Influence of materialism, gender and nationality on consumer brand perceptions

Abstract

This study attempts to link materialism, gender and nationality with the consumer perception of a high-priced brand of apparel. It describes the results of a survey of 104 undergraduate students in an Australian university. The work focuses on the differences in perception of a high-priced brand. It indicates that young undergraduates hold different perceptions of a brand depending on their sex and nationality. The study also examines the materialistic tendencies of customers and whether materialism is influenced by gender and nationality, especially from an Australian perspective. Materialism was measured by using the Richins and Dawson (1992) scale. Five research questions were put forward and the results indicated that there is a difference in perception of a high-priced brand between customers of different nationality and sexes.