Navigating impressions: the impact of luxury social media posts

Purpose: This study addresses the lack of exploration of whether posting luxury products purchased on social media contributes to a favorable impression of oneself. It uncovers the underlying mechanisms shaping observers’ attitudes toward account holders sharing luxury posts. By examining the motive attribution processes triggered by such posts, particularly intrinsic and extrinsic motives, this study clarifies the dynamics of luxury posts on social media, addressing inconsistencies in the literature regarding responses to luxury brand users. Design/methodology/approach: To test the hypotheses, a one-factor between-subjects experimental design involving 400 South Korean participants with social media accounts was employed. Participants in each condition recalled their experiences of encountering either luxury or non-luxury posts on social media and completed several measures, including attitudes toward the account holder. Findings: The results indicate that luxury posts on social media positively influence attitudes toward account holders through intrinsic motive attribution but have a negative impact through extrinsic motive attribution. The study revealed that observers with lower materialistic values were more prone to infer the motives behind posting luxury products. Originality/value: This study introduces motive attribution as a crucial mechanism for understanding the impact of luxury consumption on social media. Exploring the intrinsic and extrinsic motives inferred from luxury posts provides nuanced insights into how these posts shape observers’ evaluations of account holders. This study’s identification of distinct routes offers valuable perspectives for fashion marketing researchers and marketers.