Element of context specificity

Perceived uniqueness has close linkages to the symbolic dimension discussed in previous literature (e.g., Berthon et al. 2009). This led to the fourth element, con- text specificity, which emphasizes the society and time against which the interpre- tations of luxury has been made. Context-specificity can be understood to a broader extent as the ‘sociocultural context’ or in a more limited way as ‘local contexts and social networks’ or even ‘situational consumption context’ (e.g., Arnould et al. 2005: 263). The former highlights the society, economic situation and specific time in general. Brands regarded as desired luxuries in the Nordic

countries, and particularly in Finland, may be perceived differently in other soci- ocultural contexts, such as Asia. The local context and social networks reflect and are influenced by the sociocultural context, but are more restricted. This refers to an interpretation constructed in relation to other people, such as a reference group, significant others and generation. For example, luxury brands are not necessarily positioned similarly in consumers’ minds: the brands that teenagers regard as lux- ury may not be positioned highly in the brand continuum among older consumers. The ‘situational consumption context’, instead, refers to the smallest unit: the ex- act occasions and situations where the branded product is used. The circumstanc- es influence the interpretations constructed by the consumer. For example, as pointed out in the previous chapter, the interpretation of the luxuriousness of a brand and thereby the experience of luxury can be generated through specific sit- uations and consumption context, e.g., celebration vs. everyday use.

Context specificity particularly underlines relativity and context dependence when experiencing and interpreting the luxury of a brand. What is now regarded as luxury in this specific time and situation, might not attain luxury status some- where else or in the future. Context-specificity is suggested to be the ground for other elements: interpretations about the extended product, its authenticity and perceived uniqueness are interpreted against the social context.

5.2.5 The diamond – experience of luxury as a reflection of the elements

The four elements discussed above – extended product, perceived uniqueness, perceived authenticity and context specificity – shed light on what constitutes luxury for a consumer. The elements are parallel and overlapping, and dependent on the consumer’s interpretation, social context and object in question.

To elaborate the interactive elements further, and to understand how luxury is determined by consumers, the elements have been sketched in the form of a dia- mond (Figure 12). The diamond illustrates metaphorically how the experience of luxury becomes existent through reflections of the elements that the consumer interprets.As the thinking is based on hermeneutic phenomenology, this relies on the idea that there is no single truth about luxury or ‘reality’. Instead, there are constructs that are based on a consumer’s experiences and interpretations derived from symbolic interaction (Guba and Lincoln 1994). Thus, the ‘subjective truth’, i.e., perceived luxury, is placed in the core of the diamond. How you see – inter- pret – the ‘luxury’ depends on how you look at the diamond, in what light you mirror it and from what direction.

Figure 12. The experience of luxury as a reflection of the interpretations of the interactive elements.

As the diamond is rotated, it displays different reflections and gleams. The reflec- tions depend on the perspective, light and interpreter, e.g., sociocultural context, product characteristics, consumer’s life circumstances and economic situation, previous experiences, reference group and situational factors. These constitute and influence the reflections of the diamond, and therefore the ways in which the consumer emphasizes the elements, and consequently interprets and constructs the luxuriousness of a brand. As the diamond’s reflections, the elements cannot be strictly separated but instead they are overlapping.

First, the diamond’s twinkle depends on context specificity and extended product elements. As discussed earlier, context specificity covers both the sociocultural and temporal context as well as micro-level context including the individual’s life circumstances, economic background, and reference group (e.g., Arnould et al. 2005). Thus, the diamond reveals different reflections of the luxuriousness of a brand, which emerge from the individual’s experiences and the context he or she lives in. The element of ‘extended product’ can be seen as part of the diamond illustration: the luxuriousness of a brand is an interpretation that is more than a collection of product attributes. The consumer’s personal meanings derive from interpretations generated in relation to his or her perceived life circumstances and

social context, which consequently lead to a consumer-centered understanding of luxury.

Second, the reflection of the perceived uniqueness element also depends on the interpreter: one may perceive uniqueness attached to product characteristics and the scarcity gained through high price or limited editions. For others, perceived uniqueness gains meanings through perceived individuality and perceived rarity, which are consumption-based/generated interpretations. Perceived individuality was seen as a means of differentiating oneself from the masses and manifesting one’s own style. Perceived rarity, in turn, was related to the situations in which the brands were actually used and consumed. For example, brands for daily use were regarded as less luxurious than brands used only on special occasions.

The third element of the diamond, perceived authenticity, may also receive differ- ent meanings and interpretations depending on the individual and time. For some- one in a particular context and life situation, perceived authenticity is solely a company-driven originality and product characteristic. For someone else, per- ceived authenticity may be a social construction attached to a brand, and influ- ences the perceived authenticity of oneself.

Thus, the diamond illustrates the relativity and context-bound understanding of luxury that emerges through an individual’s interpretations. By this, the consumer is in a central role as interpreter and experiencer. A diamond reflects luxurious- ness differently depending on the individual’s perceptions, social context and ob- ject in question. To this end, the luxuriousness of a brand is an interpretation, and the consumer’s own experience is the fundamental truth of luxury.

However, this study does not suggest that if a brand has the ‘highest levels’ of each element, it can achieve the highest level of luxury. This limitation comes from choosing to follow the path of symbolic interaction and hermeneutic phe- nomenology, which emphasize the consumer’s experience as the core aspect (e.g., Thompson 1997).