Two decades of research on “masstige” marketing: A systematic literature review and future research agenda

Abstract

In the 21st century, luxury marketing increasingly utilizes “masstige marketing” as a strategic approach. This approach combines luxury and mass brands and targets middle-class consumers with an aim to make high-end brands more accessible and affordable. However, despite a surge in research interest over the past two decades, the literature on masstige marketing remains scattered. Therefore, the present moment offers an appropriate time to consolidate the existing literature and lay the groundwork for future researchers. To achieve this aim, this paper endeavors to narrow the literature divide between luxury and affordability to establish a strong conceptual boundary using SPAR-4 protocol and the TCCM approach. It thoroughly examines 75 papers published between 2003 and 2023 to identify critical research gaps. Furthermore, following manual coding and inductive analysis, the review outlines the theoretical perspective like masstige and bandwagon (Theory); identifies the contextual elements like B2B space and culture (Context); reveals the antecedents, gaps, and outcome variables, that is, CBBE and purchase intention (Characteristics); and suggest diverse approaches, that is, mixed and experimental methods (Methodology). The article also confirms the incorporation of themes, that is, value-based and masstige-evolution dimensions, by using Corbin and Strauss open, axial, and selective coding. Lastly, by employing in-depth knowledge gap analysis, the review proposes future research directions as an efficient path for obtaining a holistic understanding of masstige marketing dynamics.