Marketing communication in luxury research: a framework-based literature review and research agenda

Abstract

ABSTRACT Luxury is a dynamic global industry, as well as a domain of study increasingly attracting academic interest due to its unconventional marketing and the unique characteristics of luxury brands. Marketing communication is crucial for luxury brands to signal intangible benefits and build emotional bonds, as their luxury status depends on consumer perceptions and imagery. Yet, luxury marketing communication is an uncharted research area, despite numerous calls for further studies. To aid the advancement of future research, this paper discusses a review of published research on marketing communication of luxury brands structured in line with the TCCM (Theory – Context - Characteristics – Methodology) framework. We analyze 150 empirical research articles published from 2000 to 2021 to map the characteristics of existing literature and provide a roadmap for future research. Our findings indicate that literature is diverse and fragmented in terms of its characteristics. The number of publications is rapidly rising, spurred by recent interest in social media marketing. Articles are far from uniform regarding theory use and constructs examined. Quantitative research dominates and studies reflect a focus on the luxury fashion industry and some geographical concentration. An agenda with several suggestions for future research is put forward.