling method and PLS–SEM analysis, the research focuses on middle‐income individuals as prospective masstige consumers. Findings reveal that pride and the need for uniqueness significantly drive masstige consumption, while masstige consumption strongly influences conspicuous consumption and consumer brand engagement. The study contributes to the masstige literature by validating the MMI scale and demonstrating the pivotal roles of pride and uniqueness in navigating the masstige market. These insights underscore the strategic importance of masstige brands in fostering consumer‐brand relationships and provide direction for targeted engagement strategies.
... Evaluating a brand's masstige status necessitates the application of sophisticated metrics, such as the Masstige Mean Score Scale (MMSS) developed by Paul (2015Paul ( , 2019. Employing MMSS, research (e.g. ...
... A significant number of studies carried out on masstige consumption identified perceived status as one of the determinants for masstige consumption (e.g. Ho et al., 2023;Paul, 2019;Chatterjee et al., 2023;Wang et al., 2022;Zhang et al., 2023). In the current study, we argue perceived status as the underlying reason for difference in the impact of monetary discounts on purchase intention of a masstige brand between existing and potential customers. ...
... This argument is valid in the Indian masstige consumption market when testing with iPhone, Ray-Ban, Armani Exchange and Calvin Klein which were considered as masstige brands as identified by the pretest. Also, using masstige mean score scale (Paul, 2019), we measured the prestige perception of the brand we used as study stimuli in each study to reconfirm that the brand is perceived as a masstige brand by the respondents. For example, iPhone was identified as a masstige brand from the pretest, and we tested the masstige mean score scale of iPhone (Paul, 2019) which was 57.02 (existing customer: 62.3 and potential: 57.4) indicating that the brand was assessed as a masstige brand by existing and potential customers. ...
Purpose:
While a price discount might encourage potential (first-time) customers seeking higher status to buy a masstige brand; it might deter existing (repeat) customers from purchasing the brand due to a decline in perceived status. Such a paradoxical effect of price discounts on masstige brand’s purchase requires a detailed investigation into whether masstige brands should offer price discounts
and if so, how to communicate such discounts. Current research investigates this phenomenon.
Design/methodology:
Four experimental studies were executed. Study 1 investigated the impact of monetary discount (absent vs. present) on the purchase intention of masstige brands for different customer types (potential vs. existing). Study 2 investigated the mediating role of perceived status. Study 3 examined the effectiveness of metaphoric communication of monetary discounts (absent vs. present) on the masstige brand’s purchase. Study 4 tested the moderating effect of customers’ need for cognition.
Findings:
Overall, monetary discounts positively affect the purchase intention of masstige brand; however, the effect is negative for existing customers and positive for potential customers owing to differences in perceived status these customer groups experience (positive for potential and negative for existing customers). Metaphoric communications of monetary discounts restrict the declining purchase intention and status perception of existing customers besides keeping the potential customers’ purchase intention intact.
Research limitations:
This research is confined to a particular country limiting the generalizability of the study’s findings. Further, this research is cross-sectional in nature.
Practical implications: The findings of this research provide valuable insights and actionable recommendations for masstige brands to effectively leverage price discounts; especially in the emerging markets.
Originality/value:
To date, the question of whether or not masstige brands should offer price discounts and if so, how to communicate such discounts remains opaque. This is the pioneering study exploring this phenomenon.
Keywords
Masstige; Price discount; Social status; Metaphor; Need for cognition; Luxury
... Currently, consumers have a diverse set of needs beyond just fulfilling basic physical requirements (Kumar et al. 2021). With the rise in purchasing power among individuals, many companies have implemented the masstige positioning strategy (Paul 2019), enabling the masses to access luxury products at reasonable prices. This approach has made it possible for people to attain prestige through purchasing affordable luxury products. ...
... Despite being relatively new in the academic literature, the concept of "consumer happiness" has become more well-known in recent years (e.g., Dhiman and Kumar 2023). Previous works by Paul (2019) and Kumar et al. (2021) have studied "consumer happiness", the least explored studied in a variety of contexts (Kumar et al. 2021;Schnebelen and Bruhn 2018), including consumer research (e.g., Dhiman and Kumar 2023). The study by Chen et al. (2021) is among the few works in consumer behavior literature examining conspicuous consumption and consumer happiness. ...
... Our study draws upon compelling theoretical frameworks and models such as Kumar et al. (2021) and Paul (2019), and traditional theoretical propositions on social status consumption that encompass diverse motivations (e.g., Eastman and Eastman 2015). However, a need remains to establish more interdisciplinary theories within marketing theory. ...
This article explores consumer behavior when buying premium fashion brands like clothing and shoes to display their social status via digital platforms, which established a correlation between “masstige” (mass prestige) and brand satisfaction, and how one’s social self-ideal and self-awareness affect this connection, this study will scrutinize the shopping tendencies of two generations of consumers: Gen Z and Gen X, both known for being discerning shoppers. We received 607 responses, and 347 were completed by consumers who use gamified mobile apps on digital platforms to purchase high-end fashion brands to showcase their social status. This study is exceptional in exploring (1) how consumers experience using mass premium brands that offer prestige and (2) how different generations pursue this value. The article provides interesting theoretical and managerial implications to marketing analytics and societal implications of high interest for marketing academia and marketing managers.
... Besides fetching the attention of marketers on various techniques, masstige as a research theme is also attracting the scholars' attention than ever before, and numerous research works have been done in the recent past (see Alagarsamy et al., 2022;Bae & Jo, 2022;Burhanudin, 2022;Kumar et al., 2020;Paul, 2019). The study by Boisvert et al. (2023) mainly focuses on the underlying factors of masstige consumption. ...
... We prioritized the main keys as "mass prestige" and "masstige" while also considering other acronyms, the addition of synonyms, and spellings to guarantee the comprehensive coverage of significant research. Following an extensive examination of the past review article and other publications in the domain of masstige marketing, we have chosen the most relevant phrases (e.g., see Alagarsamy et al., 2022;Kumar et al., 2021;Paul, , 2019Saha et al., 2023). Furthermore, a thorough examination was carried out by analyzing the titles, abstracts, and keywords of papers in Scopus and WoS. ...
... Statement related to functional, experiential, and symbolic values attached to masstige brand purchase (refer to Chatterjee et al., 2023;Goyal, 2020;Kapferer 2012Kapferer , 2014Kim et al., 2019;Singh, 2022;Kolańska-Stronka & Krasa, 2023; Statement about the Masstige theory, Models, and scales (refer to Ishaq et al., 2023;Kumar et al., 2020;Paul, , 2019Saha et al., 2023;Silverstein & Fisk, 2003). ...
In the 21st century, luxury marketing increasingly utilizes “masstige marketing” as a strategic approach. This approach combines luxury and mass brands and targets middle‐class consumers with an aim to make high‐end brands more accessible and affordable. However, despite a surge in research interest over the past two decades, the literature on masstige marketing remains scattered. Therefore, the present moment offers an appropriate time to consolidate the existing literature and lay the groundwork for future researchers. To achieve this aim, this paper endeavors to narrow the literature divide between luxury and affordability to establish a strong conceptual boundary using SPAR‐4 protocol and the TCCM approach. It thoroughly examines 75 papers published between 2003 and 2023 to identify critical research gaps. Furthermore, following manual coding and inductive analysis, the review outlines the theoretical perspective like masstige and bandwagon (Theory); identifies the contextual elements like B2B space and culture (Context); reveals the antecedents, gaps, and outcome variables, that is, CBBE and purchase intention (Characteristics); and suggest diverse approaches, that is, mixed and experimental methods (Methodology). The article also confirms the incorporation of themes, that is, value‐based and masstige‐evolution dimensions, by using Corbin and Strauss open, axial, and selective coding. Lastly, by employing in‐depth knowledge gap analysis, the review proposes future research directions as an efficient path for obtaining a holistic understanding of masstige marketing dynamics.
... Another report tied this aspect with customers' views. For example, Paul [35] stated that product brand perception is a multidimensional construction that combines consumer views on quality, values, attitudes, brand associations, and feelings about a product. Therefore, product brand perception is considered significantly crucial to a product. ...
... Thus, a brand is not only about the name, logo, or symbol but also a transaction representing the product or service provided [36]. To measure its significance, according to Paul [35], product brand perception can be measured using dimensions that include: brand knowledge & prestige, perceived quality, and excitement & status. ...
... The measurement of the E-Service quality variable was adopted from Wolfinbarger & Gilly [30], which consisted of 7 items. The product brand perception variable consists of 6 items adapted from Paul [35], while the measurement of the social support variable uses 7 items adopted from Liang et al. [39]. The measurement of satisfaction was adopted from the study done by Horppu et al. [45], which covered 6 items, and the trust variables were adopted from Flavián et al. [54], which covered 7 items. ...
Technological developments have an impact on business activities and consumer behavior. This can be seen from the increasing number of online businesses. This study looks at consumer behavior by exploring the relationship between e-service quality, product brand perception, and social support on satisfaction; trust; behavioral intentions & repurchases on marketplaces in Indonesia. This quantitative research uses the Structural Equation Model (SEM) method with Lisrel 88 program. The respondents in this research are 450 X-Z generation and have filled out the online questionnaires through google form. The results of this study indicates that e-service quality has a significant effect on consumer satisfaction, product brand perception has a positive impact on trust, and social support has a direct impact on both trust and behavioral intention. Satisfaction, trust, and behavioral intentions, positively affect repurchase. This research offers significant managerial implications for companies, especially in making policy and formatting strategy of business management marketing by taking into account the aspects of customer satisfaction and trust. Companies can formulate strategies through the results of this research by creating innovative products, responsive services, wider and sustainable networks.
... Masstige marketing over the last few decades has motivated luxury brands to adopt democratization to reach middle-income consumers from different societies who are ready to buy affordable luxury (Paul, 2019;Shukla et al., 2022). Masstige brands aim to create extra revenue from young and middle-class consumers by managing affordability and availability on a scale that appeals to this consumer segment (Chen et al., 2022;Wang et al., 2022). ...
... Some studies examine the masstige scores for brands (Baber et al., 2020;Paul, 2019), while others identify several psychological aspects of masstige consumption (Das, Jebarajakirthy, & Sivapalan, 2022;Das, Saha, Jebarajakirthy, et al., 2022;Das, Saha, & Roy, 2022;Kumar et al., 2021). ...
... A 10-item scale, referred to as Masstige Mean Scale (Paul, 2019), was used to collect the data on three dimensions, namely, brand knowledge and prestige (5 items), perceived quality (2 items), and excitement and status (3 items). The measuring methodology was adopted in line with the recommendations of Paul (2015), where the score ranges between 10 and 70 for each brand. ...
Consumers prefer brands that provide them with symbolic meaning, and they use them to enhance their self‐esteem and develop their status and personal images. Self‐esteem is an important psychological factor that contributes to an individual's purchase intentions and consumption behavior, but its role in shaping the consumption of masstige brands has not been thoroughly researched. Hence, this research aims: (1) to identify the masstige brands in the smartphone industry of Pakistan using the masstige mean index, and (2) to explore the role of self‐esteem in consumer consumption behavior grounded in terms of masstige, self‐gifting behavior, and brand personality. Moreover, this study uses self‐gifting behavior as the mediator and brand personality as the moderator in the relationship between self‐esteem and masstige purchase intention. The data from study 1 (n = 560) and study 2 (n = 329) were collected using a self‐administered questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that masstige brand consumption is influenced by self‐esteem; this relationship is mediated by self‐gifting behavior, and brand personality moderates the association. Theoretically, this study contributes to the masstige theory by exploring the role of self‐esteem in masstige consumption in an emerging economy. Practically, this study provides a comprehensive guideline for brand managers to devise effective marketing strategies to build their brands as masstige brands.
... Luxury products are distinguished by six key characteristics: quality, price, rarity, aesthetics, extraordinary, and symbolic meaning (Heine & Phan, 2011). These distinguishing attributes diverge from those that, by virtue of their exclusivity, render luxury items unattainable for 'regular' buyers (Paul, 2019). Furthermore, Paul (2015aPaul ( , 2015b posits that contemporary luxury branding strategies aim to provide an aura of prestige to these items while simultaneously charging premium prices that may appeal to consumers in the middle-income bracket (A. ...
... Consumers are prepared to pay higher costs because the perceived value of luxury products is more significant than massmarket products. However, the current study gives a theoretical perspective that contradicts this notion (Paul, 2019;Kastanakis & Voyer, 2012). Along with the development and advancement of information technology in Indonesia, people can buy luxury brands online through e-commerce or other platforms. ...
... Consumer emotional experiences have a favourable effect on their attitudes related to behaviour, knowledge, and affect towards a particular premium brand or product (Jhamb et al., 2020;Khan & Fatma, 2017;Huang&Liu, 2014;Hong & Cho, 2011;Jin, 2009;Dubois et al., 2005;Jun et al., 2001). End-user feelings and emotions are crucial in shaping a favourable perception of luxury brands (Jhamb et al., 2020;Paul, 2019;Cho et al., 2015;Law et al., 2012;Hultén, 2011). ...
This study explores the relationship between hedonic and functional value toward the intention to buy luxury brands as direct effects and through attitude toward luxury brands. This study used a survey to gather data from 113 respondents with birth years between 1981 and 2012 who had purchased luxury brands. This study used the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the model and hypotheses. The result shows that hedonic value positively and significantly affects the intention to buy luxury brands. In addition, the result shows a positive relationship between hedonic value and intention for luxury brand purchases through attitude towards luxury brands. Functional value positively affects the intention to buy luxury brands. Meanwhile, functional value does not significantly affect attitude toward luxury brands. Furthermore, attitude toward luxury brands has a significant effect on the intention to buy luxury brands. Understanding these relationships can help marketers develop effective strategies to attract and retain consumers of luxury brands.
... The term "masstige", which has been coined relatively recently, combines "mass", referring to mass accessibility, and "prestige", symbolizing luxury through premium positioning (Lee & Cho, 2022). Brands that are prestigious yet popular with a substantial market share typically fall in the category of masstige brands (Paul, 2019), although a brand's status as either masstige or premium luxury may be market-specific. For instance, while traditionally cited as an example of premium luxury, Louis Vuitton appeals to a broader demographic in Japan, including young women in their twenties who enthusiastically embraced the brand (Paul, 2015). ...
... 1. We expand Paul's (2015Paul's ( , 2019 hexagon and pyramid models for market targeting by including consumers' prior luxury experience as a basis for segmentation rather than income. Brun and Castelli (2013) suggest that any distinction between 'old' and 'new' luxury consumers based solely on affluence is unsatisfactory. ...
... Previous studies often attempt to segment consumers according to their ability to purchase luxury based on their income (e.g., Kumar et al., 2020;Paul, 2019). However, the democratization of luxury consumption implies that relying solely on income as the primary segmentation variable is insufficient (Hudders et al., 2013;Lim et al., 2022). ...
As the term masstige has only recently emerged, the literature on masstige branding and marketing remains relatively limited. More research is needed to understand better the distinct profiles of masstige and luxury buyers, their perceived luxury values and purchasing motives. Our study, involving 601 UK consumers, aims to address this gap. Based on consumers' self‐reported prior experiences with masstige and luxury brands, we identify four distinct consumer segments: Premium luxury Buyers, Masstige Buyers, Buyers of Both Premium luxury and Masstige, and Non‐luxury buyers who have not previously purchased either Premium luxury or Masstige brands. We then explore each segment's socio‐demographic profiles, their luxury value perceptions, and how these values influence their purchase intentions. Individuals across diverse income levels, spanning low, middle, and high, fall into four distinct segments with unique luxury perceptions. Premium luxury buyers are characterized as socially oriented perfectionists, while masstige buyers align with hedonic materialism. Buyers of both seek self‐distinction. Non‐luxury buyers spire for group conformity, prioritizing experiential enjoyment when given the opportunity. Furthermore, our study offers a practical value‐based positioning framework and a roadmap for brands looking to expand their target markets. This framework can be a valuable resource for luxury marketers seeking to refine their positioning and better align with the values that resonate with their target audiences.
... Clothing can show the identity depicted in it. Characterizing a distinctive culture that is owned by certain groups [19]. In an open economy like now, the fashion industry is also growing rapidly oaks from abroad try their luck by selling their products in Indonesia. ...
... There are differences in the impact of brand experience on consumers, namely there are 2 opposite impacts, namely direct and indirect impacts. An example of a direct impact is when a consumer has already received the product/service provided and an example of an indirect impact is when a new consumer only sees the product/service on social media, advertisements, and TV [19]. There are 4 different dimensions in the brand experience, namely: (1) Sensory: making life that can be felt with the senses, namely the eyes, mouth, nose, and tongue that are felt by these senses, namely seeing, making sounds, smelling, and feeling; (2) Affection: design or emotional strategy by having an impact on mood; (3) Behavior: making life in physical form and how to run life 4) Intellectual: making life that can make consumers experience or get an assessment or opinion on the existence of a brand [27]. ...
... When a brand has obtained good equity in the eyes of consumers, price is not an important thing as a consumer consideration in obtaining goods, even though at a higher price, consumers voluntarily buy goods or brands that consumers like. In addition, if the brand is already getting equity is good then the profit tau corporate profits can be greater because the price is not important or considered again by the users of goods [19]. ...
Luxury products have become a means of self-actualization in society to show prosperity or wealth. Even so, the consumption of luxury goods is the prerogative of people in the world. There are several studies and research that discuss this luxury item to understand how consumer experiences with brands are either negative or positive, how luxury products affect people's attitudes which ultimately lead to loyalty to product purchases and provide benefits to producers how the product is considered good by the public. The purpose of this paper is to find out how the influence of brand experience, brand attitude, and brand loyalty on brand equity in luxury fashion brands. The research method used in this study is collecting responses from consumers who have at least bought several luxury fashion brands (such as Hermes, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Fendi, and other luxury fashion brands with a minimum of 2 purchases within 2 years. Data were collected from 188 respondents using a questionnaire with a Likert scale. The empirical results show that customer engagement positively encourages brand loyalty.
... The consumer can only assess the quality of the product after purchase or consumption, since the design and some visual characteristics are similar between products of the same category. In contrast, products that are easily differentiable allow greater freedom in their design, allowing visual attributes and other specific features to be incorporated into the tangible product (Kotler & Keller, 2006, 2019. ...
... When it comes to strategic marketing planning, advertising plays a key role in establishing effective communication with consumers, informing them about the existence of a given product and highlighting its attributes. This allows the target audience to recognize the product and associate it with an added benefit or value (Paul, 2019). In order for a company to maintain its market share, it is essential to select specific strategies, considering the market components as interrelated (Sousa, 2016). ...
Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate how communication strategies influence the competitiveness and sustainability of the beef supply chain in the global market. Theoretical Framework: The main concepts that underpin the research were presented, such as product differentiation, marketing, strategic communication, and sustainability, providing a solid foundation for understanding the context of the investigation. Method: The methodology adopted for this research includes a literature review, with the collection and analysis of data from academic and non-academic sources, including journals, books, news websites, and marketing channels on YouTube from companies in the sector. Results and Discussion: The results indicated that initiatives like the Hilton Quota and Carbon Neutral Beef are effective in differentiating Brazilian products in the global market. The discussion analyzes these findings in relation to the theoretical framework, addressing the difficulty in distinguishing similar products and the lack of investment in branding by slaughterhouses, as well as their implications for consumer perception. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research provide insights into how communication strategies can influence sustainability and competitiveness in the beef sector, especially in international markets that value sustainable products. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by addressing the intersection between marketing and sustainability in the beef supply chain, presenting an innovative approach to integrating responsible practices into companies' communication strategies. Its relevance is highlighted by the potential to positively impact both professional practice and academic research in the field.
... The concept of 'mass prestige,' representing the pursuit of prestige by the mass consumer base, particularly the middle class, has emerged. As a result, in response to this market, various businesses are adopting, modifying, and executing brand management strategies with the aim of targeting this particular market segment (Paul, 2019). The emergence of masstige marketing, targeting the middle class as a key demographic, has presented luxury brands with new potential business opportunities within the mass market (Ho et al., 2023). ...
... Motivation has a crucial role in influencing customer actions and behaviours, enabling them to get desired goals. Undoubtedly, previous studies has examined masstige brands from many perspectives, such as Masstige Marketing (Paul, 2015), Mass Luxury (Shahid & Paul, 2021); Mass Prestige, and Prestigious Brands (Kumar et al., 2021;Paul, 2019). However, prior research has not comprehensively examined the significance of symbolic motivations in stimulating consumer interest in masstige brands or fostering intention to buy masstige products and services in hotel management context, which approves that masstige has not yet been established as a comprehensive theoretical framework (Chatterjee et al., 2023). ...
Unorthodox marketing of luxury products and services has given rise to the concept of new luxury. Luxury firms are now focusing more on the middle class through 'masstige marketing,' a strategy that combines luxury and mass appeal, in order to tap into a lucrative commercial potential. The purpose of this strategy is to enhance the accessibility of luxury brands to a broader demographic, specifically targeting the demands and preferences of the middle class. This study aims to explore the influence of factors such as conspicuous value, benign envy, bandwagon motivation, and snob motivation on masstige purchase intention. By employing Smart PLS to analyse the research data, the results showed that while benign envy and bandwagon motivation significantly affect tourist masstige purchase behaviour, snob motivation and conspicuous value have no influence on masstige purchase intention. The contribution of this research to consumer decision-making in relation to hotel management literature and further research directions are also discussed.
... Brand credibility may also interfere with masstige brand value (Paul, 2019). It has been established that perceived credibility influences brand quality (Molinillo et al., 2022). ...
... The companies that follow the masstige strategy charge comparatively higher prices and focus more on product, place, and promotion (Silverstein & Fiske, 2003). Paul (2019) established that promotional strategies are vital for successfully implementing masstige marketing strategies such as celebrity endorsement. ...
Drawing on signaling theory, this research is conducted to fill a gap in knowledge by
examining the effects of celebrity endorsement on masstige brand value and the role of
brand credibility as a moderator. The research has two objectives: (i) to explore the effects
of celebrity endorsement on masstige brand value; and (ii) to explore the moderating effect
of brand credibility in the relationship between celebrity endorsement and masstige brand
value. A survey of 494 respondents was conducted in Pakistan. The results show that
celebrity endorsement has a positive effect on masstige brand value and that this effect is
moderated by brand credibility. The significant implications for managers and researchers
are highlighted.
... While there is no exact definition of luxury, considering its fluidity and chronology, studies have emphasized that some of the critical characteristics of luxury brands, products, and services include high quality and price, excellent reputation, and exclusivity (Jung, Kim, and Choi 2016;Paul 2019). Luxury is continuously evolving, influenced by changes in emerging markets and developments in innovation, business models, and marketing communications (Kitchen and Tourky 2022;Kyrousi, Koronaki, and Zotou 2022;Shammout et al. 2022). ...
... We chose verified reviews to benefit from an additional layer of vetting that guards against deceptive, fake content posted by incentivized reviewers (Pathania, Dixit, and Rasool 2022;Petrescu et al. 2022). These products were selected based on previous literature focused on this type of brand in neo-luxury and affordable luxury modern categories, Amazon recommendations, and mainstream business media articles related to top neo-luxury smart gadgets (Chuah et al. 2016;Paul 2019;Rodrigues and Rodrigues 2019). ...
In today’s rapidly evolving consumer landscape, understanding the motivational drivers behind consumer interaction with brands and purchase intentions is paramount for effective marketing communications. This research dives deep into the impressive and expressive consumer motivations influencing attitudes and purchase intentions for neo-luxury smart wearables. By employing a blended methodology of qualitative conceptual mapping and quantitative fsQCA analysis on consumer survey data, we uncover the integral role of both hedonic (pleasure-seeking) and eudaimonic (meaning-seeking) motivations for the contemporary neo-luxury consumer. Our findings underscore that a harmonious interplay between these motivations can bolster purchase intentions, even mitigating potential deterrents like skepticism or price-related apprehensions. This research offers invaluable insights for marketing communicators, including a nuanced understanding of these dual motivations as essential to crafting resonant messages for smart wearables. This paper reveals the strategies practitioners should adopt to effectively communicate the value proposition of innovative neo-luxury wearables, ensuring that messaging appeals to the expressive and impressive desires of the modern consumer.
... Motivation also helps consumers act and behave in a particular way to achieve desired outcomes. Evidently, some previous research has explored the masstige brands across different dimensions, such as Masstige Marketing (Paul, 2015), Mass Luxury (Shahid & Paul, 2021;Silverstein & Fiske, 2003), Mass Prestige, and Prestigious Brands (Kumar & Paul, 2018;Paul, 2019). However, previous studies have not fully explored the role of symbolic motivations in inspiring consumers towards masstige brands or creating masstige purchase intentions, which agrees that masstige has not yet emerged as a complete theory (Chatterjee et al., 2023). ...
... Besides, within the evolving landscape of Pakistan's emerging economy, characterized by a burgeoning middle-class demographic (Gilal et al., 2022;Mansoor & Paul, 2022), our strategic choice to center our study on the clothing and car brands sectors resonates harmoniously with the essence of masstige marketing. This concept encapsulates the astute provision of luxury offerings tailored to meet the expanding aspirations of the masses (Paul, 2019). Furthermore, the decision to focus exclusively on Pakistan was guided by the need to establish a consistent and culturally relevant foundation for the study, allowing for meaningful comparisons between two distinct product categories within a specific socio-cultural context. ...
Luxury brands are increasingly targeting the middle class through ‘masstige marketing’ as the trendy business opportunity,' which combines luxury and mass appeal. This strategy aims to make high-end brands more accessible to a wider audience, catering to the desires and preferences of the middle class. Grounded in the Mass Prestige (Masstige) theory, this study examines the direct and indirect impact of Symbolic motivations (snob, Veblen, and bandwagon) on Masstige Purchase Intention (MPI) via Inspiration Towards Masstige (ITM) as a mediator. Moreover, the contingent impact of Brand Credibility (BC) between ITM and MPI was assessed. Two independent studies were conducted among consumers of clothing and car brands. Results supported all the hypothesized paths reflecting symbolic motivations as important predictors of MPI directly and through the underlying mechanism of ITM. However, significant differences were observed in the impact size of the Veblen and bandwagon motivations on ITM and MPI among clothing and car brand consumers. Moreover, results revealed that BC significantly interacts with ITM to augment the MPI in both studies. However, this contingent impact was stronger to enhance MPI among the consumers of car brands than clothing brands. Furthermore, study implications and future research directions are presented in detail.
... As a fusion of 'mass' and 'prestige', 'masstige' brands offer goods that exhibit superior quality, elegance, and desirability within their category, yet remain within an affordable price range [34]. In other words, the 'masstige' concept refers to a phenomenon wherein premium or high-value products are marketed to a broad customer base by cultivating a sense of widespread prestige, all while maintaining consistent pricing [37]. They provide the consumer with emotional benefits such as prestige, self-actualization, or group membership. ...
... Previous studies in the luxury product market have predominantly examined the meaning and measurement of luxury and masstige (e.g., [3,42]), values and motives in purchasing luxury and masstige goods (e.g., [21,43,44]), determinants of luxury buying behavior [45] (for a comprehensive review refer to [46]), and the management of masstige and luxury brands (e.g., [30,37]). Only the studies related to the current work will be mentioned here in more detail. ...
This study proposes a new model derived from Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT) to examine the purchasing behavior of masstige jewelry consumers. The suggested model provides a more comprehensive understanding of the determinants of purchasing masstige products by considering values and reasons in addition to the global motives and intention. The study also examines, for the first time, the moderating role of reasons. It explores how reasons may strengthen or weaken the impact of perceived values on global motives. The proposed model was empirically tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with survey data on the consumption of masstige jewelry brands in Türkiye. To provide a more complete understanding of the moderating role of reasons, submodels were constructed for different value–reason combinations. The results demonstrate notable differences in the goodness-of-fit measures between the moderated and non-moderated models. Specifically, reasons contributed to enhanced explanations of global motives and intention, both directly and indirectly. However, not all submodels yielded significant results in terms of the moderator effect. Thus, the empirical tests supported the hypotheses regarding the moderating effect only partially. Overall, the current findings further extend the existing frameworks and provide valuable insights into masstige jewelry purchasing behavior, which can be used by marketers to develop more effective strategies.
... Coined by Silverstein and Fiske (2003) and popularized by Paul (2015Paul ( , 2018Paul ( , 2019, the concept of masstige delineates itself from traditional luxury through several defining characteristics: a. Product positioning. Masstige distinguishes itself by adopting a unique positioning strategy aimed at democratizing prestige. ...
... Different researchers have focused on masstige strategy and designed measures that explain marketing efforts' success or failure based on the method used to develop brand equity, prestige and CBR (Bilro, Loureiro, and dos Santos 2021;Paul 2019). Prior studies have, however, been unable to answer critical questions about brand equity, so further research is needed to understand the latter outcome (Baber et al. 2020). ...
This study expands the conceptual model on the antecedents and consequences of masstige brands by analysing the similarities and differences in consumer perceptions between Generations Z and Y. Focusing on Chinese consumers, data were collected via a structured survey and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and bootstrapping to ensure methodological rigor. The results validate the conceptual framework, showing partial measurement invariance between the two generational cohorts, indicating that while both groups share similar perceptions of masstige brands, key differences exist in how they relate to brand loyalty. This study offers empirical validation of the model, addressing a gap in the literature by testing masstige brand constructs using the Masstige Mean Score Scale (MMSS). The findings contribute to masstige branding strategy by highlighting generational nuances and confirming that Generations Z and Y in China exhibit comparable but distinct engagement with masstige brands, providing insights for more targeted brand strategies.
... In similar vein, market orientation is associated with improved customer responsiveness and a sustainable competitive advantage Papadas et al. (2019), Varadarajan, (2020), though the effectiveness of market orientation is contingent upon market dynamism and firm size. Despite its importance, brand orientation the tendency to plan and operate with the brand top of mind is rarely studied Alzate et al. (2022), Dash et al. (2021), Paul (2019), but likely mediates such effects. Notably, Ferreira et al. (2020) show the moderating role of strength on the EO-performace relationship. ...
Purpose: We do this with offering a study of the influence of strategic orientations, entrepreneurial orientation (EO), Growth orientation (GO), Market orientation (MO), and Brand orientation (BO) on performance of B2B SMEs in forming economies, in this case in Chile, Peru and Moldova. The aim is to explore how these orientations promote innovation and support firm performance.Method: The paper adopts a quantitative methodology using survey data from 300 B2B SMEs sampled from the three nations. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to investigate both direct and indirect relationships, as well as the mediating effect of Brand Orientation on the relationship between strategic orientations and performance.Findings: The findings show that Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and Growth Orientation (GO) are significant predictors of Brand Orientation (BO), which leads to better performance in the firms. Market Orientation (MO)1 is the key to integrating company strategies with consumer needs, which in turn bolsters performance. Brand orientation plays a key mediating role within the nexus of strategic orientations and performance.Novelty: This paper adds to the existing literature by presenting the mediating role of Brand Orientation in B2B SMEs of emerging economies. It offers an aligned vision of how distinct strategic orientations interrelate to improve firm performance across heterogeneous market contexts.Implications: The findings suggest B2B SMEs managers in emerging markets ought to build a strong Brand Orientation alongside their Entrepreneurial and Growth Orientations. It is recommended that policymakers enable the provision of supportive environments that nurture entrepreneurial ventures, as well as accessibility to relevant services that propel innovation and responsiveness to markets. This facilitates better efficacy and competitiveness in the international environment.
... Moreover, luxury was traditionally limited to high-value consumers, but in recent years, middle-class consumers have increased their consumption of premium products (Jain, 2019). A comprehensive masstige theory's development and the mechanics of SMIs' impact on consumer judgment need scholarly focus (Kumar & Paul, 2018;Paul, 2018;Silverstein & Fiske, 2003;Ye et al., 2021). ...
In this era, social media is an important part of everyone's life. Therefore, social media influencers are famous marketing tools for business. Marketers take advantage of influencers' massive following by sharing their content through them. This research aims to explore the relationship between social media celebrities and masstige-purchase intention of their audience or consumers. In addition, this research paper will give insight into the role of Inspiration, FOMO, and CNFU in the Pakistani industry. The data from 402 millennials was collected using online surveys, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Results show social media influencers directly influence masstige-purchase intention of consumers and indirectly via inspiration. This study has practical implications for marketers it will guide businesses to enhance their sales using social media influencers effectively.
... Such luxurybrand displays are most likely to manifest via clothing or jewelry; however, a salesperson may also have a luxury-branded briefcase or handbag (e.g., Valentino), pen (e.g., Montblanc), or coffee mug (e.g., Hermes), all of which are as easily perceived by the consumer. Luxury brands are defined as brands viewed as prestigious due to their premium quality and pricing ( Han, Nunes & Drèze, 2010 ;Wang, Xu & Zhang, 2023 ), as opposed to masstige brands, which are classified as premium but somewhat more accessible both in terms of price and availability ( Paul, 2019 ;Silverstein & Fiske, 2003 ). ...
... The spread of masstige products on social media can provide luxury (Park et al., 2021) and exclusivity for the masses (Bilro et al., 2022). Masstige has become a unique buzzword in the industry and helps advance our understanding of masstige buying behaviour (Paul, 2019). ...
... A brand is assumed to be an essential intangible asset for an organization (Paul, 2019). With the fiercely competitive situation, competing businesses have continually provided superior service and an excellent brand to gain customer satisfaction and loyalty (Dam & Dam, 2021). ...
Today's competitive conditions governing the banking industry have led banks to use new tools to maintain and enhance their competitive advantage. In this regard, brands and employee behaviors are among the most critical factors in creating a competitive advantage. Meanwhile, service organizations such as banks have realized the importance of these factors in increasing competitive advantages. This study aims to provide a model of the critical determinants and consequences of brand citizenship behavior. Brand Citizenship Behavior (BCB) is among the concepts that seek to find ways to improve a brand's position in the market, and it is defined as the voluntary behaviors of employees to achieve the goals of the organization's brand. This research's statistical population is Day Bank employees in Tehran, of which 253 were selected as samples using the Cochran formula and the cluster random sampling method. The data were collected using a standard questionnaire. In order to determine validity, structural, convergent, and divergent methods were used. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability were used to investigate the reliability. Using Smart-PLS software, data analysis, and hypothesis testing were done through structural equation modeling. The results indicate that internal brand management significantly affects brand citizenship behavior. Brand citizenship behavior significantly affects brand strength, commitment, and pride. The mediating role of brand citizenship behavior in the relationship between internal brand management and brand strength was also confirmed. However, its mediating role in the relationship between internal brand management and brand commitment and the relationship between internal brand management and brand pride was not confirmed.
... In order to appeal to middle-class customers, brand-positioning strategies employ a combination of prestige and affordable price charges. These techniques significantly vary from conventional luxury strategies, which aim to uphold prestige and impose substantial price premiums to retain the exclusivity and distinctiveness of brands (Paul 2019). ...
Brand marketing is the creation and maintenance of relationships between a brand and its customers. Employing products and services as evidence of the brand's dedication allows for the endorsement of the entire brand. Product management is one of the most significant strategies that businesses implement to fulfill their goals of gaining a competitive edge, achieving client loyalty, and maximizing the benefits that their goods provide while proceeding with their commercial operations. This research focused on analyzing several aspects of product and branding management, brand marketing, and digital marketing. Also, the significance of digital technology in brand and product management was underscored. Companies must prioritize integrating digital technologies such as blockchain, metaverse, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and metahuman into their product and brand management and marketing strategies. The study involved an examination of the literature on brand management and an investigation of data about the significance of technology in branding.
... This study shows the effect of brand equity and conspicuous consumption on the intention to pay high prices for premium branded products. Premium brands create brand knowledge, likability, love, and attachment grounded in prestige and build strong brand equity (Paul, 2019). Stronger brand equity contributes to increased brand preference, willingness to pay higher prices and customer loyalty (Aaker, 1991). ...
Economic stability have a significant impact on consumer behavior. There are many studies in the literature showing that consumer behavior changes during economic instability. In addition, studies on the change in behavior towards premium branded products during these periods reveal that consumers’ demand for such products shifts to other products of the same brand. The study aims to examine the effect of perceived design value on brand value, brand prestige on conspicuous consumption, and conspicuous consumption and brand value on purchasing intention of premium branded products. In other words, Within the framework of consumer behavior towards premium branded products, this study examines the purchase intention of premium branded products during economic crises and also investigates the effect of conspicuous consumption and brand equity on this purchase intention. This study examines the purchase intention of premium branded products during economic crises and also investigates the effect of conspicuous consumption and brand equity on this purchase intention. Snowball sampling is used in sample selection, and data is collected using the survey method from 426 people. The results of the analysis show that there is a strong relationship between conspicuous consumption and the intention to pay high prices for premium branded products. A significant and positive direct relationship was found between brand equity and the intention to pay high pricess for premium branded products. In addition, a significant and positive relationship was found between brand prestige and conspicuous consumption. Finally, a significant and positive relationship was found between perceived design value and brand equity.
... Therefore, an individual can hold a growth mindset while the same individual can hold a fixed mindset, depending on the domain (multiple intelligence) where it is being measured; some items related to multiple intelligence were included (e.g., logical, linguistic, musical, intrapersonal, and interpersonal constructs (Paul, 2019), such as interest and difficulty, or emotions, that may generate new dimensions. The length of the scale might also be a limitation on its application as a contemporary test of quick responses. ...
Evidence suggests that fixed and growth mindsets shape human behavior (Rucker & Galinsky, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2016;26(1):161–164); however, empirical research on mindsets is highly sensitive in terms of how they are measured. This article addresses specific limitations in measuring growth and fixed mindsets using existing scales, especially Dweck's (Self‐theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development, 2000) scale, which is the most recognized and commonly used instrument in this area. The main contribution of the article is that it develops an alternative scale that addresses these potential limitations; specifically, the proposed scale (1) measures the fixed and growth mindsets as independent constructs (note that We refer to “independence” among constructs (fixed and growth), considering that they are not just two opposite constructs of the same continuum, but different constructs. Thus, we included items for each one to capture the properties of each construct while avoiding the use of the same items in reverse coding), (2) does not use reverse coding, and (3) comprises four dimensions including important variables that should be considered when measuring mindsets: intelligence beliefs, practice and effort, challenges, and multiple intelligence. To this end, we employed a multi‐method approach by combining qualitative research with the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of a survey database to arrive at a 25‐item scale of growth and fixed mindsets. The scale, denoted as the Multidimensional Mindset Scale (MUMIS), satisfies reliability, convergent, divergent, and nomological validity tests. MUMIS opens new avenues to explore the understanding of the effects of specific intelligence beliefs, practice and effort, challenges, and multiple intelligence in fields like consumer behavior, education, psychology, and well‐being.
... Strategic brand management is a systematic and well-structured managerial approach that focuses on nurturing a robust portfolio of effective brands. This entails identifying and establishing brand positioning and values, strategically planning and executing brand marketing programs, assessing and interpreting brand performance, and consistently working to foster and preserve brand equity (Heding et al., 2020;Iyer et al., 2018;Jelinek, 2018;Keller & Brexendorf, 2019;Paul, 2019). Brand-conscious organizations commonly adopt this systematic process, reflecting entities that recognize the distinct value and significance of brand and branding endeavors (Abin et al., 2022;Kowaas et al., 2023;Lebo & Mandagi, 2023;Maulana et al., 2023). ...
This study presents a comprehensive systematic review that delves into the multifaceted elements underpinning strategic brand management within the educational context. The primary objective was to examine and synthesize evidence-informed exploration, shedding light on the essential components of strategic brand management in educational institutions. Utilizing a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology, we meticulously extracted and screened 25 scientific articles from the Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) databases. The results of the data analysis spotlight the critical elements of strategic brand management within the educational context, underscoring their influential presence in shaping the educational landscape. These underlying elements comprise: (1) strategic partnerships with industry and alumni, (2) continuous improvement, adaptation, and innovation, (3) community engagement and public relations, and (4) an exceptional student, faculty, and staff experience.
... Consumer ethnocentrism, which can be seen as an exclusive response to the inflow of both local and foreign cultures, is one example of a disparaging nationalistic trait (Riefler, 2017). Entry strategies like partnerships with local partners will be chosen based on the market knowledge of customer ethnocentric tendencies (Paul, 2019). ...
Background
Globalization trends have compelled multinational companies to change their marketing approach from multi-domestic marketing to global marketing. This strategy has had a major impact on the branding of companies. Due to these efforts by international companies, there has been a negative impact on local brands. Strong local brands always maintained the advantage of a high level of awareness among consumers, due to consumers’ close relationship with these brands, hence this resulted in strong and positive marketing investments in the home market. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the attitudinal dispositions towards global and local brands and purchase intention. The objective is to understand the underlying motives of consumers’ purchase decision.
Methods
Consumer disposition and attitude towards brands are evaluated based on respondents’ purchase intention of a select brand. Data are collected from Bangalore and Chennai using the convenience sampling method. Evaluation of the measurement model was performed using the Smart PLS 4 software.
Results
Findings suggest that consumer attitudinal disposition has a significant impact on consumers’ purchase intention. Attitude formation is the first step in consumers’ behavioural decision and making a purchase decision. Marketing managers/practitioners need to focus on forming this attitude in consumers’ minds, so that this attitude formation leads to a purchase decision.
Conclusions
This research provides theoretical and managerial implications for marketers, especially those operating in an emerging market like India as this study has examined the role of consumer disposition on attitude formation and purchase intention. From a theoretical perspective, this study developed and tested a conceptual model describing the relationship between attitudinal disposition and purchase intention.
... Without this capability, companies risk stagnation (Arya et al., 2019). Around 90% of individuals use smartphones and various platforms to access detailed service information, hence, it is essential for companies to create services tailored to meet the specific requirements of their customers (Paul, 2019). For over five decades, experiences have been central to tourism production and research, with the creation of positive experiences deemed essential in the tourism industry. ...
... Income is a parameter that has garnered significant research interest in mobile banking, as it has the potential to either facilitate or hinder the adoption of e-commerce (Hernández et al., 2011;Paul, 2019). The connection between higher income and the perception of fewer hidden risks in engaging with online platforms impacts the interest among online-based consumers. ...
... In general, consumer buying habits are becoming more experienced-oriented (Bilgihan et al., 2016;Husain et al., 2022;Paul, 2019) and have a greater demand for additional value in products (Wiedmann et al., 2013). Experience-oriented consumption is largely dependent on the desire and choice of the consumers (MSI, 2020; Song & Qu, 2019). ...
... Y. Yu et al., 2021). Brand attitude reflects consumers' favorable assessments of a specific brand, signifying its appeal (Paul, 2019;Xie et al., 2019). ATB is linked to consumer preferences and their overall evaluation of a brand, showcasing their inclinations (Niedermeier et al., 2021). ...
Brand Service Recovery Strategies (BSRS) have garnered significant attention due to their transformative potential in traditional business practices. However, the precise influence of BSRS on fostering positive electronic word of mouth (eWOM) remains inadequately elucidated within the academic literature. Most scholarly investigations have tended to adopt either a theoretical perspective or have overlooked intermediary factors, particularly the role of consumer attitudes toward the brand. Drawing upon the social exchange theory, this study presents an empirical model that seeks to examine whether consumer attitude toward the brand mediates the relationship between BSRS and positive eWOM. Based on survey data from 292 Executive MBA students in a large Chinese university, our study confirms that BSRS strongly impacts consumer attitudes, leading to increased positive eWOM. Additionally, we discover that consumer power plays a moderating role, highlighting its contextual importance in this relationship. This study provides vital practical insights for businesses, emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategies involving BSRS, fostering positive consumer attitudes, active eWOM engagement, tailored approaches for consumer power, and ongoing adaptation to customer feedback, all contributing to improved brand perception and customer satisfaction in today's business environment.
... In general, consumer buying habits are becoming more experienced-oriented (Bilgihan et al., 2016;Husain et al., 2022;Paul, 2019) and have a greater demand for additional value in products (Wiedmann et al., 2013). Experience-oriented consumption is largely dependent on the desire and choice of the consumers (MSI, 2020; Song & Qu, 2019). ...
The rapid development of the Internet has led to a shift in how people communicate, with social media becoming an essential vehicle for communication and information exchange. In this context, social media influencers have emerged. With expertise in a particular field and strong influence, they can change customers' attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors. Although social media influencers have been widely studied in the marketing field, most scholars at this stage mainly study the change in customers' attitudes and purchasing behaviors towards brands, without considering the contingency of consumers' participation in influencer marketing activities in the context of social media. Plus, researchers did not pay sufficient attention to customers' impulsive purchasing behaviors. Thus, this article investigated the factors influencing customers' impulsive buying behavior in social media influencer marketing situations. This study built an elaboration likelihood model (i.e., ELM) to explore the factors and mediating variables contributing to customers' impulsive buying behavior. Questionnaires were used to explore the factors influencing customers' impulsive buying behavior in a social media influencer marketing context. Respondents' attitudes on each dimension were measured using well‐established scales from existing research, and the data were processed to draw conclusions. Findings showed that in the influencer marketing context, consumers' perceived social value and influencer expertise would not directly impact their impulsive buying behavior. Functional and emotional values could lead to impulse buying behavior, while social values would not lead to customer inspiration. Moreover, authenticity and influence both contributed to impulsive buying behaviors. The findings might have important implications for influencer marketing and further studies on impulsive buying. Companies should select authentic and influential influencers; what's more, the influencers should be sincere and enhance their influence to gain consumers' trust.
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of conspicuous consumption on the subjective well-being (SWB) of Indian bottom of the pyramid (BOP) consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
This study followed a qualitative phenomenological approach. Focus group discussions were conducted with 72 Indian BOP consumers. Thematic analysis resulted in 21 categories and 9 themes.
Findings
This study revealed three distinct categories of consequences related to the effects of conspicuous consumption on SWB at the BOP. Conspicuous consumption can either enhance or diminish the BOP consumers’ SWB and sometimes even simultaneously have constructive and adverse effects (a double-edged sword). This study presents a conceptual model examining the consequences of conspicuous consumption at the BOP through the lenses of social comparison and compensatory consumption theories.
Originality/value
The literature has classified the consequences of conspicuous consumption at the BOP as constructive or adverse effects. This study reveals that conspicuous consumption at the BOP can be a double-edged sword. This study indicates that social comparison drives compensatory consumption at the BOP, which impacts the SWB of BOP consumers. Such an amalgamation of the theories of conspicuous consumption, social comparison and compensatory consumption is the unique contribution of this research. The implications for practice and policy are discussed.
In the context of global climate change, the advancement of electric vehicles (EV) has emerged as a pivotal strategy for energy conservation and emission reduction within the transportation sector. Leveraging the progress in 5G and IoT technologies, intelligent connected vehicles (ICV) have emerged as a focal point within the realm of electric vehicles, with China spearheading significant developments in this domain. Concurrently, the proliferation of Chinese brand electric vehicles (CBEVs) has been notable in recent years. Nonetheless, academic research on the brand equity of CBEVs remains limited, particularly regarding the influencing factors from the consumer perspective and the functionalities of intelligent connectivity. This study aims to address these gaps by investigating the determinants of brand equity for CBEVs from the consumer standpoint. The findings reveal that consumer attitude, trust, and the intelligent connected feature exert a positive influence on brand equity. This underscores the importance for CBEVs manufacturers to focus on enhancing brand equity by fostering positive consumer attitudes, building trust, and offering comprehensive intelligent connected features.
The notion of “masstige marketing,” which integrates high-end (prestige) branding with mass-market appeal, has generated a considerable amount of interest nowadays. This study uses bibliometric analysis of accessible articles from the Scopus database using Biblioshiny to determine current research developments in masstige marketing and to streamline possibilities for future research. The study used bibliometric assessment, performance evaluation, and science mapping to examine 191 papers that were published between 2014 and 2024. With 39 articles, the research findings showed that 2022 was the most productive year. With 10 publications, Paul J appears to be the most productive author and Ko E got a maximum of 343 citations. The two most productive nations are the “United States,” and “India” for the masstige marketing-related research. This bibliometric deep dive not only charts the growth of masstige marketing but also establishes a foundation for future exploration and strategic application in an increasingly competitive market landscape.
Purpose
Providing positive and memorable shopping experiences has become essential for retailers. As the retail industry strives to create multisensory experiences for consumers, it is equally important to understand the emotions and pleasure such experiences evoke. The current study aims to investigate how multisensory experiences induce hedonic emotions in retail shoppers. It explores the mediating role of hedonic emotions in between multisensory experiences and shopping mall patronage intention.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is descriptive; the data was collected using the mall intercept survey method. A total of 380 shoppers participated in and responded to the survey administered at the mall. The collected responses are analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings
Our findings support the idea that hedonic emotions play a significant role in the retail environment by influencing retail patronage intentions. Also, the multisensory experiences have a positive effect on patronage intention as well as the hedonic emotions of shoppers.
Research limitations/implications
The present study provides theoretical and managerial implications for academicians and retail marketing.
Originality/value
The present research contributes to the existing literature by introducing the concept of multisensory experiences in the retail context and its impact on hedonic emotions and adding to the concept of inference theory.
The desires of consumers as individuals are largely shaped by their aspirations in life, which play a crucial role in deciding their brand preference, but very few studies have focused on the demographic difference in aspirations and its relationship with brand preference, especially in the context of luxury brands, for the consumers in the emerging markets. This paper aims to empirically assess the role of key demographic factors (gender, age, and income) in influencing the aspirations of consumers in India, an emerging market, and their preference for luxury branded products. The hypotheses were developed based on the review of the extant literature and tested through t-test and ANOVA along with the moderation test using PROCESS extension in SPSS 22.0. The study included data collected from 915 Indian consumers, in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, with prior experience of buying luxury branded products in the fashion segment through a self-administered questionnaire. The results demonstrate that the aspirations, both intrinsic (F = 8.185; p = 0.004) and extrinsic (F = 7.14; p = 0.007) and luxury brand preferences (F = 5.762; p = 0.017) of males and females differ significantly. However, demographic factors of gender (R2 = 0.137; p > 0.05), age (R2 = 0.130; p > 0.05), and income (R2 = 0.132; p > 0.05) were not found to have any moderating effect on the relationship between luxury brand preference and aspirations. The results of the study would help luxury brand marketers to develop their strategic plans for marketing activities by providing insights into the differences in the desires and preferences of their customers.
Positioning a brand as environment‐friendly does not guarantee that customers will blindly accept it. While previous research has explored consumer responses to various green marketing claims, the search for the process under which consumers form positive or negative associations remains inconclusive. Based on the theoretical lens of signaling, this study examines the process of green brand trust where consumers form green brand associations after receiving the appropriate signal from the firms. In so doing we answer calls for more research on green brand trust and extend previous understanding by arguing for and confirming the mediating role of green brand associations. We further hypothesize that resultant mediation will be stronger for individuals with low green skepticism. Findings from 270 consumers indicate that green brand association mediates the relationship between green brand positioning and green brand trust. Further, green skepticism may weaken green brand association's effect on green brand trust. While firms tend to take extra effort to make their green offering trustworthy, they need to strengthen their signaling efforts that facilitate associating with a green brand to trust that brand.
This study aims to present a review for understanding the changing definition of luxury consumption. The ‘new’ luxury concept is shaped by democratization, globalization, sustainability, and meeting luxury with non-western societies. Although the first footsteps of new luxury began to be heard in the early 2000s, studies on this subject started to increase after 2010. This review focuses on 129 studies carried out in 2010-2021 to explain new luxury concept. It was concluded that ‘attainable luxury’, ‘creatable luxury’, ‘sustainable luxury’ and ‘rental (shareable) luxury’ can be components of new luxury. Accordingly, a framework was created, and adjacent keywords were presented with references. Finally, a research agenda for this ‘new’ luxury trend was presented. In contrast to the current many literature reviews on luxury treating the issue as a conservative and classical concept, this study focuses on the ‘new luxury’ and its potential horizons.
Purpose
This study aims to fill various gaps detected in the literature on mass prestige (hereafter referred to as masstige) theory. The originality of the work stems from the multidimensional application of Paul’s (2015) model, the introduction of brand addiction as a construct from the consumer-brand relationship (CBR) theory within the context of wines and the exploration of a new and less studied sector in masstige strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured questionnaire was distributed to collect data from masstige wine brand buyers in Portugal, of whom 166 completed the questionnaire correctly. A conceptual model was developed and tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling.
Findings
The findings include that only two dimensions of Paul’s (2015) masstige scale affect brand addiction: brand knowledge and excitement and status. Brand addiction has a positive effect on brand loyalty and electronic word of mouth (eWOM), and brand loyalty has a positive impact on eWOM. Theoretical and managerial implications were explored.
Originality/value
This research added a CBR perspective to masstige theory and applied masstige theory to wine brands for the first time. These three distinctive aspects collectively contribute to the novelty and significance of the research, opening up exciting possibilities for future investigations and providing a valuable contribution to the academic community and the wine industry alike.
The recent interest of marketers in adopting masstige strategy is a testimony to its potential. But, the dialogue on masstige among research community is not befitting its requirement. This special issue was launched to address this pressing demand towards masstige research. This special issue serves the masstige theory with eight rigorous research papers covering utmost relevant varied aspects of masstige. Papers in this special issue establish the relevance of masstige strategy for hitherto less explored aspects like services, old‐age consumers, short‐ and long‐term happiness, and so forth. Novel insights are offered along with future research propositions for masstige research. Our aim of this special issue is well addressed by generating and advancing interest of scholars towards masstige and thereby extending the current horizons of masstige research.
Background
Globalization trends have compelled multinational companies to change their marketing approach from multi-domestic marketing to global marketing. This strategy has had a major impact on the branding of companies. Due to these efforts by international companies, there has been a negative impact on local brands. Strong local brands always maintained the advantage of a high level of awareness among consumers, due to consumers’ close relationship with these brands, hence this resulted in strong and positive marketing investments in the home market. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the attitudinal dispositions towards global and local brands and purchase intention. The objective is to understand the underlying motives of consumers’ purchase decision.
Methods
Consumer disposition and attitude towards brands are evaluated based on respondents’ purchase intention of a select brand. Data are collected from Bangalore and Chennai using the convenience sampling method. Evaluation of the measurement model was performed using the Smart PLS 4 software.
Results
Findings suggest that consumer attitudinal disposition has a significant impact on consumers’ purchase intention. Attitude formation is the first step in consumers’ behavioural decision and making a purchase decision. Marketing managers/practitioners need to focus on forming this attitude in consumers’ minds, so that this attitude formation leads to a purchase decision.
Conclusions
This research provides theoretical and managerial implications for marketers, especially those operating in an emerging market like India as this study has examined the role of consumer disposition on attitude formation and purchase intention. From a theoretical perspective, this study developed and tested a conceptual model describing the relationship between attitudinal disposition and purchase intention.
This research was conducted to analyze more deeply the influence of customer value and brand awareness on customer retention with customer satisfaction as a mediating variable. The survey data used in this research is based on the results of a questionnaire distributed online using a Google form consisting of 18 questions and filled in by 291 respondents. The data was then processed using AMOS version 23. The results of this research prove that customer value and brand awareness have a positive and significant effect on customer retention with customer satisfaction as a mediating variable. It is hoped that the results of this research will bring positive benefits to various parties, namely for business owners and the world of fast commerce as well as for science in theory development. This research has sample and time limitations. So it can be a suggestion for further research to conduct research with a larger sample and at a different time. So it is recommended for future researchers to dig deeper into the scope of quick commerce, research over a wider area and use different research methods.
The present study seeks to identify the current research trends and streamline future research opportunities in masstige marketing by conducting a bibliometric analysis of available literature from Scopus and the Web of science databases between 2001 and 2022. The study analyses 111 articles from the database of Scopus and the Web of Science published between 2001 and 2022, using bibliometric analysis, performance and science mapping analysis. The study used biblioshiny as a tool to conduct the bibliometric analysis of the extracted data. The research findings revealed that the publication of articles has increased between 2001 and 2022. A total of 93.3% of authors contributed one article, 5.5% of authors contributed two articles, 0.8 % of authors contributed three articles, and only 0.4 % of authors contributed seven articles. Countries like the USA, UK, India, Portugal, France and China have found to be the maximum contributors towards masstige. Further, the Bradford’s law applied in the study has revealed the basic sources of studies on masstige.
Branding is critical in strategic marketing decisions since it identifies the various components a company chooses to apply across the multiple products it sells. There are multiple reasons why companies adopt branding in marketing strategy, including increasing brand awareness, building a positive image and reputation, establishing consumer loyalty, adding valuable equity, brand extensions, segmenting the market, and ensuring legal protection. Despite these promising benefits, there lacks adequate research explaining the attributes marketers can use to create a strong brand identity, awareness, and loyalty amidst these challenges. In this regard, this chapter addresses this issue by exploring how building brand identity, awareness, and loyalty in business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets can improve organizational performance and competitiveness. This research chapter uses a systematic review of the bibliometric literature to explore branding as a marketing strategy critical to improving a company's performance in local and international markets.
In today's multinational marketplace, it is increasingly important to understand why some consumers prefer global brands to local brands. We delineate three pathways through which perceived brand globalness (PBG) influences the likelihood of brand purchase. Using consumer data from the U.S.A. and Korea, we find that PBG is positively related to both perceived brand quality and prestige and, through them, to purchase likelihood. The effect through perceived quality is strongest. PBG effects are weaker for more ethnocentric consumers.Journal of International Business Studies (2003) 34, 5365. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400002
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impact of brand equity on Chinese consumers’ affective attitudes toward luxury brands and their behavioral intentions by applying the cognitive-affective model. The interaction effect between face saving and consumer’s affective attitude on luxury consumption is also examined.
Design/methodology/approach
A field survey was conducted using a sample of 248 luxury consumers in three Chinese cities.
Findings
Brand equity was found positively to predict Chinese consumers’ affective attitudes and their willingness to pay a premium price for a luxury brand. Moreover, consumers who highly value face saving were found to be more willing to pay a premium price, even though they hold a less positive attitude toward the brand.
Research limitations/implications
The use of cross-sectional survey data with young Chinese consumers in first-tier cities may limit the generalizability of the findings as well as precluding the making of causal inferences.
Practical implications
Global luxury marketers who plan to enter the China market can utilize marketing strategies to create prestigious value and appeal to consumers who seek for social approval and status.
Originality/value
Previous published studies of brand equity and luxury consumption have primarily emphasized Western markets. These findings advance our understanding of luxury purchase intention among young Chinese consumers, for whom the need for social acceptance acts as a crucial motivator in luxury consumption. The results contribute to amplifying the brand equity concept by taking cultural context into consideration.
Although there is a large body of research on brand equity, little in terms of a
literature review has been published on this since Feldwick’s (1996) paper.To
address this gap, this paper brings together the scattered literature on consumer-based brand equity’s conceptualisation and measurement. Measures of consumer-based brand equity are classified as either direct or indirect. Indirect measures assess consumer-based brand equity through its demonstrable dimensions and are superior from a diagnostic level. The paper concludes with directions for future research and managerial pointers for setting up a brand equity measurement
system.
By applying motivational values of luxury consumption, this study examined the impact of cultural differences on young consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions toward luxury brands. With the use of survey data (N = 331 for South Koreans and N = 409 for Americans), the study provided support for the hypothesized moderating effect of three perceived values: conspicuous, social, and quality values. The perceived social value was found to influence attitude change favorably among young Korean consumers. The young American consumers tended to increase their attitudes and purchase intentions toward luxury brands if they perceived superior product quality. However, they were more likely to lower their purchase intention as they recognized conspicuous value of consuming luxury brands. On the other hand, the moderating effect of uniqueness and hedonic value was not found. Theoretical and managerial implications were discussed.
In this article, the authors examine how ownership status moderates the effects of stretch direction (up or down), brand image (prestige or nonprestige), and branding strategy (subbrand name or direct) on consumer responses to price-based line stretches. An "ownership effect" is proposed whereby owners have more favorable responses than nonowners to the brand's extensions. The ownership effect occurs for upward and downward stretches of nonprestige brands and for upward stretches of prestige brands. For downward stretches of prestige brands, however, the ownership effect does not occur because of owners' desire to maintain brand exclusivity. In this situation, a subbranding strategy protects owners' parent brand attitudes from dilution. A field study and two lab studies confirm the hypotheses.
This article contributes to the literature by examining the differences in consumer response to high-tier luxury parent brands (e.g., Prada) versus their low-tier diffusion brands (e.g., Miu Miu). The study investigates the contrasting effects of congruence versus incongruence and utilizes two scenarios of incongruence: (1) When country of origin (COO) is a developed economy and country of manufacture (COM) is an emerging economy; (2) when COO is an emerging economy and COM is a developed economy. By means of three interrelated experiments, the authors find the following: (1) When there is congruence between COO and COM, diffusion brands are preferred more than parent brands; (2) in contrast, when there is incongruence between COO and COM, parent brands are preferred more than diffusion brands. The authors also find that this differential impact of luxury diffusion versus parent brands is stronger for hedonic products as compared to utilitarian products. The findings have important implications for understanding consumer preferences as well as devising marketing strategies for global diffusion brands introduced by the luxury parent company.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine the emergence of a global luxury brand industry and discusses previous conceptualisations of luxury brands. In this endeavour, the study illustrates the unique context of luxury consumption, to highlight several developments in extant literature, and to advocate for the advancement of the consumer-centric paradigm of luxury branding.
Design/methodology/approach
– The study reviews the emergence of a global luxury brand industry, discusses macro-environmental trends that have influenced luxury brand consumption, critically evaluates the existing literature on luxury brands, and offers directions for future research.
Findings
– The study highlights that luxury brands have emerged as a special form of branding that conveys the unique sociocultural and individual meanings to their adherents. Moreover, it was found that these meanings have been shaped by a number of important cultural, social, and external trends, which call researchers and practitioners to consider the consumer-centric paradigm of luxury branding.
Originality/value
– The study calls for a shift in the focus from the characteristics of luxury brands per se, and towards phenomenological experiences and socio-cultural influences, in the pursuits to understand what brand luxury conveys in the broader context of post-modern consumer culture. The study offers two distinct areas for future research to address these developments.
Purpose
– This paper aims to examine the joint effects of product type (hospitality services vs goods) and consumers’ need for status (low/Patricians vs high/Parvenus) on consumers’ attitude change toward their favorite luxury brands. As an ever increasing number of customers can now afford luxury products, it is important to understand how affluent consumers react to the less affluent mimicking behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
– In all, 265 luxury consumers with annual household income of more than $100,000 and experiences of luxury consumption in the past three months were recruited. A 2 (product type) × 2 (need for status) factorial design was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
– This study demonstrates that when faced with mimicking behaviors by less affluent consumers, Parvenus exhibit more negative attitude toward their favorite luxury goods brands than luxury hospitality brands. Conversely, Patricians exhibit similar levels of attitude change across the two types of luxury brands.
Practical implications
– The findings suggest that luxury hospitality companies may find it easier to expand to less affluent markets than their luxury goods counterparts, in particular when the majority of target consumers are Parvenus.
Originality/value
– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine consumers’ reactions to mimicking behaviors by the less affluent in the context of luxury hospitality services, and it adds to the knowledge on the joint effects of product type and status seeking on luxury consumption.
Along with continuous increases in the globalization of market, today’s business is challenged by a maturing domestic retail environment and an aging consumer market. Given this atmosphere in Korean fashion market, one of critical issues to survival for companies is a strong “brand power” with brand image (identity) and its strategic marketing Strong brands are viewed to differentiate themselves from unknown brands, resulting in favorable brand images that mirror the brand’s identity.
Context effects refer to changes in consumer preference and choice responses when a new alternative is added to a choice set. This paper proposes a general scheme for classifying various context effects using newly defined share-ratio measures (SRM) and share-change measures (SCM). With these measures, we can also draw context maps and preference-substitutability maps that visualise the nature of context effects and positions of competing brands. These maps allow marketers to make positioning decisions that take advantage of positive context effects.
China is now the second largest luxury market in the world. This study examines the effect of traditional Chinese cultural values and support for political ideologies on materialism and interest in luxury products. Results showed that both traditional Chinese cultural values (face, harmony and guanxi) and political ideology (Maoism vs. Deng's theory) influenced materialistic aspirations and interest in luxury products. This suggests that researchers should also consider the influence of political ideology as much as they consider cultural values, as many developing societies are in transition.
This study analyzes how the relationship marketing implement factors of masstige fashion brands influence the trust, satisfaction and repurchase intention of consumers. The survey was conducted from October to in 2008 with 330 responses used in the data analysis. The statistical analysis methods were frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results show that the relationship marketing implement factors of masstige fashion brands were customer orientation, salesperson expertise, communication, brand expertise, and inducement. The relationship marketing implement factors of masstige fashion brands influence the trust and satisfaction of consumers. The trust and satisfaction of consumers influence the repurchase intention in the masstige fashion brands.
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to offer a discursive perspective on luxury brand consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
Discourse analysis is used to examine how consumers construct their luxury brand consumption amidst countervailing cultural discourses in the market (Thompson and Haytko). Consumer discourse is generated through in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews.
Findings
In the context of countervailing discourses that challenge the notion of luxury (e.g. “masstige”, “chav” and “bling”), respondents construct an ostensibly distinct and stable version of luxury expressing its subjective, experiential, moral and artistic constructs. Analysis demonstrates how these four themes operate at a linguistic‐textual level to delineate important cultural categories and boundaries around luxury. Luxury brand discourse operates strategic juxtapositions between normatively positive (ideal) and normatively negative (problematic) categories, which are paradoxically interdependent.
Research limitations/implications
A qualitative study of high‐income residents from an affluent UK region is reported upon. The study is exploratory, focussing on interrelations between discourse, content and context. This invites future studies to consider contextual elements of luxury branding.
Originality/value
The paper proposes a new way of thinking about luxury brands as a socially constructed concept. The paper concludes by arguing that luxury brand management necessitates a deeper appreciation of the mechanics of consumers' luxury discourses.
The issue of brand equity has emerged as one of the most critical areas for marketing management in the 1990s. Despite strong interest in the subject, however, there is little empirical evidence of how brand value is created and what its precise effects are. This study explores some of the consequences of brand equity. In particular, the authors examine the effect of brand equity on consumer preferences and purchase intentions. For comparative purposes, two sets of brands are tested, one from a service category characterized by fairly high financial and functional risk (hotels), and one from a generally lower risk product category (household cleansers). Each set includes two brands that are objectively similar (based on Consumer Reports ratings), but they have invested markedly different levels of advertising spending over the past decade. Across both categories, the brand with the higher advertising budget yielded substantially higher levels of brand equity. In turn, the brand with the higher equity in each category generated significantly greater preferences and purchase intentions.
The authors present a phenomenological investigation of luxury brand consumption patterns as revealed through female consumers' descriptions of their lived experiences with various brands and products. An integrative review of traditional luxury research demonstrates how the meaning of luxury has changed in the contemporary United States. Seventeen in-depth interviews provide insights to update this meaning. The authors offer several theoretical extensions and propose a new luxury paradigm that they refer to as "populence," defined as a category of new luxury goods and services with a wide target audience. An application of these proposed concepts to relevant research domains provides further insights.
This study examines the citations used in the global branding literature (GBL), and evaluates the knowledge structure of this area of research to date. Our bibliometric analysis involves an examination of 120 global branding articles in business-related research. We employ multidimensional scaling to reveal a range of intellectual influences that have helped shape the GBL. The foundation of knowledge in the GBL is uncovered by analyzing co-citation data to identify important topical influences in the formation of global branding research. The conceptual framework developed incorporates five areas with important implications for the future development of global branding as an area of inquiry. These major research topics in the GBL are international branding strategy, brand positioning, brand/country origin, brand concept-image, and brand performance. We leverage resource- and capability-based paradigms, and use the five underpinning knowledge groups to propose an agenda for future research that fills existing gaps and offers the potential to advance and enrich the GBL.
Although Western economies have not yet transitioned out of crisis, the luxury sector is growing again, especially at the high end. In emerging countries, the luxury sector's expansion has reached double digits. However, as luxury products continue to penetrate global markets, the prestige of brands like Louis Vuitton has not declined at all. This seems at odds with the concept of luxury being tied to rarity and exclusivity. Thus, how can we reconcile these facts with theory? In order to capture mounting demands—not only from extraordinary people, but also from ordinary individuals—luxury brands enact virtual rarity tactics, construct themselves as art, and adopt a fashion business model while deemphasizing exceptional quality and country of origin. Rarity of ingredients or craft has been replaced by qualitative rarity. Further, the cult of the designer is a potent tool in building emotional connections with a vast number of clients. Today, brands in the luxury sector are actually selling symbolic and magic power to the masses. There exists a culture gap between Asia and the West; namely, Asian consumers feel safer buying prestigious Western brands with which individuals around them are familiar. The insights offered herein provide clues for entrepreneurs attempting to launch luxury brands.
The author presents a conceptual model of brand equity from the perspective of the individual consumer. Customer-based brand equity is defined as the differential effect of brand knowledge on consumer response to the marketing of the brand. A brand is said to have positive (negative) customer-based brand equity when consumers react more (less) favorably to an element of the marketing mix for the brand than they do to the same marketing mix element when it is attributed to a fictitiously named or unnamed version of the product or service. Brand knowledge is conceptualized according to an associative network memory model in terms of two components, brand awareness and brand image (i.e., a set of brand associations). Customer-based brand equity occurs when the consumer is familiar with the brand and holds some favorable, strong, and unique brand associations in memory. Issues in building, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity are discussed, as well as areas for future research.
In recent years, competition between brands have been linked to mass prestige associated with the brands. Mass Prestige (Masstige) is very important to study, and yet it is a relatively less investigated construct in the literature. This study is an attempt to contribute to the literature grounded in masstige theoretical approach by examining the prestige associated with the four best-selling laptop brands: 1) two American brands (HP, Dell); and 2) two Asian brands (Lenovo and Acer). We analyzed the competition between these brands in the second fastest growing emerging market, India. In order to measure Masstige, we used the Masstige Mean scale. The results show that American brands have the potential to be seen as prestige brands while Asian brands are trailing behind in masstige value and competition. Finally, but not less important, this paper discusses the potential reasons for different masstige value of four laptop brands.
Location of new products, 191. — The maturing product, 196. — The standardized product, 202.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the dimensions of predisposition towards foreign brands (PTFB) for Indian consumers and examine their impact on materialism/materialist value (MAT). The study further conducts an in-depth analysis of these constructs for possible variations across consumer demographics.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a structured questionnaire, primary data were collected from 487 respondents in the city of Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). While a modified scale was developed to operationalize PTFB, the measurement instrument for MAT was adapted on the basis of an extensive literature review. Statistical techniques such as Exploratory factor analysis, Confirmatory factor analysis, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression analysis were used to test various hypotheses of the study.
Findings
The study identified five dimensions of PTFB, namely, “Reputation”, “Preference”, “Country of Origin”, “Accessibility” and “Quality”, through confirmatory factor analysis in structural equation modelling. Except for “Preference” and “Accessibility”, all remaining dimensions were found to be exerting a significant impact on MAT. The results further indicate that consumers’ PTFB as well as their MAT differs across demographics such as age, income, gender, occupation and qualification.
Practical implications
The paper brings to the fore useful insights for marketers of foreign brands. The findings can be effectively used for developing a more focused marketing strategy for Indian consumers by helping in identifying demographic segments that are more responsive and susceptible to the entry of foreign brands in Indian markets.
Originality/value
The paper attempts to develop a more robust instrument for measurement of consumers’ PTFB and provides dimensions constituting the construct for consumers of emerging markets such as India. The current research also indicates that there exists a significant variation in PTFB and MAT for different demographic segments of consumers.
This paper aims at studying the interactions between brand and customer assets over the long-term. Through the application of a new behavioural measure called the brand health index (BHI) we examine the impact of brand health on customer equity, and its mediating impact on the advertising-customer equity relationship. Three services industries, department stores, airlines, and banking, were studied from 2001 to 2012. The results show that brand health has a positive impact on customer equity, although the magnitude of the BHI impact varies across different industries. Moreover it was demonstrated that brand health mediates the impact of advertising on customer equity.
“Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-Based Brand Equity,” published in the Journal of Marketing in 1993, was one of the early thought pieces and review papers on branding in the field. Written to be a comprehensive bridge between the theory and practice of branding, it has received a large number of citations and several awards through the years. Here, I look back at that article and provide some perspective as to how it was developed, highlighting some of its main contributions. I also outline some of my subsequent related branding research, as well as that of others. Finally, I consider some future research priorities in branding, putting emphasis on the online and digital developments that have occurred since the publication of the article.
Our article concerns the process of conception where one seeks to bring together an architectural form and the industrial techniques which enable its realization. It is an iterative process of, on the one hand, rationalizing geometry, and, on the other, sorting and combining production methods that both match the economics of the project and account for the constraints of technology. This back and forth essentially results in an optimization by which an industrial process best approaches the desired form.
The subject is illustrated by the example of the glazed canopies of “la Fondation Louis Vuitton pour la creation” in Paris, a project by Gehry Partners, which is currently in construction.
The purpose of this study was to identify a differentiated marketing strategy for Asia. This research has critically analyzed the purchasing behavior of consumers from three selected Asian countries (Japan, South Korea, and China) that purchase luxury items and the marketing strategy of Louis Vuitton to support the objectives. As a part of the marketing strategy analysis, Louis Vuitton's advertising strategy used in three different countries as illustrated in Vogue advertisements were studied. There were three critical factors found that Louis Vuitton used to achieve its success: the deployment of innovation and tradition at the same time, its use of masstige marketing, and its advertising. The paper describes the study and concludes by highlighting contributions to apparel industry and academe. The comparative analysis of luxury goods marketing will assist global marketers to produce more differentiated marketing strategy for various cultures. Also, the theoretical framework applied in the paper, can be utilized by other marketer and researchers to further advance research on luxury products marketing and consumption analysis.
Backward bending demand is the standard explanation that marketing textbooks give for the pricing of prestige products like fline jewelry and luxury cars. This solely demand-side explanation overlooks two supply-side considerations that all marketing textbooks acknowledge as important: 1) product promotion and 2) the market power of the firms marketing prestige goods. Incorporating these two factors, this article offers marketing educators and other marketing professionals an alternative explanation of prestige pricing that does not require them to assert that the demand for prestige goods is backward bending. Our explanation shows how promotion, demand, output costs, and business profitability are intertwined within a firm's marketing mix.
It is generally known that status consumption fulfils the hedonic needs of luxury goods consumers; affective response generated from the purchase behavior of luxury goods is linked to the display of wealth and symbolic meanings obtained from social standing. However, there is a paucity of studies on how the affective response of consumers influences their repurchase intention of luxury goods. Therefore, in this paper, the repurchase intention of luxury goods consumers is investigated, their motivations are examined, and how status consumption affects their affective response will be demonstrated. The sample in this study comprises 568 survey respondents. The findings show that affective response has the strongest direct impact on repurchase intention. The need for uniqueness and materialism have indirect effects on repurchase intention through status consumption. Consequently, the results will enrich the existing literature on consumer behavior and provide theoretical and practical implications.
Many studies examine the role of innovation as a source of competitive advantage in the airline industry. Innovative brand experience is a particularly hot issue as it can deliver unique functional and emotional elements to build a strong relationship between the brand and its customers. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between innovative brand experience, brand equity and brand satisfaction in airlines. To this end, this study collects passenger survey data at Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport and uses multiple regression analysis to examine the relationships among the research variables and identify the final performance. The results reveal that airline innovative brand experience has a positive impact on brand equity and brand satisfaction. The study confirms the benefits of innovative brand experience in the airline industry and in helping the airlines in the branding process and customer management.
Purpose – “Masstige marketing” is considered as a market penetration strategy for medium and
large enterprises, particularly in foreign markets. The author redefine “masstige marketing” strategy
in this paper and map the concept as a new model for brand building. Second, the author examine
the effectiveness of “masstige marketing” strategy with reference to marketing mix theory (Four
Ps ¼ product, price, place and promotion). The purpose of this paper is to introduce a theoretical
model to help the companies to implement “masstige marketing” strategy.
Design/methodology/approach – The author introduce a scale, called “Masstige Mean Score Scale”
to measure the mass prestige value of brands. Both secondary and primary data used in this study.
The author collected data from 590 young women consumers living in Japan and France to measure
the “masstige” value using the new scale developed. The marketing strategy of European luxury sector
multinational brand LV, has also been discussed as a method.
Findings – Masstige value is the best indicator of long-term brand value. In other words, higher the
masstige value (MMS) of a brand, the higher the likelihood to succeed. The author also found that a
brand can create mass prestige with “masstige marketing” strategy by appropriately mixing the four
Ps in marketing – Product, Price, Promotion and Place in a distinct and culturally different market.
Originality/value – The author develop a pyramid model and measurement scale for “masstige
marketing” as a theoretical framework to stimulate further research and as a tool for practitioners
for better decision making. Besides, the author posit that higher the Masstige Mean Score (MMS)
of a brand, higher the likelihood that potential customers recall that as a “top of mind” brand.
Lower MMS implies that the firm has to go long way in their efforts to build the brand.
Keywords Brand management, Marketing mix, Brand valuation, Masstige marketing,
Mass prestige, Pyramid model, Masstige Mean Score
In response to calls for marketing accountability and for evaluating the long-term brand building efforts, this research proposes a new behavioural long-term-oriented measure, called Brand Health Index (BHI) to monitor the health of a brand. Similar to the health of a person that cannot just be associated to what they have had for breakfast, the health of a brand should not be judged on a short-term basis. Long-term lagged impacts must also be considered. BHI is the first longitudinal measure that encompasses the long-term sales performance of a brand to measure its health. We provide managerial insights into effective brand management over the long-term. We conduct a longitudinal analysis from 2002 to 2011. Four industries, airlines, banking, department stores and insurance, are studied to improve the model’s generalisability. We validate our BHI by correlating it to Interbrand’s and Millward Brown’s BrandZ measures of brand value. Using a Two-Way Cluster-Robust Error regression, we study the association between BHI and two financial measures. The findings suggest that the proposed measure is significantly positively correlated with ROA and EPS.
Brands are one of marketing’s main foci. But while the American Marketing Association’s official marketing definition continues to evolve, its brand definition has remained stagnant for nearly 80 years. This article argues that the AMA’s simplistic trademark conceptualization of brands is increasingly out of touch with marketing theory and practice. Integrating the consumer culture, marketing semiotics, and General Systems Theory literatures, we re-conceptualize brands as semiotic marketing systems. This follows marketing systems being core to macromarketing. It also obeys marketing systems needing to contemplate their meaning infrastructures given today’s progressively symbolic markets. The antecedents, operation and benefits of this new systems approach to brands are discussed. Brands are re-defined as complex multidimensional constructs with varying degrees of meaning, independence, co-creation and scope. Brands are semiotic marketing systems that generate value for direct and indirect participants, society, and the broader environment, through the exchange of co-created meaning.
The author presents a conceptual model of brand equity from the perspective of the individual consumer. Customer-based brand equity is defined as the differential effect of brand knowledge on consumer response to the marketing of the brand. A brand is said to have positive (negative) customer-based brand equity when consumers react more (less) favorably to an element of the marketing mix for the brand than they do to the same marketing mix element when it is attributed to a fictitiously named or unnamed version of the product or service. Brand knowledge is conceptualized according to an associative network memory model in terms of two components, brand awareness and brand image (i. e., a set of brand associations). Customer-based brand equity occurs when the consumer is familiar with the brand and holds some favorable, strong, and unique brand associations in memory. Issues in building, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity are discussed, as well as areas for future research.
Brand equity components, brand attitude and brand name familiarity, influence not only the positive benefits but also the adverse consequences that follow brand leveraging. Making use of event study methods, the authors assess whether and how the stock market return-a measure of the change in expected future cash flows-associated with a brand extension announcement depends on these brand equity components. The empirical analysis indicates that stock market participants' responses to brand extension announcements, consistent with the trade-offs inherent in brand leveraging, depend interactively and nonmonotonically on brand attitude and familiarity.
This article presents managers with a framework for measuring the strength of a brand. It specifically examines ten sets of measures grouped into five categories: loyalty, perceived quality, associations, awareness, and market behavior. Employing these measures can be difficult and their results must be used carefully. However, they have the capacity to provide managers with a set of important and extremely useful measurement tools.
The aim of this exploratory research is to compare a well-known scale, the Aaker brand personality scale, with an empirical scale based on individuals' relevant attributes, in order to analyse why they can lead to similar brand positioning maps. We provide empirical evidence of how a bias can overwrite the ability of a measurement scale to actually measure its underlying construct. In order to do so, we first find that the two sets of attributes one derived from the brand personality scale, the other reflecting attributes - obtain