The Balance Between the Transmitted and the Perceived Image of Luxury Fragrance Brands

Abstract

The luxury market has experienced considerable growth over recent years, being one of the sectors that have been the most resistant to the current economic recession. Selective fragrances make up one of the primary categories of the so-called accessible luxury consumed by a middle class that is seeking to approach the upper classes by copying their lifestyle. Despite the importance of this market, there is relatively little literature existing in regards to the study of the image of luxury brands due to the complexity of the luxury phenomenon. This article presents the results of an initial qualitative study conducted on focus groups of luxury fragrance consumers, making it possible to identify the types of attributes to be considered when studying the brand image of said luxury products. Subsequently, a quantitative study was conducted in order to determine the perceived image of the principle luxury fragrance brands by consumers. Thanks to this study, it has been possible to determine the typical profile of each of the analyzed brands so that a subsequent comparison may be made with the advertising created by said brands in order to verify whether or not the image projected in their advertising corresponds with the perceived image of their target audience.