Authors: Anton Hiort af Ornäs, Jonatan Rungegård and Martin Thiberg Supervisor: Hans Allmér Examiner: Miralem Helmefalk Title: Luxury exposures´ impact on consumers' willingness to pay and on the exclusivity of the product Subject: Master Thesis in Detail and Service Management, School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, 2FE66E, 2019 Keywords: Sensory marketing, visual stimuli, gold colour, store environment, exposure, multisensory experience, brand-recognition, luxury, exclusivity, willingness to pay, experiment.   Context: The study, in collaboration with Åhléns, examined how a product's exclusivity and consumers´ willingness to pay are affected by exposures associated with luxury. The topic was chosen because there are not many studies in this area today.  Research question: How does an exposure, associated with luxury, affect consumers´ willingness to pay and the perception of the product´s exclusivity?   Purpose: The purpose of the study is to gain a greater understanding of how visual stimuli associated with luxury affect the consumers´ willingness to pay and the product's exclusivity.   Method: The study has a quantitative research strategy and a deductive approach. The survey is based on an experiment where consumers were  manipulated with visual stimulus. The result is based on 400 structured interviews.   Conclusion: The study showed that when the champagne glass was exposed together with exclusive brands and the colour gold, the willingness to pay and the perception of exclusivity of the glass was raised. The result also showed that there exists a connection between the perceived exclusivity and the willingness to pay.

This study carried out because there is no concrete advices on web design, interaction design and strategies for how a website can create an exclusive feeling today. The purpose of the study is to gather more knowledge on how a brand can create an exclusive feel through the website but also to find more knowledge to advice existing and future brands on how to increase the exclusive feeling through design and strategies. The methods of the study consist of a literary study for basic knowledge, a quantitative content analysis examining 20 web pages interface design and a qualitative interview’s where two designers in web design participated and advises on interface designs and strategies for exclusive websites.   The methods have contributed to the results for the following questions: Which design factors can be used to show exclusivity on websites?What factors does secret or exclusive bars use? What approaches or strategies are appropriate to showcase the exclusivity of a brand on a website? The results show that new knowledge has been found to show exclusivity on websites. The discovery is that it is important to make preliminary work in the structure and amount of content. Trends like using large or full presentations at the beginning of the interface are not defined as exclusive appearance. The number of colors is important to increase an exclusive feeling, but which colors are not of great importance. White and black, however, can be good colors to convey minimalism. The same applies to fonts, where the number of total fonts in an interface plays a bigger role, but how text layouts are a great advantage in exclusive design. Moving images and animations can enhance the user experience and also exclusivity. Minimalism is a major part of exclusive design and 60 percent empty space is recommended to use on the website has been discovered.   The strategies that have been shown to affect the appearance of exclusivity are invitation-only systems and memberships. By letting the visitor see what the brand is and why it should be interested is extremely important for creating an interest and not an excluding feeling, rather to bring excitement and attraction. However, much of the discovery was that the communication to the target group and how it is performed is an important role in expressing exclusivity.   To accommodate the duration of the study, the study has limited the interviews to interviewing only two designers and the quantitative content analysis only reviewed 20 web pages in total, with the statements and questions planned for the size of the study.

Bakgrund och problemdiskussion: Lyxvarumärkesföretag har börjat undersöka implementering av en strategi som erbjuder livslångt kundvärde. De har även visat intresse som tyder på att de vill tillämpa CRM-policys men är osäkra till hur stor del den går att tillämpa inom lyxindustrin. Vi har med inspiration från artikeln ”Is CRM for Luxury brands?” Cailleux, Mignot & Kapferer (2009) konstaterat att det existerar ett problem med den traditionella CRM som inte förstår ”luxury management” och de exakta implikationerna. Då begreppet CRM anses vara otillräcklig samt bristande vid tillämpning på lyxvarumärken anser vi att CRM inte är en optimal affärsstrategi för den sortens företag. Syfte: Vårt syfte med studien är att förstärka och komplettera CRM ur ett lyxperspektiv. Ambitionen är att utveckla existerande teori samt skapa en modell som är anpassad för lyxvarumärkesföretag. Vidare vill vi även tydliggöra de skillnader som existerar mellan klassisk CRM och LCRM. Metod: Uppsatsen har en teoretisk utgångspunkt och behandlas ur en kvalitativ metod tillsammans med respondenter från fallföretaget som besitter gedigen erfarenhet och ansvarspositioner inom lyxindustrin. Slutsats: CRM är inte en tillräcklig strategi att applicera mot lyxvarumärkesföretag då den inte är justerad för att tillgodose lyxvarumärkesföretagens plattform. Den utvecklade teorin LCRM har testats genom en empirisk studie och verifierats till att vara en lämplig strategi för lyxvarumärkesföretag. Genom en tillämpning av LCRM kan lyxvarumärkesföretag nå en ökad kundlojalitet ur ett långsiktigt  perspektiv. / Background and problem discussion: Luxury brands have begun to explore the benefits of an approach to create lifelong customer value. They have also shown interest in implementing CRM policies but are unsure how suitable it is for their market. The article “Is CRM for luxury brands?” Cailleux, Mignot & Kapferer (2009) has been used as an inspiration in this study as the article has found that the existing traditional CRM does not understand "luxury management" and the precise implications, i.e., how luxury brands want to expand while maintaining their prestige. Since the concept of CRM is considered to be insufficient and inadequate for the purposes of luxury brands, we believe that CRM is not an optimal business strategy for the type of business. Purpose: The purpose with this study is to enhance and supplement the strategy CRM to meet the luxury industry needs. The ambition is to develop existing theory and create a model that is suitable for luxury brands. Further, the purpose is to clarify the differences between CRM and LCRM. Method: The paper is theoretically based with a qualitative approach with respondents in leader positions and extensive experience within the luxury industry. Conclusion: CRM is an insufficient strategy to apply for businesses within the luxury industry because it does not understand the platform of a luxury brand. The developed theory LCRM has been tested through an empiric study and has been verified as a suitable strategy to apply for luxury brands. Through an implementation of LCRM luxury brands can achieve a higher customer loyalty in the long run.

Amber has been a recurring luxury around the Mediterranean Sea for thousands of years in various cultures. This study treats the first two centuries AD in the Roman Empire. The early centuries of the Empire saw a brief period of relative calm in which Baltic amber became a fashion in Rome. The purpose of this investigation is to explain how and why amber journeyed from the northern oceans of Germania into Rome, and how it expressed itself in the Empire. The Amber Road between the Baltic Sea and Rome is well trodden by modern researchers, but very little has been written about why amber arrived in various contexts. The questions are on the topics of the amber’s origin, how it was consumed and by whom. Throughout the study, the agency of amber is considered in order to approach the source material from a new angle. The first chapter investigates what effect the geographical origin and trade had on the agency of amber. The first part of the second chapter discusses amber in material culture as well as examples of amber items in ancient texts. The second part of the second chapter analyses perfume vessels made from amber. The last chapter is on the topic of amber as a luxury. The discussion and conclusion argues that rich women were major consumers of amber in Rome.

In recent years, luxury consumption has expanded and grown significantly in comparison to past years. Today luxury is more accessible by society than ever before. Various studies have shown and proven how luxury consumption tends to have negative effects on individuals. The negative circumstances that emerge as consequences can be of cognitive character, but also in the form of financial, personal, social and/or professional problems, debt, and compulsive purchases. In addition to these findings, recent studies have also shown that people are ready to compromise in a variety of ways such as saving more money, working overtime, or withdrawing from essential expenses.  For these various reasons, the purpose of this study is to identify possible experienced motives that can work as reasons for luxury consumption amongst the young Swedish population. Furthermore, this study aims to examine regret in relation to this type of consumption. The literature review of this study covers subjects of cognitive dissonance, regret theory, possessions and the extended self and the motives hedonic, symbolic and instrumental. The research method applied in this study is of a qualitative character. The data collection was executed through the use of semi structured interviews where a total number of fifteen young Swedish individuals chose to participate. The results of this study reveal that luxury consumption can be based on the hedonic motive where pleasure, joy, satisfaction or reaching a desired goal are common reasons. Moreover, the results of this study also reveal that luxury consumption can be based on the symbolic motive, where individuals desire to symbolise/express themselves, impress others, seek confirmation, to fit in and/or follow hidden norms in society. Furthermore, luxury is desired for the pure quality, where the high price of luxury products equals higher perceived quality.  Moreover, regret in this type of consumption is regularly occurring. The reasons for regret can be caused by the product itself, by comparison to other possible alternatives or because of impulsive/compulsive/stressful decisions. This feeling of regret can exist in the form of cognitive dissonance, that is a feeling of discomfort for a small number of participants. For a larger number of participants, the feelings are separated, where regret is a more rough and painful feeling. Solutions to suppress these feelings are through giving away the products to be used, persuade the mind that the purchase is deserved, or to shed a positive light at the purchase by looking at it as additional knowledge/ experience. / Under de senaste åren konsumeras lyx mer, och har blivit mer tillgängligt för allmänheten i jämförelse till tidigare år. Ett flertal studier har visat på hur lyxkonsumtion tenderar att ha negativa effekter på individer. De negativa omständigheterna som framträder som konsekvenser av lyxkonsumtion kan vara av en kognitiv karaktär, men även i form av finansiella, personliga, sociala och/eller professionella problem, skuldsättning, och kompulsiva köp. Dessutom visar studier även att människor är redo att kompromissa på olika sätt som att spara mer pengar, jobba övertid eller att utebliva nödvändiga utgifter. För dessa diverse anledningar är syftet med denna studie att identifiera möjliga upplevda drivkrafter för lyxkonsumtion för det unga svenska samhället. Vidare ämnar studien även att undersöka ånger i förhållande till denna typ av konsumtion. Teorigenomgången för denna studie behandlar ämnen om kognitiv dissonans, regret theory, ägodelar och det förlängda jaget samt motiven hedonic, symbolic samt instrumentell. Empiriinsamlingen skedde genom en kvalitativ forskningsmetod som i sin tur bestod av femton semistrukturerade intervjuer med svenska ungdomar som lyxkonsumerar. Resultaten av denna studie visar på att lyxkonsumtion kan ske med anledning av hedonistiska aspekter där glädje, nöje, tillfredsställelse eller en avklarad målsättning var vanligt förekommande anledningar. Fortsättningsvis visar studien även att symboliska motiv var en vanlig drivkraft för lyxkonsumtion, där individer strävar efter att symbolisera/uttrycka sig, imponera på andra, få bekräftelse, passa in i samhället samt följa osynliga normer. Utöver detta var lyx eftersträvat på grund av kvalitet, där höga priset av lyxprodukter förutsätter högre upplevd kvalitet.  Avslutningsvis påvisar resultaten av denna studie att ånger inom denna typ av konsumtion är vanligt förekommande. Orsakerna för ånger kan bero på själva produkten, på jämförelse av produkten med andra alternativ eller på grund av impulsiva/kompulsiva/hastiga beslut. Känslan av ånger kan vidare vara i form av en kognitiv dissonans, som i sin tur betecknas som en känsla av obehag av en liten del av deltagarna i denna studie. För en större del av deltagarna var känslorna åtskilda, där ånger var en grövre och mer smärtsam känsla. Lösningar för att dämpa detta obehag är genom att ge bort produkten för användning, övertala sig själv att köpet är förtjänat, eller genom att omvandla köpet till ytterligare erfarenhet/lärdom.

Användandet av sociala medier, som från början handlade om utbyte av information, har mynnat ut i en social närvaro. En social närvaro där man genom bilder, text och videos presenterar sig själv. Konsumenter kan numera obehindrat dela varumärkesrelaterat innehåll genom att till exempel visa nya inköp eller andra händelser av sitt liv. Idag skapar konsumenter många av sina associationer och uppfattningar om varumärken genom detta innehåll av privatpersoner på sociala medier. Det skapar en möjlighet för lyxvarumärkena att bli top-of-mind hos konsumenterna. Samtidigt blir det svårt för lyxvarumärken att kontrollera privatpersoners innehåll. Varumärken inom lyxsegmentet måste dessutom förvalta sitt arv och sin exklusivitet för att bibehålla sitt starka varumärke. Denna balansgång belyser lyxens paradox. Syftet med denna studie är att få fram eventuella effekter när lyxvarumärken inom modebranschen exponeras, både ofrivilligt och frivilligt, på sociala medier. Forskarna undersöker från ett konsumentperspektiv i syfte att ta reda på hur konsumenternas varumärkesimage och köplust ändras när lyxvarumärken exponeras på detta sätt. Detta har forskarna undersökt med hjälp av en kvalitativ studie i form av semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Respondenterna valdes ut baserat på deras intresse för mode och att de själva har konsumerat lyxprodukter inom mode. Denna studie visar att ett lyxvarumärkens image förändras när lyxvarumärken exponeras på sociala medier. Om det är en positiv eller negativt förändring är kopplat till de associationer och personer som konsumenterna kopplar varumärket till. Om konsumenterna kopplar varumärkesimagen till en person eller grupp som de vill identifiera sig med ökar deras köplust. Om de istället associerar varumärket till en grupp eller personer som de inte vill identifiera sig med, minskar istället deras köplust. Konsumenters köplust minskar dessutom när produkter, genom exponering på sociala medier upplevs mer tillgängliga och exklusiviteten i varumärket tynar bort. / The use of social media, which from the beginning was about exchange of information, has now resulted in a social presence. A social presence where you present yourself through pictures, text and videos. Consumers can now freely share brand-related content by, for example, showing new purchases or other events of their lives. Today, consumers create a lot of their associations and perceptions about brands through this content from individuals on social media. It creates an opportunity for luxury brands to become top-of-mind amongst consumers. At the same time, it becomes difficult for luxury brands to control this content from individuals. Brands in the luxury segment need to manage their heritage and exclusivity in order to maintain their strong brand. This balancing act sheds light on the paradox of luxury. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects when luxury brands in the fashion industry are exposed on social media. The researchers examine from a consumer perspective in order to find out how consumers' brand image and desire to purchase change when luxury brands are exposed in this way. The researchers investigated this with the help of a qualitative study in the form of semi-structured interviews. The respondents were selected because of their interest in fashion and that they have consumed luxury products in fashion. This study shows that consumers' brand image changes when luxury brands are exposed on social media. Whether it is a positive or negative change it is linked to the associations and persons which consumers link the brand to. If consumers associate the brand image with a person or a group that they want to be identified with, their desire to buy increases. If they instead associate the brand with a group or people they do not want to be identified with, their purchase desire decreases. Additionally, consumers' purchase desire decreases when products, through exposure on social media, are perceived as more accessible and the exclusivity in the brand fades away.

The research study aims to delve deeper into analyzing the interplay between crisis and innovation to delineate the key drivers influencing innovation during the crisis. The literature review discusses innovations during the time of crisis and how they become long-term changes with systemic effects for the companies. It also includes a study of successful innovation models in modern society, including digital transformation. The analysis results proved to be consistent with the theoretical framework and confirm the importance of a non-traditional approach for managing innovation in an unknown and uncertain environment. The emphasis is on the current COVID-19 pandemic and its implications on the luxury fashion industry's innovations. / Forskningsstudien syftar till att fördjupa sig i analysen av samspelet mellan kris och innovation för att avgränsa de viktigaste drivkrafterna som påverkar innovation under krisen. I litteraturöversikten diskuteras innovationer under krisens tid och hur de blir långsiktiga förändringar med systemeffekter för företagen. Det inkluderar också en studie av framgångsrika innovationsmodeller i det moderna samhället, inklusive digital transformation. Analysresultaten visade sig överensstämma med den teoretiska ramen och bekräftar vikten av ett icke-traditionellt tillvägagångssätt för att hantera innovation i en okänd och osäker miljö. Tyngdpunkten ligger på den nuvarande COVID-19-pandemin och dess konsekvenser för lyx modebranschens innovationer.

<p> </p><p>The luxury market has steadily grown from the industrial revolution and onwards. Changes in society, trends and the increased living standards has enabled more people to consume luxury goods.</p><p>The world is going through a major economic crisis at the moment. Studies shows that companies that have focused on added value rather than lowering prices has survived past financial crisis. It is also obvious that companies act very different during times of crisis. Adding to the problem is trends that point to a more careful consumption and environmental awareness. Different source suggest different opinions on the situation and future for the luxury market.</p><p>The purpose of the study is to answer what strategies are important for luxury brands during a financial crisis.</p><p>To answer this a qualitative study is performed on Swedish luxury brands to analyse what their strategies are during the current economic crisis and compare that to how ”exclusive” or ”luxurious” they are considered. This to investigate if there is a relationship between a brands exclusiveness and chosen strategy.</p><p> </p>

Vortragsfolge: J. Anders Ein H261-Player in Java D. Thie Wavelet- und fraktale Kompression von Videodaten A. Karwath Audiokomprimierung J. Hüttmann Chemnitzer Absolventennetz M. Ehrig Betrachtungen zu verteilten Filesystemen Th. Müller Migration und Datensicherung im MR-AFS M. Clauß Management von Nutzeranforderungen im URZ M. Tautenhahn Systemmanagement auf der Basis von LDAP und SSL S. Brose Zero-Administration-Client mit Ignite-UX und CFENGINE Chr. Ziegler Backupdienst - Stand und Perspektiven Th. Müller BOF: Sicherheit im Campusnetz A. Breiler Server Side Applets N. Schulze Java Beans C. Ranfeld Softwaremanagement RPM vs. OSD G. Heide Neue PD-Software für graphische Benutzeroberflächen J. Wagner Untersuchung zur Neugestaltung der WWW-Seiten zur Softwareausleihe B. Auerbach Digitale Signaturen in MONARCH W. Riedel Lyx - das Wysisyg-LaTeX? W. Riedel BOF: StarOffice - Die vertane Chance? G. Fischer Skalierbarkeit von Serverleistung und Level-4-Switching H. Trapp aktuelle Entwicklungen bei: PGP 5.0, TLS, SSH, Kerberos, vim-5.0 R. Sontag Kommunikationsserver in Schulen: Stand der Vernetzung U. Hübner Perspektiven im Netzbereich

Vortragsfolge: J. Anders Ein H261-Player in Java D. Thie Wavelet- und fraktale Kompression von Videodaten A. Karwath Audiokomprimierung J. Hüttmann Chemnitzer Absolventennetz M. Ehrig Betrachtungen zu verteilten Filesystemen Th. Müller Migration und Datensicherung im MR-AFS M. Clauß Management von Nutzeranforderungen im URZ M. Tautenhahn Systemmanagement auf der Basis von LDAP und SSL S. Brose Zero-Administration-Client mit Ignite-UX und CFENGINE Chr. Ziegler Backupdienst - Stand und Perspektiven Th. Müller BOF: Sicherheit im Campusnetz A. Breiler Server Side Applets N. Schulze Java Beans C. Ranfeld Softwaremanagement RPM vs. OSD G. Heide Neue PD-Software für graphische Benutzeroberflächen J. Wagner Untersuchung zur Neugestaltung der WWW-Seiten zur Softwareausleihe B. Auerbach Digitale Signaturen in MONARCH W. Riedel Lyx - das Wysisyg-LaTeX? W. Riedel BOF: StarOffice - Die vertane Chance? G. Fischer Skalierbarkeit von Serverleistung und Level-4-Switching H. Trapp aktuelle Entwicklungen bei: PGP 5.0, TLS, SSH, Kerberos, vim-5.0 R. Sontag Kommunikationsserver in Schulen: Stand der Vernetzung U. Hübner Perspektiven im Netzbereich