Luxury brand markets as confluences of multiple cultural beliefs

Abstract

Purpose

Cross-cultural influences are important considerations in the international marketing of luxury brands. These influences have predominantly been understood through cross-national approaches and the lens of glocalisation. The purpose of this paper is to study augments these paradigms by advancing the view of luxury brand markets as confluences of multiple cultural beliefs.

Design/methodology/approach

A hermeneutic analysis of 24 in-depth interviews was conducted with luxury brand consumers in New Zealand.

Findings

The findings describe two cultural beliefs that convey divergent meanings and shape luxury brand consumption styles in a multicultural marketplace. More specifically, the authors illustrate that consumers can be influenced by and shift between both local and foreign cultural beliefs in a single national market.

Research limitations/implications

The study offers a situated account of the New Zealand luxury market. Other cultural beliefs may be in operation in different national markets.

Originality/value

This paper makes three contributions to the international marketing of and cross-cultural considerations for luxury brands. First, the authors illustrate that cultural diversity must be considered not only at the cross-national level, but also at the intra-national level. In particular, the authors show that the global-local dichotomy in cross-cultural luxury branding needs to be augmented with the local-foreign dimension. Second, this is the first study in this area to empirically demonstrate the impact of multicultural marketplaces on luxury brands, where consumers emerge as contextual cultural shifters. Third, the authors advocate a shift from the prevailing glocal approach to a new multicultural approach in luxury branding.

Citation

Seo, Y., Buchanan-Oliver, M. and Cruz, A.G.B. (2015), "Luxury brand markets as confluences of multiple cultural beliefs", International Marketing Review, Vol. 32 No. 2, pp. 141-159. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-04-2013-0081