“…It is unclear whether this is the case also in the context of the downscale vertical line extension of a luxury brand and the extent to which consumers would evaluate the lower priced product positively, even if its increased affordability may lower its perceptions of exclusivity. As Heath et al (2011: 19) point out, 'further research on' (downscale vertical line extensions of) 'luxury brands is needed, partly because regular luxury-brand consumers may not like seeing their brands being consumed by the masses (Berger & Heath, 2007;Kirmani et al, 1999) '. Further complexity is added by fact that, even at the upper end of the spectrum, brands vary on a continuum of prestige and price (De Barnier, Falcy, & Valette-Florence , 2012;Reddy, Terblanche, Pitt, & Parent, 2009;Truong, McColl, & Kitchen, 2009), as well as status and conspicuousness (Truong, Simmons, McColl, & Kitchen, 2008;Vigneron & Johnson, 2004). In the context of vertical extensions, it is particularly important to acknowledge such variations in the continuum of prestige, price and exclusivity.…”