Abstract
Purpose – This paper sets out to address the issue of conspicuous consumption among middle age consumers (40-60), focusing on the psychological and
brand antecedents, using the context of automobile buying behaviour. Existing literature does not clearly conceptualise psychological and brand antecedent
and their effect on conspicuous consumption due to usage of inconsistent measurement techniques and being largely targeted at the youth segment.
Design/methodology/approach – Two scales of measurement (psychological antecedent scale, brand antecedent scale) were employed to measure
the impact. The study involved a quantitative research methodology employing a structured questionnaire and quota sampling with a total sample of
302 within the region of the South-East of the UK.
Findings – The findings suggest that psychological and brand antecedents are of crucial importance among middle-aged consumers in influencing
their conspicuous consumption.
Practical implications – Using the examples of present communication strategies adopted by conspicuous product marketers, the paper argues how
they are missing an opportunity and provides them with a novel way to market their brands, focusing on how consumers associate themselves with
these brands.
Originality/value – The paper is the first of its kind to explicitly investigate the impact of brand and psychological antecedents among middle-aged
consumers – one of the most significant segments for conspicuous marketers, yet so far understudied.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 25-36 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Product & Brand Management |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2008 |
Keywords
- Consumption, Buying behaviour, Automotive industry