Abstract In an increasingly digital world, organizations and individuals are turning to web-based applications as a source of information and method of inter-personal communication; this includes social media. This literature review analyzes the effects of social media marketing in luxury fashion brands. The research reveals luxury brands’ social media marketing positively affects purchase intention through user-to-user and brand-to-user communication, if the consumers trust the brand. On the other hand, disclosure language on Instagram and Facebook negatively affects consumer behavior, but the unique positioning of blogs allows them to positively influence their audience. In addition to this evidence, this paper also includes suggestions for future research. Keywords: social media, luxury brands, fashion, marketing, purchase intention, consumer behavior

Introduction: Counterfeiting is considered as the crime of the 21st century. A highly affected market of counterfeits is the market of luxury branded goods. These goods are bought by consumers who want to express their social class and belonging by being admired, recognized and accepted by other people. The counterfeits of luxury brands that flourish on the market makes it possible for anyone to be a luxury brand user which is against the core of luxury brand, which strives for a low distribution to keep the demand high to be able to keep the consumer associations of luxury brands.   Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to create knowledge of how counterfeit products affect the consumer perception of luxury brands. Methodology: The research approach was a deductive, quantitative research and the data was collected through a questionnaire distributed through Facebook and the internal e-mail of the Linnaeus University. The sample frame was generation Y in Sweden. A total of 432 completed questionnaires were collected and was the foundation for the analysis and result.   Conclusion: The consumers' perception of counterfeit products have a negative effect on the consumer perception of luxury brands. Both the consumer's brand associations and how consumers perceive the quality of luxury brands are affected by counterfeit products. However, what the consequences are of this negative relationship cannot be answered by the result of this thesis.

Many luxury companies within the fashion industry today choose to extend their brands downwards in order to reach new customer segments and hence increase their profitability. A brand extension strategy that leverages the core values of the luxury brand is a new possibility for luxury brands to position themselves towards a broader customer base. Meanwhile there is a risk that the extension dilutes the image of the luxury brand and has a negative effect on the company in the long term. Thus a tradeoff exists between becoming more accessible and maintaining the exclusivity of the luxury brand. The objective of this thesis is to investigate how luxury brands that perform downward brand extensions to reach new markets can succeed with this strategy without diluting the brand image. This is achieved by studying the perceptions of the new target segment towards the extension of luxury brands. The results of the study show that the risk of brand dilution is minimized when the core values of the luxury brand are transferred to the brand extension while the extension at the same time is successfully targeted towards the specific customer segment. / Många lyxföretag inom modebranchen idag väljer att använda sig av varumärkesutvidgning nedåt för att nå ut till nya kundsegment och därigenom öka sin lönsamhet. Varumärkesutvidgningsstrategin som drar nytta av lyxvarumärkets kärnvärden är ett nytt sätt för lyxvarumärken att positionera sig gentemot en bredare kundbas. Samtidigt finns dock risken att utvidgningen kan ge upphov till urvattning av lyxvarumärkets image samt skada varumärket och därigenom påverka företaget negativt på sikt. Det finns således en balansgång mellan tillgänglighet och exklusivitet för lyxvarumärken. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur lyxvarumärken som utvidgar sig nedåt för att nå en ny marknad kan lyckas med denna strategi utan att samtidigt urvattna sitt varumärke. Detta genom att undersöka den nya målgruppens uppfattningar kring varumärkesutvidgning av lyxvarumärken. Studiens resultat visar att risken för varumärkesurvattning minimeras då lyxvarumärkets kärnvärden överförs till utvidgningen samtidigt som den nischas mot den specifika målgruppen.

nÃo hà / Por que alguns pais compram roupas de marcas de luxo para seus bebÃs, quando de fato estes sÃo muito jovens para apreciar? Os pais estÃo fazendo isto para impressionar os outros ou para se autoafirmar? AtravÃs da pesquisa sobre o comportamento dos pais na aquisiÃÃo de marcas de luxo do vestuÃrio infantil, este trabalho relaciona-se aos conceitos de papÃis de compra, a motivaÃÃo do consumo social e ao materialismo. Uma pesquisa de 110 mÃes que haviam comprado roupas de marcas de luxo para seus bebÃs descobriu que os pais sÃo motivados pela boa qualidade e pelo conforto associado Ãs marcas de luxo. E que a motivaÃÃo de consumo de vestuÃrio infantil de marcas de luxo da nossa consumidora gira em torno de duas inclinaÃÃes motivacionais: para ela o vestuÃrio do seu filho age como meio de sustentaÃÃo de valores pessoais e objetivos de vida, como tambÃm desenvolve laÃos mais fortes com a famÃlia e seus filhos.

Date: 2021/06/03 Level: Master Thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Shadi Botros, Yacoub Said (87/07/24) (95/01/01) Title: LUXURIOUS BRAND AND SOCIAL MEDIA Tutor: Edward Gillmore Keywords: Luxury brands, Social media marketing activities, Brand perceptions, Brand awareness, Purchase intention. Research questions: What are the outcomes of social media marketing used by luxury brands, brand awareness and brand perception, on purchase attention? Purpose: The purpose of this research is to study if social media marketing can have an effect on luxuries brands perception in consumers mind and if social media can influence consumers purchase intention. Method: This study is following a quantitative approach by using statistical methods to test the hypothesis. Conclusion: Luxury brands are considered as exclusive and expensive brands. Social media is a mass communication tool that is usually used to reach a broad segment of consumers. The authors found out through the gathered data that consumers are aware about the brand and they perceive the brand as a luxury brand. However, consumers were not only relying on the official home page of the brand to obtain information.

This research explores the reasons why followers of luxury brand Instagram accounts engage less frequently through commenting despite having a large number of followers. The study addresses the research question: "Why do Instagram followers of the luxury brand engage less through comments despite having a large number of followers?". The findings indicate that several factors contribute to the lower engagement through comments among Instagram followers of luxury brands. Firstly, a lack of active encouragement from luxury brands to interact and engage with their followers on Instagram leads to fewer comments and engagements on their posts. Algorithmic factors, such as the visibility of likes and comments, also influence engagement behavior, with followers more likely to comment on posts with a larger number of likes and comments. The authenticity of the content and engagement of luxury brands on Instagram plays a significant role, as followers tend to engage more with brands that come across as genuine and authentic in their interactions. Moreover, the exclusive image of luxury brands creates a perceived distance between the brand and its followers, which may discourage engagement through comments.  The study provides theoretical implications by highlighting the importance of active encouragement from luxury brands, the role of Instagram in brand differentiation, and the influence of algorithmic factors on engagement behavior. Managerially, the research suggests that luxury brand managers and marketers should actively encourage commenting and engagement, focus on producing authentic content, consider algorithmic factors, and create inclusivity to encourage engagement from followers.  The research project contributes to the understanding of engagement behavior on Instagram, providing insights for academics and valuable information for luxury brand managers and marketers to develop effective Instagram marketing strategies. Limitations focus on Instagram and comments as a measure of engagement, the limited sample size, and the neglect of influencers and sponsored content. Future research could explore other social media platforms, expand the scope of engagement measures, increase sample size, and consider the impact of influencers and sponsored content on customer engagement.

The focus of this study is the role and function of country of origin (COO) in the creation and communication of the brand identities of Scottish premium/luxury brands. It applies the identity concept which is well developed in the branding literature to the COO literature where the focus on the consumer perspective of country image has resulted in the area of origin management being underdeveloped. Recognising the paucity of COO literature which examines the mechanisms and processes used by luxury brands to communicate COO, these are also analysed. The study uses an innovative two stage sequential mixed methods research design. In the first stage, the macro perspective is gained from the analysis of a database of companies compiled specifically for the study covering six categories of Scottish premium/luxury brands. Additionally a postal survey and analysis of company web pages gather a mix of qualitative and quantitative data to examine the role of COO. The second stage gains strategic insights from semi structured interviews with business elites achieving in depth understanding of the decision making process regarding the strategic advantages of COO in brand identities. The value of the study lies in the contribution to knowledge from frameworks which identify: the characteristics which differentiate companies within and across luxury sectors and organisational structure models which reflect the dominant ownership structures in the Scottish food and beverage, textiles/cashmere and whisky sectors; the dimensions of Scottish premium/luxury brands across a range of product categories; the motivations and drivers for adopting a COO identity; the criteria which distinguish COO brands; the COO communication process. The importance of COO as a key differentiating device which conveys competitive advantage is developed using the metaphor of COO as the anchor which locates the brand in a place which evokes symbolic, emotional and psychological associations and provides the brand with protection and security.

Africa has been identified as an upcoming market in which luxury brands should secure future growth opportunities. A review of related academic literature, however, reveals that limited research has been conducted which focuses specifically on the continent’s luxury consumers. This gap in the literature highlights the need to further the body of knowledge on luxury consumer behaviour in this context. However, as the continent comprises a vast number of countries with diverse consumer profiles, it was decided that this study would focus on the assessment of the behaviour of the members of luxury consumer segments in the South African market. The specific areas that require research in order to establish an understanding of luxury consumer segments’ behaviour commenced from a review of different trends and developments in the South African market. The core trends, along with calls for further research on luxury brands in the international academic literature were combined to identify numerous avenues for further research. This eclectic approach aimed to not only contribute to an enhanced understanding of the behaviour of luxury consumer segments in the South African market, but to develop and extend the existing body of academic knowledge and literature on luxury brands. Four research questions were developed from both the identified avenues from the review of the trends in the market, and the calls for further research in the academic literature. Each of these questions was then addressed by four individual papers.  This thesis makes a number of contributions to the related body of knowledge as it details the behaviour of different luxury brand consumer segments in the South African market, thereby serving as a step towards addressing the gap in the literature on luxury consumers on the African continent. / <p>QC 20170411</p>

This diploma thesis Comparative analysis of communication of the brands Louis Vuitton and Estée Lauder across selected periodicals in 2013 deals with the forms of communication the selected luxury brands on the platform of magazines use for addressing their existing and also potential customers. The theoretical part defines luxury and luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Estée Lauder and media, namely printed magazines Elle and Marianne, which together constitute the necessary basis for the subsequent research. Methodological part looks at the key persuasive, semiotic and pragmatic approaches, which, using verbal and non-verbal communication elements, participate in the construction of the examined texts, and submits related basic concepts, which are then used in the analytical part. Here, first, is realized a detailed description and analysis of the selected types of communication followed by the comparison and final evaluation of the findings obtained. Comparison in that is made not only within the individual magazines, respectively types of utterances placed in them, but also in connection with the specifics of the selected luxury brands. This diploma thesis aims to describe the selected utterances, analyze the contents they communicate, compare them and finally reveal the key communication methods...

Sociala medier, som ingår i Web 2.0, används idag av företag och organisationer i stor utsträckning för att exponera sina varumärken och förvalta eller skapa relationer med både befintliga och potentiella konsumenter. Steget till sociala medier har inte alltid varit självklart, särskilt för lyxvarumärken som vissa forskare menade skulle skada deras varumärke och särskiljande associationer som legitimerar deras ställning och status som lyx. Idag är det klart att en övertygande majoritet av lyxmärken har antagit sociala medier och implementerat marknadsföringsstrategier för att hantera det. Om diskussionen för några år sedan var centrerad om lyxmärken skulle ha social medianärvaro, är den mer relevanta frågan idag hur lyxvarumärken ska använda sociala medier samtidigt som varumärket bibehålls. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur varumärkeskapitalet i ett lyxmärke påverkas av sociala medier genom konsumenternas perspektiv för att ge ett svar på hur lyxiga märken ska förhålla sig till sociala medier. Undersökningen är begränsad till konsumentbaserat varumärkeskapital (CBBE) och kommer inte att behandla den finansiella aspekten av varumärkeskapital. Data har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med potentiella konsumenter och ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt har applicerats av forskarna. Denna studie visar att ett restriktivt tillvägagångssätt från lyxmärken bör appliceras med en tydlig koppling till deras arv om de vill behålla sin status som lyx. Kanaler som inte kontrollerades av varumärket ansågs vara mer tilltalande att följa och konsumera innehåll från. Vidare drogs slutsatsen att eWOM i likhet med WOM var ett effektivt verktyg för att bygga varumärkeskapital. Det var också en gemensam syn bland respondenterna att konsumtion av ett lyxigt varumärke inte skulle vara lika åtråvärt om varumärket inte var allmänt erkänt av andra. Men detta bör inte kompenseras med en bredare tillgänglighet av lyxvarumärkes fysiska produkter. Därför dras slutsatsen att lyxmärken bör ägna närmare uppmärksamhet åt de fysiska och digitala aspekterna av varumärket samt dess tillgänglighet när de använder sociala medier för marknadsföringsändamål, om de vill behålla eller förstärka deras varumärkeskapital. / Social medias, which is a part of Web 2.0, is today widely used by companies and organisations to expose their brands and nurture or create relationships with both existing- and potential consumers. The step to social media has not always been so certain, especially for luxury brands, which some researchers suggested would potentially damage their brand equity and distinctive associations which legitimise their position, and status as luxury. Today it is clear that a convincing majority of luxury brands have adopted social media and implemented marketing strategies for it. As the discussion, a few years ago were centred around if luxury brands should have social media presence, the more relevant question today is rather how luxury brands should use social media while still maintaining their brand. The purpose of this study is to examine how the brand equity of a luxury brand is affected by social media through the consumer’s perspective to give an answer how luxury brands should relate to social media. The study is limited to consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) and will not regard the financially aspect of brand equity. Data have been collected through semi-structured interviews with potential consumers and a qualitative approach have been deployed by the researchers. This study finds that a restrained approach from luxury brands should be implemented with a clear connection to their legacy if they wish to maintain their status as luxury. Channels which were not controlled by the brand was considered more appealing to follow and consume content from. Furthermore, was it concluded that eWOM in parable with WOM was an effective tool for building brand equity. It was also a common agreement that a consumption of a luxury brand would not be as covet if the brand was not widely recognised by others. But shouldn’t be compensated with a broader availability of the luxury brands products. Therefore, it is concluded that luxury brands should pay closer attention to the physical - and digital aspects of the brand and its availability when using social media for marketing purposes if they wish to maintain or reinforce their brand equity.