Should luxury brands say it out loud? Brand conspicuousness and consumer perceptions of responsible luxury

Recent literature suggests that consumers do not necessarily perceive luxury and corporate social responsibility (CSR) as compatible, which might result in unfavorable consumer responses toward responsible luxury. The present study addresses this issue by investigating the effects of an important aspect of luxury brands' branding strategy, namely, relative brand conspicuousness, on consumers' attitudes toward responsible luxury brands. A dual mediation process underlies these effects. Specifically, brand conspicuousness influences (1) the extent to which consumers perceive a responsible luxury brand as socially responsible and (2) consumers' perceptions of self-congruity with the brand. As well, consumers' self-identity moderates the latter effect. In turn, both perceptions affect consumers' attitudes toward the brand. The current research thereby stresses the need for luxury brand managers to evaluate how their strategies affect consumers' evaluations of their luxury brands when promoting responsible luxury; this article also provides important guidelines for effectively managing CSR and branding strategies together. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.