Uncovering the relationships between aspirations and luxury brand preference
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to test the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations on luxury brand preference. The objective is to help luxury marketers better understand and anticipate the psychological needs of their customers.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a thorough review of the literature, a series of hypotheses are derived and tested using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The final sample consists of a total of 615 participants.
Findings
The main findings show that aspirations can affect luxury brand preference depending on the type of aspirations: positive for extrinsic aspirations and negative for intrinsic ones. The findings also suggest that intrinsic aspirations play a more substantial role in luxury consumer behavior than had been previously thought.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that luxury marketers should take into consideration the duality of intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations when designing marketing campaigns. Particularly, focusing advertising campaigns on extrinsic values seems restrictive and discards consumers who are intrinsically motivated.
Originality/value
Aspirations are important in social psychology research because they have a strong influence on individuals' behavior. However, little research has been done in marketing to assess the potential effects of aspirations on consumer behavior, especially within the context of luxury goods.
Keywords
Citation
Truong, Y., McColl, R. and Kitchen, P.J. (2010), "Uncovering the relationships between aspirations and luxury brand preference", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 346-355. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610421011068586
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited