Advertisement
While purchasing fancy cars or fine jewellery can affirm buyers’ sense of status and enjoyment, the researchers, including those from Boston College in the US, said such “luxury can be a double-edged sword.”
The study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, revealed that many consumers perceive luxury products as a privilege which they don’t deserve.
“While luxury consumption holds the promise of elevated status, it can backfire and make consumers feel inauthentic, producing what we call the ‘impostor syndrome from luxury consumption,'” the researchers said in a press statement.
Related Articles
Advertisement
According to the current study, some consumers feel inauthentic while wearing or using these products, and they actually act less confident than if they were sporting non-luxury items.
Citing an example, they said, “one participant said she felt very shy when she wore a gold necklace with diamonds that she owned because it is not in her character to wear luxurious jewellery,” even when she could afford it.
However, the researchers said this effect is mitigated among consumers who have an inherently high sense of entitlement.
Additionally, non-entitled-feeling consumers did not feel like impostors while using these products on occasions when they felt special, such as their birthday.
“Luxury marketers and shoppers need to be aware of this psychological cost of luxury, as impostor feelings resulting from purchases reduce consumer enjoyment and happiness,” said study co-author Nailya Ordabayeva from Boston College.
She said boosting consumers’ feelings of deservingness through sales tactics and marketing messages can help.
“Ultimately, in today’s age that prioritizes authenticity and authentic living, creating experiences and narratives that boost people’s personal connection with products and possessions can yield lasting benefits for consumers and marketers alike,” Ordabayeva said.