Consumer behavior and the consumption of counterfeit luxury brands: An evolutionary perspective

Abstract

For decades, counterfeit luxury brands have posed a global challenge to society. Over time, counterfeits have increasingly entered the market, gaining considerable interest from researchers, practitioners and public policy makers. This thesis aims to explain the influence of fundamental mating motives on the preference for counterfeit luxury brands among men and women from an evolutionary perspective, while examining loneliness as a potential moderator of this relationship. Based on evolutionary psychology and through an experimental study, it was found that the consumption of counterfeit luxury brands has different functions for men and women in a mating context. More specifically, counterfeit luxury brands possibly act as a deceptive signal of underlying mate value for men, as they aim to display their wealth to their potential romantic partners. Conversely, women use counterfeit luxury products as a signal to their female rivals, indicating their ability to compete. Loneliness was examined as a potential moderator, but it is not found any significant influence on the relationship between mating motives and counterfeit consumption. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of counterfeit luxury brand consumption and have practical implication for marketers. They can use these insights to create targeted content and campaigns which address to the distinct motivations of male and female consumers in the luxury brand market.