The effect of materialism on conspicuous vs inconspicuous luxury consumption: focused on need for uniqueness, self-monitoring and self-construal
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
ISSN: 1355-5855
Article publication date: 31 July 2020
Issue publication date: 23 February 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Previous research on luxury consumption has focused on conspicuous consumption; however, research on consumers' self-conceptual mechanism in inconspicuous luxury consumption context is scarce. The present study aims to investigate various self-concepts and their mechanisms for inconspicuous and conspicuous luxury consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
An experiment with 215 participants from online survey website was conducted, and the hypotheses were tested using PROCESS Macro 3.4.
Findings
The study findings are as follows. Materialistic consumers' preference between inconspicuous and conspicuous luxury products is dependent on distinctive self-conceptual mechanism. More specifically, materialistic consumers with independent self-construal prefer inconspicuous luxury brands because of high need for uniqueness, whereas non-materialistic consumers with interdependent self-construal prefer conspicuous luxury products because of high self-monitoring.
Research limitations/implications
The present study uniquely shows conditions (moderated mediation) that the link between need for uniqueness (self-monitoring) and luxury consumption is stronger for those with independent (interdependent) self-construal than for those with interdependent (independent) self-construal. The present results extend and help better understanding of mechanisms and conditions of conspicuous and inconspicuous luxury consumption.
Practical implications
Marketers are advised to design and produce unique vs popular luxury brands depending on consumer's motives and different self-concepts.
Originality/value
This research contributes to extant literature by distinguishing between conspicuous and inconspicuous luxury consumption with two different mechanisms (need for uniqueness and self-monitoring). The present study further demonstrates that the two mechanisms are strongly sustained differently depending on consumer's levels of self-construal.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
All three authors have equally contributed.
Citation
Lee, M., Bae, J. and Koo, D.-M. (2021), "The effect of materialism on conspicuous vs inconspicuous luxury consumption: focused on need for uniqueness, self-monitoring and self-construal", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 869-887. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-12-2019-0689
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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