The Role of Consumers’ Individual Differences and Perceived Product Quality in Sustainable Luxury Marketing: An Experimental Study in a Social Media Context

Sustainability has become a central issue for luxury marketers and managers. By considering the luxury sector, consumers are more interested in buying sustainable products. However, luxury brands need to find the right way to communicate their sustainable products, especially in the online context. This paper sheds light on the differentiated effect of a luxury product communication message focused on an internalized versus externalized luxury approach in social media platforms context. Internalized luxury refers to luxury consumption mainly driven by individual style, while externalized luxury consumption refers to luxury consumption mainly driven by status. Results show that a sustainable luxury product communication focused on internalized (vs. externalized) luxury activates a greater perception of product quality, which in turn leads to a greater intention to buy. Theoretical contributions and implications for luxury brand managers are discussed.