The effects of a Disney masstige brand collaboration on perceptions of brand luxury: vertical versus horizontal product line extension strategies

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a Disney collaboration and Disney product line extension type on the perceptions of masstige brands and purchase intentions. By identifying masstige brands as two types (i.e. born-masstige versus luxury-masstige brands), this study investigates how consumers respond to a Disney collection across different types of masstige brands. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted three studies using an experimental approach. Findings Study 1 shows that compared to a traditional collection, a Disney collection lowered perceptions of brand luxury, but the negative effect is stronger for born-masstige brands than luxury-masstige brands. Studies 2 and 3 revealed that an upward extension enhanced perceptions of luxury for the born-masstige brand more than it did with a horizontal extension, whereas there was no difference between upward and horizontal extensions for the luxury-masstige brand. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to understanding how Disney collaborations influence consumers’ perceptions of masstige brands. It has implications for brand positioning and pricing strategies for practitioners collaborating with Disney or similar companies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to investigate consumer responses to a Disney collaborated collection across two types of masstige brands by exploring their type of product line extensions.

Masstige as a mediator of the relationship between a typical user's image and brand preference

“…It has also been shown that many other factors may influence this relationship (e.g., Lee & Cho, 2023;Park et al, 2022;Singh, 2023).…”

“…It has also been shown that many other factors may influence this relationship (e.g., Lee & Cho, 2023; Park et al, 2022; Singh, 2023). These include not only the TBU image itself, which is an association with the average brand user image, but also its actual symbolic value to the consumer.…”

Masstige buyers: Profile, perceived luxury values and purchase intentions

“…Masstige consumers also actively seek pleasurable experiences and engage in consumption as a means of indulgence, suggesting an emphasis on the hedonic value of luxury (Burhanudin, 2023;Das, Jebarajakirthy, & Sivapalan, 2022a;Ganguly et al, 2023;Goyal, 2020;Lee & Cho, 2023;Park et al, 2022;Purohit & Radia, 2022;Singh, 2023;Suzuki & Kanno, 2022). Additionally, several studies (Kumar et al, 2021;Nobre et al, 2023;Purohit et al, 2023) propose that masstige consumption leads to brand happiness.…”

“…Employing a quantitative research design, we developed a questionnaire rooted in previous research in the field (Das, Saha, & Roy, 2022d;Ho et al, 2023;Lee & Cho, 2023), making necessary (2020) and the hexagon and pyramid models developed by Paul (2015Paul ( , 2019. These models offer clear distinctions between the two categories, taking into account factors like target income (high/upper middle income vs. middle income), pricing (premium vs. moderate premium), and brand positioning (premium vs. upmarket).…”

“…4. Many prior studies on masstige marketing or consumption are limited to specific brands or product categories (e.g., Bilro et al, 2022;Das, Saha, Jebarajakirthy, et al, 2022c;Lee & Cho, 2023;Rosendo-Rios & Shukla, 2023). For example, Ho et al (2023) and Ali c et al (2022) provide conceptual distinctions between luxury and masstige while, in their operationalization, masstige buyers are identified based on past purchases of one or two masstige brands, specifically within certain product categories and brands, underscoring the need for a more encompassing perspective.…”