Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China

Ken Kumagai; Shin’ya Nagasawa

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13

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Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China

Ken Kumagai, Shin’ya Nagasawa

Published in Science Journal of Business and Management (Volume 3, Issue 2-1)

Received: 17 March 2015 Accepted: 17 March 2015 Published: 23 March 2015

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Abstract

This study extends Kumagai and Nagasawa’s (2015) discussion on consumer attitude toward luxury brands by conducting consumer research in Japan and China. It focuses on eight luxury brands—Ralph Lauren and Armani, Coach and Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Cartier, and Cadillac and Mercedes Benz—in four product categories—apparel, leather goods, jewelry, and automobile, respectively. The determinants of consumer attitude and customer experience are discussed between the two countries and across the four categories. Customer experience is examined using a strategic experiential module (SEM). The multivariate statistics and discussion in this paper provide the following five implications. (1) Chinese consumer perception of luxury brands is generally similar to that of the Japanese. (2) Japanese and Chinese consumers’ attitude toward luxury brands, to some degree, is determined on the basis of three factors: perceived esthetics, perceived orthodoxy, and perceived rarity. The impact of perceived rarity on consumer attitude differs between Japan and China. (3) Perceived esthetics and orthodoxy have positive impacts on consumer brand attitude, but the impact of perceived rarity is not always positive across product categories. (4) The purchase intention regarding consumer luxury brands is directly influenced by perceived esthetics, perceived orthodoxy, and perceived rarity, and indirectly influenced through a consumer’s dreams. (5) Perceived esthetics and orthodoxy are considered proxy variables of SENSE, FEEL, THINK, and ACT in the SEM. Perceived rarity is considered to be related to RELATE, but not a proxy variable of RELATE because both function differently in certain cases. This is a complicated reflection of consumer reference groups, social interactions, and personalities, among other attributes.

Published in	Science Journal of Business and Management (Volume 3, Issue 2-1) This article belongs to the Special Issue Customer Experience Management / Marketing Branding
DOI	10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13
Page(s)	24-34
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Luxury Brand, Customer Experience, Positioning Analysis, Consumer Attitude, Consumer Information Processing

References

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[2]	Abtan O., Achille A., Bellaiche J., Kim Y., Lui V., Mall A., Meu-pochtter A., Willersdorf A. (2014) Shock of the New Chic: Dealing with New Complexity in the Business of Luxury, Boston Consulting Group.
[3]	Kapferer J. N. and Bastien V. (2009) The Luxury Strategy, Kogan Page.
[4]	Schmitt B. H. (1999) Experiential Marketing,Journal of marketing management, 15(1-3), pp.53-67.
[5]	PineB. J. and Gilmore J. H. (1999) The Experience Economy, Harvard School Press.
[6]	Nagasawa S. (Ed.) (2005) Value Creation through Customer Experience that Enables to Develop Hit Products: Fabrication that Influencing on Human Kansei, Nikkagiren.
[7]	Irisawa Y.and Nagasawa S. (2011) Conditions of Luxury Branding in Japanese and French Brand Company: Case Study and Comparative Analysis for the Condition of Constructing Brand,Journal of Japan Association of Product Development and Management, 8(1), pp.34-51.
[8]	Kumagai K. and Nagasawa S. (2015)Observation of Luxury Brands’ Perceived Position and their Key Success Factor (L-KSF) in the Japanese Market, Transactions of Japan Society of Kansei Engineering, Vol.14 (to be published in April 2015).
[9]	Katahira H. (1999) Principals of Power Brands, Diamond Inc.
[10]	Kapferer J. N. (1998) Why Are We Seduced by Luxury Brands?, Journal of Brand Management, 6(1), pp. 44-49.
[11]	Kanda N., Ofuji T., Okamoto T., Konno T., Nagasawa S. (2000) The Seven Tools for New Product Planning-System for new Product Development, Nikkagiren.
[12]	Yo A. (2005) China Changes to Great Brand Consuming Market, Japan Consumer Marketing Research Institute.
[13]	Sirgy M.J. (1985) Using Self-Congruity and Ideal Congruity to Predict Purchase Motivation, Journal of Business Research 13, pp.195-206.
[14]	Dubois B. and Paternault C. (1995) Observations: Understanding the World of International Luxury Brands: The Dream Formula, Journal of Advertising Research, July/August, 1995.
[15]	Kapferer J. N. (2012) Abundant Rarity: The Key to Luxury G, Business Horizons, 55, pp.453-462.

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Ken Kumagai, Shin’ya Nagasawa. (2015). Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China. Science Journal of Business and Management, 3(2-1), 24-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13

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ACS Style

Ken Kumagai; Shin’ya Nagasawa. Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China. Sci. J. Bus. Manag. 2015, 3(2-1), 24-34. doi: 10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13

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AMA Style

Ken Kumagai, Shin’ya Nagasawa. Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China. Sci J Bus Manag. 2015;3(2-1):24-34. doi: 10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13

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@article{10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13,
  author = {Ken Kumagai and Shin’ya Nagasawa},
  title = {Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China},
  journal = {Science Journal of Business and Management},
  volume = {3},
  number = {2-1},
  pages = {24-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13},
  abstract = {This study extends Kumagai and Nagasawa’s (2015) discussion on consumer attitude toward luxury brands by conducting consumer research in Japan and China. It focuses on eight luxury brands—Ralph Lauren and Armani, Coach and Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Cartier, and Cadillac and Mercedes Benz—in four product categories—apparel, leather goods, jewelry, and automobile, respectively. The determinants of consumer attitude and customer experience are discussed between the two countries and across the four categories. Customer experience is examined using a strategic experiential module (SEM). The multivariate statistics and discussion in this paper provide the following five implications. (1) Chinese consumer perception of luxury brands is generally similar to that of the Japanese. (2) Japanese and Chinese consumers’ attitude toward luxury brands, to some degree, is determined on the basis of three factors: perceived esthetics, perceived orthodoxy, and perceived rarity. The impact of perceived rarity on consumer attitude differs between Japan and China. (3) Perceived esthetics and orthodoxy have positive impacts on consumer brand attitude, but the impact of perceived rarity is not always positive across product categories. (4) The purchase intention regarding consumer luxury brands is directly influenced by perceived esthetics, perceived orthodoxy, and perceived rarity, and indirectly influenced through a consumer’s dreams. (5) Perceived esthetics and orthodoxy are considered proxy variables of SENSE, FEEL, THINK, and ACT in the SEM. Perceived rarity is considered to be related to RELATE, but not a proxy variable of RELATE because both function differently in certain cases. This is a complicated reflection of consumer reference groups, social interactions, and personalities, among other attributes.},
 year = {2015}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China
AU - Ken Kumagai
AU - Shin’ya Nagasawa
Y1 - 2015/03/23
PY - 2015
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13
DO - 10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13
T2 - Science Journal of Business and Management
JF - Science Journal of Business and Management
JO - Science Journal of Business and Management
SP - 24
EP - 34
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2331-0634
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13
AB - This study extends Kumagai and Nagasawa’s (2015) discussion on consumer attitude toward luxury brands by conducting consumer research in Japan and China. It focuses on eight luxury brands—Ralph Lauren and Armani, Coach and Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Cartier, and Cadillac and Mercedes Benz—in four product categories—apparel, leather goods, jewelry, and automobile, respectively. The determinants of consumer attitude and customer experience are discussed between the two countries and across the four categories. Customer experience is examined using a strategic experiential module (SEM). The multivariate statistics and discussion in this paper provide the following five implications. (1) Chinese consumer perception of luxury brands is generally similar to that of the Japanese. (2) Japanese and Chinese consumers’ attitude toward luxury brands, to some degree, is determined on the basis of three factors: perceived esthetics, perceived orthodoxy, and perceived rarity. The impact of perceived rarity on consumer attitude differs between Japan and China. (3) Perceived esthetics and orthodoxy have positive impacts on consumer brand attitude, but the impact of perceived rarity is not always positive across product categories. (4) The purchase intention regarding consumer luxury brands is directly influenced by perceived esthetics, perceived orthodoxy, and perceived rarity, and indirectly influenced through a consumer’s dreams. (5) Perceived esthetics and orthodoxy are considered proxy variables of SENSE, FEEL, THINK, and ACT in the SEM. Perceived rarity is considered to be related to RELATE, but not a proxy variable of RELATE because both function differently in certain cases. This is a complicated reflection of consumer reference groups, social interactions, and personalities, among other attributes.
VL - 3
IS - 2-1
ER -

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Author Information

Ken Kumagai

Cross Company Inc., Okayama, Japan
Shin’ya Nagasawa

Graduate School of Commerce, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

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APA Style

Ken Kumagai, Shin’ya Nagasawa. (2015). Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China. Science Journal of Business and Management, 3(2-1), 24-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13

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ACS Style

Ken Kumagai; Shin’ya Nagasawa. Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China. Sci. J. Bus. Manag. 2015, 3(2-1), 24-34. doi: 10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13

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AMA Style

Ken Kumagai, Shin’ya Nagasawa. Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China. Sci J Bus Manag. 2015;3(2-1):24-34. doi: 10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13

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@article{10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13,
  author = {Ken Kumagai and Shin’ya Nagasawa},
  title = {Customer Experience and Determinants of Consumer Attitude Toward Luxury Brands: Observations in Japan And China},
  journal = {Science Journal of Business and Management},
  volume = {3},
  number = {2-1},
  pages = {24-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjbm.s.2015030201.13},
  abstract = {This study extends Kumagai and Nagasawa’s (2015) discussion on consumer attitude toward luxury brands by conducting consumer research in Japan and China. It focuses on eight luxury brands—Ralph Lauren and Armani, Coach and Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Cartier, and Cadillac and Mercedes Benz—in four product categories—apparel, leather goods, jewelry, and automobile, respectively. The determinants of consumer attitude and customer experience are discussed between the two countries and across the four categories. Customer experience is examined using a strategic experiential module (SEM). The multivariate statistics and discussion in this paper provide the following five implications. (1) Chinese consumer perception of luxury brands is generally similar to that of the Japanese. (2) Japanese and Chinese consumers’ attitude toward luxury brands, to some degree, is determined on the basis of three factors: perceived esthetics, perceived orthodoxy, and perceived rarity. The impact of perceived rarity on consumer attitude differs between Japan and China. (3) Perceived esthetics and orthodoxy have positive impacts on consumer brand attitude, but the impact of perceived rarity is not always positive across product categories. (4) The purchase intention regarding consumer luxury brands is directly influenced by perceived esthetics, perceived orthodoxy, and perceived rarity, and indirectly influenced through a consumer’s dreams. (5) Perceived esthetics and orthodoxy are considered proxy variables of SENSE, FEEL, THINK, and ACT in the SEM. Perceived rarity is considered to be related to RELATE, but not a proxy variable of RELATE because both function differently in certain cases. This is a complicated reflection of consumer reference groups, social interactions, and personalities, among other attributes.},
 year = {2015}
}

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