Abstract
Luxury and sustainability are two market segments that appear to offer opposing values. Consumer behaviour for both luxury and sustainable goods is driven by a combination of rational, emotional, and symbolic goals and desires. A cultural analysis of the language, symbols, and artefacts of a sustainable luxury brand demonstrates how congruent values between sustainability and luxury can attract sustainability conscious consumers while retaining luxury value shoppers. In this conceptual chapter we provide a typology of both luxury and sustainable values and demonstrate how one luxury brand successfully links these values.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aleksander, I. (2020). Sweatpants forever: How the fashion industry collapsed. The New York Times.
AnnualReports.com. (2021). Tiffany & Co. Accessed November 2, 2021, from https://www.annualreports.com/Company/tiffany-co
Atanasova, A., & Eckhardt, G. M. (2021). The broadening boundaries of materialism. Marketing Theory, 147059312110190. https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931211019077
Athwal, N., Wells, V. K., Carrigan, M., et al. (2019). Sustainable luxury marketing: A synthesis and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 21(4), 405–426. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12195
Banister, E., Roper, S., & Potavanich, T. (2020). Consumers’ practices of everyday luxury. Journal of Business Research, 116, 458–466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.12.003
Belk, R. W. (2020). The changing notions of materialism and status in an increasingly dematerialized world. In: Research handbook on luxury branding (pp. 2–21).
Bellezza, S., Paharia, N., & Keinan, A. (2017). Conspicuous consumption of time: When busyness and lack of leisure time become a status symbol. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(1), 118–138. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucw076
Bendell, J., & Kleanthous, A. (2007). Deeper luxury: Quality and style when the world matters. World Wide Fund for Nature UK.
Black, I. R., & Cherrier, H. (2010). Anti-consumption as part of living a sustainable lifestyle: Daily practices, contextual motivations and subjective values. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 9(6), 437–453. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.337
Bowles, N. (2019, March 23). Human contact is now a luxury good. The New York Times.
Brooks, D. (2001). Bobos in paradise: The new upper class and how they got there. Touchstone.
Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Cervellon, M.-C., & Drylie Carey, L. (2021). Luxury brands, consumer behaviour, and sustainability. In Firms in the fashion industry (pp. 87–95). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76255-1_6
Chatzidakis, A., & Lee, M. S. W. (2013). Anti-consumption as the study of reasons against. Journal of Macromarketing, 33(3), 190–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276146712462892
Cherrier, H., Black, I. R., & Lee, M. (2011). Intentional non-consumption for sustainability: Consumer resistance and/or anti-consumption? European Journal of Marketing, 45(11), 1757–1767. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090561111167397
Connolly, J., & Prothero, A. (2003). Sustainable consumption: Consumption, consumers and the commodity discourse. Consumption, Markets and Culture, 6(4), 275–291. https://doi.org/10.1080/1025386032000168311
Connolly, J., & Prothero, A. (2008). Green consumption: Life-politics, risk and contradictions. Journal of Consumer Culture, 8(1), 117–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540507086422
Currid-Halkett, E. (2017). The sum of small things: A theory of the aspirational class. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400884698.
Danziger, P. (2005). Let them eat the cake. Kaplan Trade.
Danziger, P. (2019). LVMH and Tiffany is a marriage made in luxury heaven. Forbes.
Danziger, P. (2020). If LVMH can’t get out of Tiffany acquisition, as one lawyer believes, it may live to regret it. Forbes.
Davis, F. (1989). Of maids’ uniforms and blue jeans: The drama of status ambivalences in clothing and fashion. Qualitative Sociology, 12(4), 337–355. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00989396
de Burgh-Woodman, H., & King, D. (2013). Sustainability and the human/nature connection: A critical discourse analysis of being ‘symbolically’ sustainable. Consumption, Markets and Culture, 16(2), 145–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2012.662834
Dean, A. (2018). Everything is wrong: A search for order in the ethnometaphysical chaos of sustainable luxury fashion.
DiDonato, T. E., & Jakubiak, B. K. (2016). Sustainable decisions signal sustainable relationships: How purchasing decisions affect perceptions and romantic attraction. Journal of Social Psychology, 156(1), 8–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2015.1018858
Dolan, P. (2002). The sustainability of ‘sustainable consumption’. Journal of Macromarketing, 22(2), 170–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276146702238220
Dubois, B., & Duquesne, P. (1993). The market for luxury goods: Income versus culture. European Journal of Marketing, 27(1), 35–44.
EBay. (2021). Tiffany & Co. jewelry boxes for sale. Accessed November 1, 2021, from https://www.ebay.com/b/Tiffany-Co-Jewelry-Boxes/262017/bn_72172132
Elkington, J. (1997). Cannibals with forks. Capstone Publishing. https://doi.org/10.9774/gleaf.978-1-907643-44-6_24
Ernst & Young GL. (2017). Why sustainable development goals should be in your business plan. Accessed October 14, 2021, from https://www.ey.com/en_au/assurance/why-sustainable-development-goals-should-be-in-your-business-plan
Fifita, ’Ilaisaane, M. E., Seo, Y., Ko, E., et al. (2020). Fashioning organics: Wellbeing, sustainability, and status consumption practices. Journal of Business Research, 117, 664–671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.01.005
Fischer, M. M. J. (2007). Culture and cultural analysis as experimental systems. Cultural Anthropology, 22(1), 1–65. https://doi.org/10.1525/can.2007.22.1.1
Fletcher, K. (2013). Sustainable fashion and textiles: Design journeys. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315857930
Frostrup, M. (2019). True Tales of Luxury – Steven Webster. Harrods.
Fuerst, F., & Shimizu, C. (2016). Green luxury goods? The economics of eco-labels in the Japanese housing market. Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, 39, 108–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjie.2016.01.003
Geertz, C. (1983). Local knowledge: Further essays in interpretive anthropology. Basic Books.
Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. M. P., et al. (2017). The circular economy – A new sustainability paradigm? Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 757–768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.048
Gibbens, S. (2019). Plastic straw bans are spreading: Here’s how they took over the world. Accessed October 25, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/news-plastic-drinking-straw-history-ban
Goor, D., Ordabayeva, N., Keinan, A., et al. (2020). The impostor syndrome from luxury consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 46(6), 1031–1051. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucz044
Great Barrier Reef Foundation. (2018). The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Commits $1 Million to the Reef.
Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J. M., & Van den Bergh, B. (2010). Going green to be seen: Status, reputation, and conspicuous conservation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(3), 392–404. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017346
Hansen, T., & Pollin, R. (2020). Economics and climate justice activism: Assessing the financial impact of the fossil fuel divestment movement. Review of Social Economy, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/00346764.2020.1785539
Henning, A. (2004). Equal couples in equal houses: Cultural perspectives on Swedish solar and bio-pellet heating design. Sustainable Architectures: Critical Explorations of Green Building Practice in Europe and North America, 9780203412(2005), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203412800
Hoffman, A. J. (2018). The next phase of business sustainability. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3191035.
Holt, D. B. (2012). Cultural brand strategy. Handbook of marketing strategy (pp. 306–317). https://doi.org/10.4337/9781781005224.00029
Holt, D. (2020, September–October). Cultural innovation. Harvard Business Review, 1–11.
Human Rights Watch. (2008). Burma’s gem trade and human rights abuses. Accessed November 2, 2021, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2008/07/29/burmas-gem-trade-and-human-rights-abuses#
IPCC U. (2021). Climate change 2021: The physical science basis. Cambridge University Press.
Jackson, T. (2005). Live better by consuming less? Is there a ‘double dividend’ in sustainable consumption? Journal of Industrial Ecology, 9(1–2), 19–36. https://doi.org/10.1162/1088198054084734
Joy, A., Sherry, J. F., Venkatesh, A., et al. (2012). Fast fashion, sustainability, and the ethical appeal of luxury brands. Fashion Theory - Journal of Dress Body and Culture, 16(3), 273–295. https://doi.org/10.2752/175174112X13340749707123
Kapferer, J.-N. (1997). Managing luxury brands. Journal of Brand Management, 4(4), 251–259. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.1997.4
Kapferer, J.-N. (2010). All that glitters is not green: The challenge of sustainable luxury. European Business Review (November–December), 40–45.
Kapferer, J.-N., & Michaut-Denizeau, A. (2014). Is luxury compatible with sustainability? Luxury consumers’ viewpoint. Journal of Brand Management, 21(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2013.19
Keinan, A., Crener, S., & Goor, D. (2020). Luxury and environmental responsibility. Research Handbook on Luxury Branding, 300–322. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781786436351.00031
Koch, M. (2021). GreenPrint survey finds consumers want to buy eco-friendly products, but don’t know how to identify them. Businesswire, 50–51.
Kolsbun, K., & Sweeney, M. S. (2008). Peace: The biography of a symbol. National Geographic.
Kravets, O., & Sandikci, O. (2014). Competently ordinary: New middle class consumers in the emerging markets. Journal of Marketing, 78(4), 125–140. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.12.0190
Kriser, H. (2020). Tiffany & Co. cements its leadership in diamond traceability. Business Wire, 18 August.
Kunz, J., May, S., & Schmidt, H. J. (2020). Sustainable luxury: Current status and perspectives for future research. Business Research. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40685-020-00111-3.
Ledru, A. (2020). A message from our CEO president and chief executive officer.
Lee, M. S. W., & Ahn, C. S. Y. (2016). Anti-consumption, materialism, and consumer well-being. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 50(1), 18–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12089
Loeb, W. (2021). These changes could revamp The Tiffany & Co. Forbes.
Luxuo. (2020) How Tiffany & Co earned 4th most sustainable company on Barron’s Annual List. Accessed October 27, 2021, from https://www.luxuo.com/homepage-slider/how-tiffany-co-earned-4th-most-sustainable-american-company-on-barrons-annual-list.html
Markard, J., Raven, R., & Truffer, B. (2012). Sustainability transitions: An emerging field of research and its prospects. Research Policy, 41(6), 955–967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2012.02.013
Martin, D., & Schouten, J. W. (2012). Sustainable marketing. Pearson Prentice Hall.
Martin, D. M., & Väistö, T. (2016). Reducing the attitude-behavior gap in sustainable consumption: A theoretical proposition and the American electric vehicle market. Review of Marketing Research, 13, 193–213. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1548-643520160000013016.
McCracken, G. (1986). Culture and consumption: A theoretical account of the structure and movement of the cultural meaning of consumer goods. Journal of Consumer Research, 13(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.1086/209048.
McKibben, B. (2008). The Bill McKibben reader: Pieces from an active life. St. Martin’s Griffin.
McPherson, S. (2016). Meet the woman driving sustainability and corporate responsibility at Tiffany & Co. Forbes.
Mick, D. G. (1986). Consumer research and semiotics: Exploring the morphology of signs, symbols, and significance. Journal of Consumer Research, 13(2), 196. https://doi.org/10.1086/209060
Mittelstaedt, J. D., Shultz, C. J., Kilbourne, W. E., et al. (2014). Sustainability as megatrend: Two schools of macromarketing thought. Journal of Macromarketing, 34(3), 253–264. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276146713520551
Mulkerrins, J. (2021). Frank Luntz: The man who came up with ‘climate change’—and regrets it. The Times, 25 May.
Norgaard, K. M. (2011). Climate denial: Emotion, psychology, culture, and political economy. In J. S. Dryzek, R. B. Norgaard, & D. Schlosberg (Eds.), Oxford handbook on climate change and society (pp. 399–413). Oxford University Press.
Norton, L. P. (2021). The 100 most sustainable companies. Barron’s, 101(7), 20–22, 24–26.
Ottman, J. A., Stafford, E. R., & Hartman, C. L. (2006). Avoiding green marketing myopia: Ways to improve consumer appeal for environmentally preferable products. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 48(5), 22–36. https://doi.org/10.3200/ENVT.48.5.22-36
Peattie, K., & Peattie, S. (2009). Social marketing: A pathway to consumption reduction? Journal of Business Research, 62(2), 260–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.01.033
Positive Luxury. (2022). The Butterfly Mark. Accessed January 17, 2022, from https://www.positiveluxury.com/butterfly-mark/
Proctor, J. D. (1998). The meaning of global environmental change: Retheorizing culture in human dimensions research. Global Environmental Change, 8(3). Pergamon, 227–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-3780(98)00006-5
Prothero, A., McDonagh, P., & Dobscha, S. (2010). Is green the new black? Reflections on a green commodity discourse. Journal of Macromarketing, 30(2), 147–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276146710361922
Prothero, A., Dobscha, S., Freund, J., et al. (2011). Sustainable consumption: Opportunities for consumer research and public policy. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 30(1), 31–38. https://doi.org/10.1509/jppm.30.1.31
Robins, N., & Roberts, S. (1998). Making sense of sustainable consumption. Development, 41(1), 28–36.
Roper, S., Caruana, R., Medway, D., et al. (2013). Constructing luxury brands: Exploring the role of consumer discourse. European Journal of Marketing, 47(3), 375–400. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090561311297382
Roux, D., & Izberk-Bilgin, E. (2018). Consumer resistance and power relationships in the marketplace. In E. J. Arnould & C. J. Thompson (Eds.), Consumer culture theory (pp. 295–317). Sage Publications.
Septianto, F., Seo, Y., & Errmann, A. C. (2021). Distinct effects of pride and gratitude appeals on sustainable luxury brands. Journal of Business Ethics, 169(2), 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04484-7
Smith, N. C. (1990). Morality and the market consumer pressure for corporate accountability. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315743745
Soini, K., & Birkeland, I. (2014). Exploring the scientific discourse on cultural sustainability. Geoforum, 51, 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.GEOFORUM.2013.12.001
The Guardian. (2021). Harvard University will divest its $42bn endowment from all fossil fuels | Fossil fuel divestment. The Guardian.
The White House. (2021). Fact sheet: President Biden sets 2030 greenhouse gas pollution reduction target aimed at creating good-paying union jobs and securing U.S. Leadership on Clean Energy Technologies. Whitehouse.Gov: 6.
Thompson, C. J., & Haytko, D. L. (1997). Speaking of fashion: Consumers’ uses of fashion discourses and the appropriation of countervailing cultural meanings. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(1), 15–42. https://doi.org/10.1086/209491
Thomsen, T. U., Holmqvist, J., von Wallpach, S., et al. (2020). Conceptualizing unconventional luxury. Journal of Business Research, 116, 441–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.01.058
Tiffany & Co. (2020). Alignment to sustainability reporting frameworks contents.
Tiffany & Co. (2021a). Fiscal year 2020 sustainability performance and metrics.
Tiffany & Co. (2021b). Protecting our planet—Environmental philanthropy. Accessed October 27, 2021, from https://www.tiffany.com.au/sustainability/the-planet/
Tiffany & Co. (2021c). Sustainability timeline and milestones. Accessed October 27, 2021, from https://www.tiffany.com.au/sustainability/timeline/
Tiffany & Co. (2021d). Trademarks & Copyrights. Accessed November 1, 2021, from https://www.tiffany.com.au/policy/trademarks-copyrights/
UK Government. (2008). Climate Change Act 2008: 1–108.
UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (1981). Great Barrier Reef. Accessed November 2, 2021, from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154
Voyer, B. G., & Beckham, D. (2014). Can sustainability be luxurious? A mixed-method investigation of implicit and explicit attitudes towards sustainable luxury consumption. Advances in Consumer Research, 42, 245–250.
Zanette, M. C., & Scaraboto, D. (2019). From the corset to Spanx: Shapewear as a marketplace icon. Consumption, Markets and Culture, 22(2), 183–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2018.1497988
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Volcon, S.Y., Makkar, M., Martin, D.M., Farrelly, F. (2022). Sustainable Luxury: A Framework for Meaning Through Value Congruence. In: Henninger, C.E., Athwal, N.K. (eds) Sustainable Luxury . Palgrave Advances in Luxury. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06928-4_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06928-4_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-06927-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-06928-4
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)