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

Abstract

Luxury brands have engaged in social media use, becoming exposed to a wider market but confronting the exclusivity and uniqueness linked to these brands. This paper explores the role of a personality trait and a brand characteristic in brand love by social media users in the luxury fashion industry. Specifically, the individual's materialism (measured by the relevance given to luxury premium prices and fashionability), the essence of the brand perceived through its rituals and traditions, and their influence on self–brand integration are considered. An empirical study is carried out on 432 social media users, and two different research methodologies are conducted: Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Findings from both methodologies support the relevance of the variables analysed with regard to brand love. However, fsQCA offers a new perspective by identifying that for loving the brand, materialistic individuals also have to value the brand's rituals and traditions; and that personality traits can contribute to brand love, the resultant outcome of the relevance given to a luxury premium price, or to its aesthetic and fashionability, but not to both aspects at the same time; finally, self–brand integration is not necessary for brand love but is sufficient. From these results, managerial implications are suggested in order to favour brand love, as it exerts a strong influence on purchase intention.