A Conceptual Framework Of Prestige-Seeking Consumer Behavior

Vigneron and Johnson / A Review and a Conceptual Framework of Prestige

A Review and a Conceptual Framework of Prestige-Seeking Consumer Behavior

Franck Vigneron The University of Sydney California State University Northridge

Lester W. Johnson Monash University

Franck Vigneron is assistant professor of Marketing, College of Business & Economics, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge CA 91330-8376, USA, franck.vigneron@csun.edu. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Professor Lester W. Johnson, Monash Mt. Eliza Business School, Monash University, PO Box 2224, Caulfield Jct., Victoria 3161, Australia. The authors thank the editor Morris B. Holbrook for his helpful suggestions, as well as three anonymous JCMR reviewers for their useful comments, on earlier versions of the manuscript.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This paper discusses the existing consumer knowledge dealing with aspects of prestige, and based on this literature, develops a conceptual framework useful for the analysis of prestige-seeking consumer behavior (PSCB). The purpose of this paper is to combine the concepts of existing research on prestige consumers (rather limited) and studies which examined entirely different aspects of consumer behavior, but coincidentally produce valuable information. By examining all the sources of prestige consumption in a broad and integrated way, we shall provide a new perspective that draws from, rather than substitutes for, previous research.

The objectives of this literature review can be summarized as follows:

• Contribute to the emerging literature on prestige consumption in examining and defining the key perceived values which form the concept of prestige.

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