research was carried out by a team of 4 researchers from INSEEC business school (see reference at the end of this article) and was entitled “Timeless luxury: what drives the purchase of iconic products“. Presentation given by MAALEJ M., BENZI M., BEGUET M., SALVADOR M. of INSEEC Business School, France Credits : courtesy authors

1. Timeless Luxury:
What Drives the Purchase
of Iconic Products?
Mariem EL EUCH MAALEJ - Marielle SALVADOR - Monica BENZI - Margaux BEGUET

2. CONTEXT & OBJECTIVE (1)
• Historically the privilege of a minority, luxury today to seduces a much
larger population
• Luxury today : multi-faceted and its boundaries are less easy to define
and plunge into the masstige and prestige universes…(Kapferer & Laurent
2009; Chandon, Laurent, Valette Florence, 2016)
• Luxury becomes accessible…
 Mainstream brands use the codes of luxury (small series, top models)
 Luxury designers partner with mainstreet brands…
 Second hand luxury is loosing inhibitions

3. CONTEXT & OBJECTIVE (2)
• Still certain products, which have marked the success of a luxury
“maison”, show a regular consumption path, a sort of
timelessness
• These products seem to be ageing without getting out-dated
• Turned into icons, they now create the dream
• In an era of instant consumption, these myths are more than
ever alive and keep on seducing consumers
Research question : What motivations lie behind the purchase
of such products?

4. WHY PURCHASING LUXURY ?
• Originally, luxury was the visible result of hereditary social
stratification, with which absolutely everyone had to fall in
(metaphysical principles)
• Veblen (1899) : conspicuous consumption (reproducing
consumption styles of superior social classes) to publicly
display economic power and attain/maintain a superior social
status
• Luxury recreates some degree of social stratification
1) Luxury as a social marker signalling status …
such a need for brands !

5. WHY PURCHASING LUXURY ?
• In addition to this key social function, luxury is an access to both self
definition and differentiation from others
• Iconic brands are for consumers a symbolic way to solve identity
problems (Thomson, 2010)
 Importance of choosing brands whose values are aligned with our own
values (or a reference group’s values) => a new way of consuming
luxury finds its expression less in belonging to a social class and more
in self expression (tastes, emotions, identity)
2) The purchase of a luxury product has an impact on
the process of self construction and on how we relate
to others

6. ROLE OF ICONIC PRODUCTS
• Iconic => the icon: the image as a sign
 Mirror effect between the sign and the reality
 Anything can be an icon: a symbol, an object, a person
• A luxury brand builds iconic hints through its history, heritage
and the values and symbols which it nurtures
• Communication and other marketing stimuli are vehicles to
diffuse iconic hints
3) Iconic products are powerful brand builders and
strongly drive consumers’ perception of the brand
essence

7. VISIBILITY & LEGITIMACY OF LUXURY BRANDS
Visibility
Legitimacy
Brand Status
4) Brand status, deriving from visibility and/or legitimacy, is a strong
motivation drive to purchase luxury brands
• History
• Authenticity
• Innovation
• Creativity

8. COMMITTMENT TOWARDS LUXURY BRANDS
Emotional
Norming
Brand commitment
(Allen & Meyer, 1990)
Opportunistic
5) Another powerful motivation drive can derive from engaging consumers on
personal themes linked to the brand
Emotional aspects play an activating role in
building a strong & long-term relationship with
the brand
=>importance of a brand storytelling which
resonates with consumer’s personal real and
dreamed experience (seduction, success,
beauty, , originality…)

9. METHODOLOGY
• An exploratory qualitative study with 15
consumers was conducted
• During the interviews, we used a projective
technique of three images of iconic products:
Hermès Bags, Porsche 911 and chanel N°5
parfume
• The study allowed us to better understand
customers’ perceptions about the luxury sector
and about iconic products in particular
• This allowed us to deeply explore the
idiosyncratic motivations of our respondents
when buying these products

10. RESULTS (1)
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ICONIC PRODUCTS
1. Timelessness
“The Kelly, the Birkin are bags that will always be there, it self explanatory, they will stay over the years, (…) these beautiful bags will last in
time, compared to fashion. I would also add that they’ll live well beyond the trends”
Linked to design and which maintains its aura thanks to a regular renewal of the product
2. The history of the brand
“Look at Céline, Chloe ... They are young brands, they have no history, still their cuts are very trendy…”
A story that even becomes familiar
3. The excellence, know-how and a home-made production of the product
"These are products that are handmade, that you order, (...) compared to others luxury brands”
4. The innovative side of the luxury brand and the iconic product as the result
“Porsche was the first car producer who used a diesel engine on sports cars and all the brands followed ... and it was also the first to install a
system so that all four wheels rotate at the same time so to improve the driving sensation

11. RESULTS (2)
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ICONIC PRODUCTS
The iconic product
as a safe financial
value
The iconic product,
an object that is
transmitted in the
same way as family
jewels
No matter the product as long as there is
the brand ... but not just any
• The iconic product is a product that we buy because it has a history that will be part of ours,
thanks to its transmission
• It is considered a work of art and is an investment that will not depreciate over time
• It is bought because it represents a sure value in terms of style

12. CONCLUSION
The evolution of the notion of luxury:
• Consumers no longer search for a simple possession or demonstration of status : the
experience they want to live with the product is more important and they expect a real ritual
around their acquisition
• Purchase of an iconic product is also accompanied by financial considerations and a desire to
transmit it
The importance of the brand for the consumer:
• An undeniable role in mythical product that it embodies
Next steps :
 Notion of a timeless brand and study the links between the luxury brand and the iconic product
 Role of iconic products in the management of luxury brand stores

13. ANY QUESTIONS ?
@
meleuchmaalej@inseec.com
msalvador@inseec.com
mbenzi@inseec.com