Abstract:
The impact of a person's level of materialism on their consumption behaviour has often been
examined at the cultural level. Literature suggests that the materialism defining one's culture
determines one's behaviour in purchasing products on the basis of their materialistic
associations as reflected in brand names, prices and exclusivity. Little research, however, has
taken into account the potential variation in individual materialism within these cultures and
how such characteristics ultimately affect preferences for particular aspects of the product.
Using a framework embedded in random utility theory, we decompose the evaluation of
products in terms of a brand's materialistic associations, and conspicuous attributes, both of
which may be more pertinent for consumers to communicate and reflect their own individual
level of materialism. We test this framework in two product categories, luxury cars and
sunglasses. We find support for our hypotheses that materialistic individuals prefer brand
names with materialistic associations. There is some confirmation that individual materialism
influences the importance and preference for conspicuous attributes of the product, such as
whether a materialistic brand name is printed on the frame of one's sunglasses. Pertinent to
these insights is the attention and inclusion of individual materialism beyond that of cultural
dimensions in explaining consumption behaviour.
