The Role of Self-Concept in the Relationship between Narcissism and the Need for Uniqueness of Luxury Brand Consumers
Subject Areas : MarketingKambiz Behzad Nejad 1 , Kambiz Heidarzadeh Hanzaee 2 , Mehdi Naeimi Nezamabad 3
1 - PhD Student, Department of Management, Aliabad Katoul Branch, Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul, Iran
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (Corresponding author)
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Aliabad Katoul Branch, Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul, Iran
Keywords: Love of Brand, Perceived Value, Narcissism, Need for Uniqueness, Self-Concept, Luxury Brand,
Abstract :
Nowadays, consumers can express their identity not only through their assets and purchasing behavior, but also through using luxury brands. This research aims at getting a broad understanding of the luxury brand relationships by focusing on the consumers’ self-concept through narcissism and the need to be unique in the society of luxury brand consumers. The research was conducted with the philosophy of positivism and correlational research method, and a sample of the society consumers (n=520, estimated based on the sample-item ratio) was collected through convenient sampling and the required evidence was collected through a questionnaire. The evidence was analyzed with multivariate analysis methods including confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. By referring to various indicators of the results of confirmatory factor analysis, the reliability and validity of the measurement tool was supported. Based on the results of structural equation modeling, three psychological concepts, namely, the need for uniqueness, narcissism and self-concept of consumers are important drivers in the perceived value and love of luxury brands, such that, self-concept is influenced by the need for consumers’ uniqueness and narcissism on perceived value and love to luxury brands. The research model was fitted with the maximum likelihood method and using the IMUs software. The research findings theoretically contribute to the body of knowledge about conspicuous consumption and provide new insights for luxury brand marketers in the practical context.
1[ اسفیدانی، م. ر؛ نجات، س و بهمنی، ح. (1394). بررسی تأثیر عزتنفس، خود ابرازی و لذت خرید بر عشق برند و حسادت برند و پیامدهای آن. تحقیقات بازاریابی نوین. 5 (4).
]2[ شاهين، آ؛ عالمه، س.م و اسدی، ع. (1393). تحليل های تناسبخودپنداره وشخصيت مقصد برنيّت رفتاری گردشگرداخلی در شهراصفهان، چشم انداز مديريتبازرگانی، شماره 18
]3[ مهربان، س؛ راه چمني، ا و ساكي، م. (1399). تأثير تناسب خودپنداره، ذهني كاركردي و تعلق عاطفي بر وفاداري مشتريان، مجله مديريت توسعه و تحول، شماره 41
]4[ نوروزی، ح و طهماسبی آقبلاغی، د. (1400). بررسی نقش تناسب خودپنداره بر وفاداری مشتریان بانک تجارت با میانجیگری تصویر و دلبستگی احساسی برند، مجله مدیریت بازاریابی، شماره 50
[5] Abosag, I., Ramadan, Z. B., Baker, T., & Jin, Z. (2020). Customers' need for uniqueness theory versus brand congruence theory: The impact on satisfaction with social network sites. Journal of business research, 117, 862-872.
[6] Alvarez, C., David, M. E., & George, M. (2023). Types of Consumer-Brand Relationships: A systematic review and future research agenda. Journal of business research, 160, 113753.
[7] Arslan, Y., Yilmaz, A., Aykac, O. S., & Ozsoy, E. (2023). Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of short form consumer need for uniqueness scale. Marketing i menedžment innovacij, 14(2), 34-43.
[8] Bartoli, C. (2022). Consumer self-concept and digitalization: what does this mean for brands? Italian Journal of Marketing, 2022(4), 419-437.
[9] Becerra, E. P., Carrete, L., & Arroyo, P. (2023). A study of the antecedents and effects of green self-identity on green behavioral intentions of young adults. Journal of business research, 155, 113380.
[10] Blut, M., Chaney, D., Lunardo, R., Mencarelli, R., & Grewal, D. (2023). Customer Perceived Value: A Comprehensive Meta-analysis. Journal of Service Research, 10946705231222295.
[11] Brookes, J. (2015). The effect of overt and covert narcissism on self-esteem and self-efficacy beyond self-esteem. Personality and Individual Differences, 85, 172-175.
[12] Cain, N. M., & Boussi, A. (2020). Narcissistic personality disorder. Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, 3088-3096.
[13] Chae, H., Kim, S., Lee, J., & Park, K. (2020). Impact of product characteristics of limited edition shoes on perceived value, brand trust, and purchase intention; focused on the scarcity message frequency. Journal of business research, 120, 398-406.
[14] Chieng, F., Sharma, P., Kingshott, R. P., & Roy, R. (2022). Interactive effects of self-congruity and need for uniqueness on brand loyalty via brand experience and brand attachment. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 31(6), 870-885.
[15] Dabán Baines, M. (2024). Luxury sector. Profitability for years? academica-e.unavarra.es
[16] Danyliuk, I., & Klimash, T. (2023). Factors Of Transformation of The Self-Concept of Personality. Psychological Journal, 9(1), 7-22.
[17] Das, G., Agarwal, J., Malhotra, N. K., & Varshneya, G. (2019). Does brand experience translate into brand commitment? A mediated-moderation model of brand passion and perceived brand ethicality. Journal of business research, 95, 479-490.
[18] Di Pierro, R., & Fanti, E. (2021). Self-concept in narcissism: Profile comparisons of narcissistic manifestations on facets of the self. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 18 (4), 211–222. In.
[19] Esfidani. M,R., Nejat, S & Bahmani. S. (2016). Investigating effects of self-esteem, self-expression and product hedonism on brand love and brand jealousy and their consequences. New Marketing Research Journal, 5(4), 1-20.
[20] Farmaki, A., Olya, H., & Taheri, B. (2021). Unpacking the complex interactions among customers in online fan pages. Journal of business research, 125, 164-176.
[21] Farzand, M., Cerkez, Y., & Baysen, E. (2021). Effects of self-concept on narcissism: Mediational role of perceived parenting. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 674679.
[22] Fazli-Salehi, R., Torres, I. M., Madadi, R., & Zúñiga, M. Á. (2021). Conspicuous consumption: impact of narcissism and need for uniqueness on self-brand and communal-brand connection with public vs private use brands. Journal of consumer marketing, 38(7), 802-812.
[23] Fyffe, L. R., & Hay, I. (2021). Exploring children’s values questionnaire: measurement, gender, and age issues. Education Sciences, 11(7), 309.
[24] Fastoso, F., Bartikowski, B., and Wang, S. (2018). The "Little emperor" and the Luxury Brand; How overt and covert narcissism affect brand loyalty and proneness to buy counterfeits. Psychology and marketing, 35 (7), 522-532.
[25] Holmqvist, J., Ruiz, C. D., & Peñaloza, L. (2020). Moments of luxury: Hedonic escapism as a luxury experience. Journal of business research, 116, 503-513.
[26] Huang, T.-L. (2019). Psychological mechanisms of brand love and information technology identity in virtual retail environments. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 47, 251-264.
[27] Jeong, D., & Ko, E. (2021). The influence of consumers’ self-concept and perceived value on sustainable fashion. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 31(4), 511-525.
[28] Kauppinen-Räisänen, H., Björk, P., Lönnström, A., & Jauffret, M.-N. (2018). How consumers' need for uniqueness, self-monitoring, and social identity affect their choices when luxury brands visually shout versus whisper. Journal of business research, 84, 72-81.
[29] Kaya, A., Karataş, N., & Dalgiç, A. I. (2023). The effect of individual values on self-esteem and meaning in life in adolescents: A cross-sectional study from Turkey. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing.
[30] Khamitov, M., Wang, X., & Thomson, M. (2019). How well do consumer-brand relationships drive customer brand loyalty? Generalizations from a meta-analysis of brand relationship elasticities. Journal of consumer research, 46(3), 435-459.
[31] Kumar, B., Bagozzi, R. P., Manrai, A. K., & Manrai, L. A. (2022). Conspicuous consumption: A meta-analytic review of its antecedents, consequences, and moderators. Journal of retailing, 98(3), 471-485.
[32] Li, R., Laroche, M., Richard, M.-O., & Cui, X. (2022). More than a mere cup of coffee: When perceived luxuriousness triggers Chinese customers’ perceptions of quality and self-congruity. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64, 102759.
[33] Loureiro, S. M. C. (2023). Overview of the brand journey and opportunities for future studies. Italian Journal of Marketing, 2023(2), 179-206.
[34] Luan, J., Filieri, R., Xiao, J., & Sun, Y. (2023). Consumer–brand relationships and social distance: A construal level theory perspective. Psychology & Marketing.
[35] MacInnis, D. J., & Folkes, V. S. (2017). Humanizing brands: When brands seem to be like me, part of me, and in a relationship with me. Journal of consumer psychology, 27(3), 355-374.
[36] Mathews, C., Ambroise, L., & Brignier, J.-M. (2011). Hedonic and symbolic consumption perceived values: opportunities for innovators and designers in the fields of brand and product design. Renaissance & Renewal in Management Studies,
[37] Mehraban, S., Rah Chamani, A., & Saki, M. (2019). the effect of Self- Congruity, functional image and emotional attachment on customer loyalty, Journal of Development and Transformation Management, 41(11), 79-85.
[38] Mittal, B. (2015). Self-concept clarity: Exploring its role in consumer behavior. Journal of Economic Psychology, 46, 98-110.
[39] Nehrlich, A. D., Gebauer, J. E., Sedikides, C., & Abele, A. E. (2019). Individual self> relational self> collective self—But why? Processes driving the self‐hierarchy in self‐and person perception. Journal of Personality, 87(2), 212-230.
[40] Ngoc Dan, T. N., & Ngo Trong, P. (2023). Does brand anthropomorphism and brand intimacy matter to assess consumers’ engagement successfully? Cogent Business & Management, 10(2), 2249897.
[41] Norouzi, H., & Tahmasebi Aghbelaghi, D. (2021). Investigating the Role of Self-Concept Fit on the Loyalty of Tejarat Bank Customers through Brand Image and Brand Emotional Attachment. Jounal of Marketing Management, 16(50), 65-77.
[42] Pourazad, N., Stocchi, L., Michaelidou, N., & Pare, V. (2023). What (really) drives consumer love for traditional luxury brands? The joint effects of brand qualities on brand love. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1-25.
[43] Rodrigues, P., Brandão, A., & Rodrigues, C. (2018). The importance of self in brand love in consumer-luxury brand relationships. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 17(3), 189-210.
[44] Rohman, A. A., Asmara, R., & Andriani, D. R. (2023). The Effect of Multidimensional Consumer Perceived Value on Customer Satisfaction and Purchase Intention of Organic Food. HABITAT, 34(2), 213-224.
[45] Sajtos, L., Cao, J. T., Espinosa, J. A., Phau, I., Rossi, P., Sung, B., & Voyer, B. (2021). Brand love: Corroborating evidence across four continents. Journal of business research, 126, 591-604.
[46] Salimi, M., & Khanlari, A. (2018). Congruence between self-concept and brand personality, its effect on brand emotional attachment. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 22(4), 1-21.
[47] Sandhu, M. A., Usman, M., Ahmad, Z., & Rizwan, M. (2018). The impact of self-concept and its congruence with different brands on purchase intention: Evidence from Pakistani consumers. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences (PJCSS), 12(2), 695-709.
[48] Schoenleber, M., Sadeh, N., & Verona, E. (2011). Parallel syndromes: Two dimensions of narcissism and the facets of psychopathic personality in criminally involved individuals. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 2(2), 113.
[49] Schreuder, P., Zeelenberg, M., & Pronk, T. M. (2024). How consumers define brand relationships: a prototype analysis. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 33(1), 43-56.
[50] Sedikides, C., Gaertner, L., & O’Mara, E. M. (2011). Individual self, relational self, collective self: Hierarchical ordering of the tripartite self. Psychological Studies, 56, 98-107.
[51] Sekhri, P,. (2023). Understanding the Power of Self-Concept in Consumer Behavior, www.linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-power-self-concept-consumer-behavior-prateek-sekhri
[52] Septianto, F., Seo, Y., & Errmann, A. C. (2021). Distinct effects of pride and gratitude appeals on sustainable luxury brands. Journal of Business Ethics, 169, 211-224.
[53] Sevtap, Ü., Deniz, E., & Nisa, A. (2019). Determining the factors that influence the intention to purchase luxury fashion brands of young consumers. Ege Academic Review, 19(2), 221-236.
[54] Shahin, A., Alame, S. M., & Asadi, A. (2013). Analyzes of the appropriateness of self-concept and destination personality of domestic tourist's behavioral intention in Isfahan city, Business Management Perspective, Volume & Issue: Volume 13, Issue 19
[55] Sinha, S. K., & Verma, P. (2020). Impact of sales Promotion's benefits on perceived value: Does product category moderate the results? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 52, 101887.
[56] Spiritual. F. (2023). How You Can Use The Self Concept To Improve Your Self-Esteem. https://medium.com.c8db723857e5
[57] Steiner, T. G., Levy, K. N., Brandenburg, J. C., & Adams Jr, R. B. (2021). In the mind of the beholder: Narcissism relates to a distorted and enhanced self-image. Personality and Individual Differences, 173, 110608.
[58] Stiglbauer, B., & Kovacs, C. (2019). Need for uniqueness determines reactions to web-based personalized advertising. Psychological reports, 122(1), 246-267.
[59] Stratton, S. J. (2021). Population research: convenience sampling strategies. Prehospital and disaster Medicine, 36(4), 373-374.
[60] Suyoto, Y. T., & Tannady, H. (2022). Ideal Self-Congruence: Its Impacts On Customer Love And Loyalty To Luxury Brands In Indonesia. International Journal of Professional Business Review: Int. J. Prof. Bus. Rev., 7(6), 18.
[61] Wang, T., Sun, Y., & Liao, S. (2022). Physical self matters: how the dual nature of body image influences smart watch purchase intention. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 846491.
[62] Wong, A. (2023). Understanding Consumer Brand Love, Brand Commitment, and Brand Loyalty. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 22(2), 87-114.
[63] Wu, Y., & Huang, H. (2023). Influence of Perceived Value on Consumers’ Continuous Purchase Intention in Live-Streaming E-Commerce—Mediated by Consumer Trust. Sustainability, 15(5), 4432.
[64] Xi, X., Yang, J., Jiao, K., Wang, S., & Lu, T. (2022). “We buy what we wanna be”: Understanding the effect of brand identity driven by consumer perceived value in the luxury sector. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1002275.
[65] Xu, X., Huebner, E. S., & Tian, L. (2020). Profiles of narcissism and self-esteem associated with comprehensive mental health in adolescents. Journal of adolescence, 80, 275-287.
[66] Zeigler-Hill, V., & Vonk, J. (2023). Narcissism and self-esteem revisited: The mediating roles of perceived status and inclusion. Identity, 23(1), 4-17.
[67] Zhang, Y., Bian, X., Cao, A., & Yu, Z. (2018). The Influence of Self-Concept on Perceived Value in Apparel Brand Adoption Behavior-Based on Research Data from Hangzhou, China. Asian Social Science, 14(7), 1-47.