Mystery as a luxury service brand signal on social media

Abstract

Luxury services marketers face a tension between the openness of social media and the need to keep the sense of mystery that underpins luxury service experiences. This study investigates mystery as a signal of luxury focussing on how Michelin star restaurants use mystery appeals in their social media marketing strategies. Employing a qualitative approach, the research firstly analyses a series of semi-structured interviews with social media managers from Michelin star restaurants, and secondly examines content posted on their official social media accounts. We identify six types of mystery appeals: minimalism, prestige, superiority, identity, exclusivity, and co-creation, representing different levels of information disclosure, which either reduce or preserve information asymmetry, as a mechanism for signalling luxury status. Low mystery signals decrease asymmetry by revealing specific aspects of the luxury service experience, informing potential consumers and influencing purchase intentions. In contrast, high mystery signals, in prolonging information asymmetry, reinforce the core tenets of luxury, such as rarity and exclusivity, which may result in prospective consumers turning to external sources that are not brand-controlled. Building on these insights, we propose a theoretical framework illustrating the iterative nature of the usage of the six proposed mystery appeals to manage information asymmetry. This paper extends the growing literature on luxury services, social media marketing and signalling theory, while also offering practical implications for practitioners and highlighting future research avenues.