Social class and conspicuous brand logo in gift choice

Abstract

While conspicuous consumption may be more prevalent for consumers identified as lower (vs. higher) social class, little is known about when and why they prefer conspicuousness in their consumption activities. Drawing from the conceptual perspectives of class-based norms and self-protection, we demonstrate the differential effects of social class on preferences for conspicuous logos and the possible explanations underlying the effects. To this end, we employ gift-giving contexts and identify gift recipients (self-recipient vs. other-recipient) as an important boundary condition. Across four studies, lower- (vs. higher-) social-class consumers exhibit stronger preferences for conspicuous logos, particularly when choosing a gift for others. This effect occurs because lower- (vs. higher-) social-class consumers have a stronger desire to fit in with others and gain social status. These findings shed light on when and why lower-social-class consumers prefer conspicuous logos.