Luxury buyers want subtle status symbols(69604)

Why Elite Shoppers Eschew Logos

K-Mart and Marc Jacobs have something in common: low- and high-end fashion products tend to have less conspicuous brand markers than midprice goods, according to a paper soon to be published in The Journal of Consumer Research.

Rather than rely on obvious logos, expensive products use more discreet markers, such as distinctive design or detailing. High-end consumers prefer markers of status that are not decipherable by the mainstream. These signal group identity only to others with the connoisseurship to recognize their insider standing.

In one study, fashion students were more likely than regular students to favor subtle signals for products visible to others, like handbags. But for private products less relevant to identity, like underwear and socks, there was no difference between the groups.

Jonah Berger, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the paper s authors, said it was not that insiders simply had a dislike for logos.

Instead, he said, they avoid them in identity-relevant domains to distinguish themselves from mainstream consumers who buy such products to show they ve made it.

Luxury buyers want subtle status symbols

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