Short answer

Design and marketing efforts for luxury brands on social media should prioritize storytelling around brand heritage and rituals to resonate with materialistic consumers, rather than relying solely on product features or price points.

Field
Innovation & Markets
Source
Journal of Consumer Behaviour (2024)
Method
Mixed-methods research (PLS-SEM and fsQCA)
Sample
432 participants
Evidence
Strong effect

For materialistic consumers, valuing a luxury brand's heritage and traditions is crucial for developing brand love, even more so than focusing solely on price or aesthetics. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2024 study published in Journal of Consumer Behaviour. Using Mixed-methods research (pls-sem and fsqca) with 432 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design and marketing efforts for luxury brands on social media should prioritize storytelling around brand heritage and rituals to resonate with materialistic consumers, rather than relying solely on product features or price points.

Study
Innovation & MarketsRecentStrong effect

Materialism and Brand Heritage Drive Luxury Brand Love on Social Media

For materialistic consumers, valuing a luxury brand's heritage and traditions is crucial for developing brand love, even more so than focusing solely on price or aesthetics.

Journal of Consumer Behaviour · 2024

01

Key Findings

  • 01Materialistic individuals require valuing brand rituals and traditions to develop brand love.
  • 02Personality traits (materialism) can contribute to brand love through either perceived premium price or aesthetic/fashionability, but not both simultaneously.
  • 03Self-brand integration is not necessary but is sufficient for brand love.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Design and marketing efforts for luxury brands on social media should prioritize storytelling around brand heritage and rituals to resonate with materialistic consumers, rather than relying solely on product features or price points.

How to apply

When developing social media campaigns for luxury brands, create content that delves into the brand's history, craftsmanship, and unique traditions. Tailor messaging to appeal to either the price-conscious or the fashion-conscious materialistic consumer, but not attempt to satisfy both with the same communication.

Project actions

  • 01When researching consumer behaviour, consider how personality traits interact with marketing messages.
  • 02Explore the role of brand heritage in building emotional connections with products.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate how individual materialism and a luxury brand's rituals and traditions influence social media users' brand love.
MethodMixed-methods research (PLS-SEM and fsQCA)
ProcedureAn empirical study was conducted on social media users, analyzing the relationships between materialism, brand rituals/traditions, self-brand integration, and brand love using statistical modeling and qualitative comparative analysis.
Sample432 participants
ContextLuxury fashion industry on social media

Variables

IV["Individual materialism","Brand's perceived rituals and traditions"]
DVBrand love
CV["Self-brand integration","Perceived premium price","Perceived fashionability"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Utilizes mixed-methods approach for robust findings.
  • +Investigates nuanced relationships between personality, brand characteristics, and consumer behaviour.

Limitations

The sample may not represent all social media users or all luxury consumers. The subjective nature of 'brand love' and 'materialism' can introduce bias.

Reliability & validity

The use of established scales for materialism and brand love, combined with rigorous statistical analysis (PLS-SEM) and qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), enhances the reliability and validity of the findings.

Think critically

How might the influence of brand rituals and traditions on brand love differ across various cultural contexts, and what are the implications for global luxury brands?

05

Design Principles

"Brand narrative and heritage are critical emotional touchpoints for fostering deep consumer connection, especially within materialistic segments."

Understanding the drivers of brand love is essential for luxury brands operating on social media, as it directly impacts consumer purchase intentions. This research highlights that a singular focus on premium pricing or fashionability is insufficient for materialistic consumers; they also require a connection to the brand's history and rituals.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Luxury brands on social media can make people love them more if those people care about money and fashion by telling stories about the brand's history and traditions. It's better to focus on either the price or the style, not both, when talking to these people.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this study when discussing the psychological drivers of consumer behaviour and brand loyalty.
  • 2.Use findings to justify design choices related to brand storytelling and messaging.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research indicates that for materialistic consumers engaging with luxury brands on social media, a strong appreciation for the brand's heritage and traditions is a significant driver of brand love. This suggests that design and marketing efforts should prioritize authentic storytelling around a brand's history and unique practices, rather than solely focusing on product attributes like price or fashionability, to foster deeper consumer connections.

09

Source

Journal of Consumer Behaviour

Individuals' materialism and brand rituals and traditions as drivers of luxury brand love on social media

journal · 2024

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about materialism and brand heritage drive luxury brand love on social media?
Design and marketing efforts for luxury brands on social media should prioritize storytelling around brand heritage and rituals to resonate with materialistic consumers, rather than relying solely on product features or price points. Evidence: Journal of Consumer Behaviour (2024).
Why does "Materialism and Brand Heritage Drive Luxury Brand Love on Social Media" matter for design?
Understanding the drivers of brand love is essential for luxury brands operating on social media, as it directly impacts consumer purchase intentions. This research highlights that a singular focus on premium pricing or fashionability is insufficient for materialistic consumers; they also require a connection to the brand's history and rituals.
How can designers apply this research?
Design and marketing efforts for luxury brands on social media should prioritize storytelling around brand heritage and rituals to resonate with materialistic consumers, rather than relying solely on product features or price points.
What were the main findings?
Materialistic individuals require valuing brand rituals and traditions to develop brand love.. Personality traits (materialism) can contribute to brand love through either perceived premium price or aesthetic/fashionability, but not both simultaneously.. Self-brand integration is not necessary but is sufficient for brand love.
What research method was used?
Mixed-methods research (PLS-SEM and fsQCA) with 432 participants.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2024 journal from Journal of Consumer Behaviour.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When developing social media campaigns for luxury brands, create content that delves into the brand's history, craftsmanship, and unique traditions. Tailor messaging to appeal to either the price-conscious or the fashion-conscious materialistic consumer, but not attempt to satisfy both with the same communication.
What are the limitations?
The study focuses on the luxury fashion industry and may not generalize to other luxury product categories. The definition of 'materialism' and 'brand rituals' could be further refined.