Luxury brand desirability and fashion equity: The joint moderating effect on consumers' commitment toward luxury brands

摘要

In marketing research, the term "fashion" has been shown to have a double meaning. It is mostly used as a synonym of apparel brands, and rarely as a concept defining the degree of a brand's fashionability. Therefore, fashion equity is proposed as a new and complementary approach to brand equity, to help marketers strengthen their strategies. By conducting three qualitative and two quantitative surveys on apparel brands and luxury apparel brands, this study develops and empirically confirms a conceptual model built around the influence of luxury apparel's brand equity on consumers' commitment. It also evaluates the moderating effects of fashion equity and luxury brand desirability on this relationship, as well as their implications for commitment. Overall, the results add to the existing body of literature surrounding brand equity, focusing for the first time on the joint catalyst effect of fashion equity and luxury desirability in regard to the influence of brand equity on consumers' commitment to luxury fashion brands.