Uniqueness and luxury: A moderated mediation approach

Jebarajakirthy, Charles; Das, Manish

doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102477

Cited by 37 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Unpopular choice (UPC)‐dominant people accepts social critique while exhibiting their uniqueness (Jebarajakirthy & Das, 2021) and accordingly they acquire and own brands that breaks existing social norms (Tian et al., 2001) by deviating from popular consumer cultural practices. Avoidance of similarity (AOS)‐dominant people discontinue the use of items that are very much popular the masses (Ruvio et al., 2008) while displaying uniqueness.…”

Section: Theoretical Underpinnings and Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inspired and engaged: Decoding MASSTIGE value in engagement

Das

Saha

Roy

2021

Int J Consumer Studies

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This study explores two burgeoning aspects of marketing research; inspiration and engagement, in the context of mass‐prestige brands; that is those brands that position themselves among middle‐income people on the plank of mass‐prestige by maintaining premium feeling at an attainable price. Specifically, it examines the role of desire and perceived value in activating masstige inspiration and shaping masstige engagement. In addition, it investigates whether the transition from inspiration to masstige engagement varies based on need for uniqueness tendencies. Following a survey method, responses were obtained from 396 (354 usable) masstige (car) luxury buyers in India using a structured questionnaire. Covariance‐based Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the direct and mediation hypotheses, while moderation hypotheses were checked using multi‐group SEM. The study indicates that affective desire (discomfort, pleasure and guilt), but not cognitive (control) and perceive value (functional value, emotional value and social value), shapes consumers’ masstige engagement (cognitive, affective and behavioural). Affective desire and perceived value activates masstige inspiration (“inspired byi”) leading to masstige intention (inspired to) and finally masstige engagement. Creative choice counter conformity as uniqueness tendency strengthens the effect of masstige intention (inspired to) on masstige engagement but not unpopular and avoidance of similarity uniqueness tendencies. Study findings will significantly strengthen engagement and inspiration literature in general and masstige in particular besides providing input to the marketers in shaping masstige branding and communication strategies.

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Section: Theoretical Underpinnings and Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inspired and engaged: Decoding MASSTIGE value in engagement

Das

Saha

Roy

2021

Int J Consumer Studies

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“…Luxury motivation and the desire for unique products are connected as “status aspiration is likely to produce a desire for unique consumer products” (Lynn & Harris, 1997, p. 7). The need for uniqueness has been demonstrated to be an antecedent for the desire for unique products and is a higher‐order construct made up of three factors: unpopular choice counter‐conformity, creative choice counter‐conformity, and avoidance of similarity (Tian et al, 2001); each factor impacting consumption differently (Jahanshahi & Jia, 2018; Jebarajakirthy & Das, 2021). The desire for unique products, a goal‐oriented unidimensional construct, looking at uniqueness in a positive socially acceptable manner (Lynn & Harris, 1997) is more appropriate for this study.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We propose that both social factors, wanting to be seen by others as sustainable, as well as individual factors, desiring unique products, are at work. Jebarajakirthy and Das (2021, p. 1) indicate that both the “need for uniqueness and social comparison are vital aspects in shaping people's motive to become distinct in multiple facets of life” including luxury consumption. As consumers “care about communicating specific, desired identities” (Berger & Heath, 2007, p. 133) to others, we postulate that for those consumers with luxury social attitudes who want to be seen positively as sustainable, they can illustrate how they stand out relative to their social group, not in an anti‐conformity or unusual manner, but through their desire for unique products to demonstrate how they are sustainable.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can luxury attitudes impact sustainability? The role of desire for unique products, culture, and brand self‐congruence

Eastman

Iyer

Dekhili

2021

Psychology and Marketing

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This study examines the effect of value-expressive and social-adjustive luxury attitudes on sustainable behaviors, specifically ecologically conscious consumer behavior, and socially responsible consumer behavior. This study investigates the mediating effect of the desire for unique products on the relationship between value-expressive and social-adjustive attitudes and sustainable behaviors. The moderating roles of brand self-congruence and the cultural values of collectivism and masculinity on these relationships are also explored. The results offer support for the mediating role of the desire for unique products. Furthermore, the connection between the desire for unique products and ecologically conscious consumer behavior (but not socially responsible consumer behavior) is enhanced with the moderating cultural value of collectivism and the connection between the desire for unique products and socially responsible consumer behavior (but not ecologically conscious consumer behavior) is enhanced by the moderating factor of brand selfcongruence. The findings help to explain the conflicting findings regarding luxury and sustainability.

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“…Importantly, Jebarajakirthy and Das (2021) highlighted that NFU dimensions—namely, creative choice counter‐conformity, unpopular choice counter‐conformity and avoidance of similarity—drive luxury consumption intention. In sum, NFU typically reflects differences among consumers in their counter‐conformity motivation, which is “a motivation for differentiating the self via consumer goods” (Tian et al, 2001, p. 52).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast to this practice, we propose that focusing luxury product communication on sustainability features might enhance consumers' willingness to buy (hereafter, WTB) luxury products compared to a more traditional communication focus on luxury product excellence. Theoretically, we propose that one possible mechanism through which sustainability‐focused communication positively affects WTB is the following: buying a sustainable luxury product elicits consumers' feelings of uniqueness, defined as the “feelings of being unique, special, and separable from the majority” (Jebarajakirthy & Das, 2021, p. 60). Importantly, we argue that such feelings of uniqueness associated with owning a sustainable luxury product are driven by consumers' perception that a product communication focused mainly on sustainability is still seen as atypical for promoting a luxury product (which is typically promoted through an excellence‐focused communication).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The atypicality of sustainable luxury products

Amatulli

Angelis

Donato

2021

Psychology and Marketing

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This study tackles the issue of how consumers might perceive luxury products' sustainability-focused communication. We compare consumers' reactions when luxury brands communicate their focus on either product sustainability or product excellence (i.e., a sustainability-vs. excellence-focused communication strategy, respectively). We predict that consumers perceive the former as more atypical for a luxury brand, which renders the communication more effective at enhancing consumers' willingness to buy the brand's products. Across six experiments, we demonstrate that perceived atypicality mediates the effect of luxury product communication strategy on consumers' willingness to buy; that perceived atypicality increases willingness to buy by increasing consumers' perception about the uniqueness of the communication strategy; that the effect of perceived atypicality is stronger for consumers with a higher chronic need for uniqueness; and that the greater effectiveness of a sustainability-focused communication strategy on atypicality and willingness to buy is peculiar to luxury products (i.e., it does not manifest for mass-market products). From a managerial perspective, our findings demonstrate that luxury brands may innovate their communication strategies by leveraging sustainability rather than product excellence.

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Uniqueness and luxury: A moderated mediation approach

Cited by 37 publications

References 77 publications

Inspired and engaged: Decoding MASSTIGE value in engagement

Inspired and engaged: Decoding MASSTIGE value in engagement

Can luxury attitudes impact sustainability? The role of desire for unique products, culture, and brand self‐congruence

The atypicality of sustainable luxury products

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