Luxury as the opposite of vulgarity a trio of perspectives on luxury brands

Abstract: This thesis, entitled “Luxury as the opposite of vulgarity: A trio of perspectives on luxury brands” considers luxury brands in a trio of contemporary contexts. Despite the academic research surrounding luxury brands being limited, the existent research most often studies luxury brands in a traditional retail context. That is, luxury is viewed from a perspective where the products are sold in luxury retail stores. However, the landscape that these brands function within has changed significantly in the last decade as a result of the rise in Internet usage, the ever increasing effect of social media on consumer behaviour, and the influence of the recent global recession. This study considers how consumers behave and how luxury brand managers act in a trio of contemporary contexts regarding luxury brands; namely gift giving, economic downturns and social media. Through this thesis, the researcher considers the behaviour of luxury consumers in these three contexts, and suggests ways forthe managers of these luxury brands to successfully adjust to the changing environment in which these brands function.