Measuring internalized versus externalized luxury consumption motivations and consumers’ segmentation

Luxury goods are typically marketed by global brands and are associated to excellence, exclusivity and premium pricing. However, consumers may buy and consume luxury goods because of internal and self-related motivations—e.g., individual style and quality—or of external and others-related motivations—e.g., status signaling and prestige. This research develops a measurement scale of such luxury consumption motivations, here called “internalized” and “externalized” motivations, thereby assessing which of them prevails. Moreover, by testing the scale, this research provides a segmentation of consumers based on the degree of correlation between their different motivations and some relevant constructs connected to them (i.e., Big Five personality traits, dark triad dimensions, negative values, and compulsive buying). Results show important differences in the antecedents of internalized and externalized luxury consumption acts. Implications for marketing theory and practice are discussed.