Buyer Behaviour and the Market for Status Goods

Abstract

In recent years business organisations have recognised the great profits potential offered by the demand for status goods and have sought to encourage still higher levels of status seeking among consumers. To this end, many products are designed and promoted either wholly or partly as status symbols, with marketing strategies geared to securing rapid rates of social obsolescence in goods and services on offer. At the same time, we still know remarkably little about conspicuous consumption itself or about buyer behaviour in the market for status goods. This article examines the special characteristics of the conspicuous consumer and explores ways in which marketing planning may be improved.

Citation

Mason, R. (1984), "Buyer Behaviour and the Market for Status Goods", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 29-39. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045698