Consumer-brand relationship of American luxury brands in the Finnish market – A case study of Michael Kors

Abstract

The Finnish market for luxury fashion brands is experiencing a radical change. There is an increasing availability of American fashion for Finnish domestic consumers than ever before. In this modern customer-oriented competitive market, understanding how customers recognize specific brand meanings and its subsequent influence on buying behavior is crucial.

The purpose of this research is to study how young female consumers build up a brand relationship with American luxury brands in Finland, and to compare the cultural influence, Chinese vs. Finnish culture, on their concepts of brand meanings. This research applies the qualitative method, with data generated by conducting interviews on ten Michael Kors young lady consumers, of which five are Chinese participants and five are Finnish. The purpose of the interviews is to bring a better understanding on how Michael Kors builds its brand meanings, and how this brand-consumer relationship possibly influences purchase and contributes its relative success in the Finnish market. The study also compares how cultural perspectives, Chinese and Finnish, influence the Michael Kors brand meanings and the buying behavior.

In conclusion, the brand meaning of Michael Kors is influenced by factors including “Appreciating beauty, art and quality”, “Pursuing hedonistic pleasure, “Expressing the self”, and “Matter of investment. Factors that influence the behavior of purchase include the fashion phenomenon, quality and design, and price aspects. Michael Kors has made great efforts in achieving a rapid growth world widely as well as in Finland. These efforts are potentially linked with its content of brand meanings and contribute to its increased benefits. For example, their investment in public media may form the key driving force of street phenomenon, which consequently attracted a multitude of Chinese and Finnish consumers. Furthermore, this study provides empirical data which support the pivotal role of culture in the brand meaning of Michael Kors and its influence on the consumption behavior.