The brand is different to a product. It is something that exists much longer than the product itself. The luxury brand symbolizes exclusivity and uniqueness through its limited number of selling products. For example a car directly makes visible the income, the standing and the status of the owner. This study is focused on understanding the concept of “luxury” in the choice of cars in Germany. Therefore it has a closer look at the luxury brands and the luxury customer.
The author researches and analyses the concept of “luxury” in the choice of car brands with a closer look at BMW and Mercedes in Germany. The author has chosen these two brands, because they are the most luxurious German brands and represent best the model of luxury brands. They are also well known in the German market and therefore the best
convenient luxury brands for market research.
In order to be able to answer the objectives and the research question the author uses quantitative research with the help of questionnaires sent to a number of German business students.
The results show that luxury is important for the majority of the respondents and that status is relevant for them. Moreover they included luxury and status in the purchase of a car. The results of the survey suggest that the attribute of premium quality defines best luxury.
It became clear throughout the primary research that almost all saw the car brands BMW and Mercedes as luxury brands. In their view the two brands include all the benefits a luxury brand should include like image, technology and expertly built.
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1. Focus of the Study
1.2. Outline of Chapters
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Mass brands, luxury brands and the consumer choices
2.2. Brand management (branding)
2.3. Mercedes-Benz & BMW
2.3.1. The Mercedes-Benz brand model
2.3.2. The BMW brand model
2.4. Chapter summary
3 METHODOLOGY
3.1. Objectives
3.2. Research Question
3.3. Research Approach
3.4. Data Collection
3.5. Sampling
3.5.1. Questions
3.5.2. Piloting
3.5.3. Distribution method
3.6. Analysis
3.7. Limitations
3.8. Ethical consideration
3.9. Chapter summary
4 FINDINGS
4.1. Demographics
4.2. Values
4.3. Car attributes
4.4. Luxury
4.4.1. Status
4.5. Environment
4.6. Cars and Car brands
4.6.1. BMW & Mercedes-Benz
4.7. Chapter summary
5 ANALYSIS
5.1. Chapter summary
6 CONCLUSION
6.1. Future Research
6.2. Limitations
Objectives and Research Themes
This dissertation explores the perception of "luxury" in the automotive industry, specifically focusing on how German business students perceive BMW and Mercedes-Benz as luxury brands. The research aims to understand the key drivers of luxury consumption, such as status, image, and technological excellence.
- Significance of the "luxury" concept in automotive choices
- Comparison of brand attributes for Mercedes-Benz and BMW
- The influence of personal values on consumer brand selection
- Evaluation of luxury as a status symbol in the German market
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. Mass brands, luxury brands and the consumer choices
Defining the meaning of the word “brand” precisely is not easy. There are different views from various people. However, all authors see a brand as something different from a product. A brand exists much longer than the product itself.
According to King (1990) “a product is something that is made in a factory; a brand is something that is bought by a consumer”(King, 1990).
A product for example is a car and a brand is BMW. The brand helps the company to differentiate the offered products from its competitors (Randall, 1997) (Kapferer, 1997).
To establish a brand it needs time. The brand needs its history and stories (Kapferer, 1997). Over the time the consumers know that the brand Mercedes for example stands for high quality cars and all the features it offers.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides an overview of the research scope, the importance of understanding luxury consumer perception, and outlines the structure of the dissertation.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW: This section critically discusses existing academic theories regarding luxury branding, brand management, and the specific brand models of Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
3 METHODOLOGY: This chapter details the research objectives, the quantitative research approach using postal questionnaires, and the sampling method involving business students.
4 FINDINGS: The results of the primary research are presented here, illustrated through graphs and tables based on the analysis of survey responses.
5 ANALYSIS: The research findings are compared against the academic literature to identify similarities and differences in consumer perception and brand attributes.
6 CONCLUSION: The final chapter summarizes the research results, answers the research questions, and provides recommendations for future research and study limitations.
Keywords
LUXURY BRANDS, CONSUMER CHOICES, BRAND MANAGEMENT, CARS, GERMANY, BRAND EQUITY, STATUS SYMBOL, AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH, CONSUMER PERCEPTION, MARKETING, PREMIUM QUALITY, BMW, MERCEDES-BENZ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The study focuses on understanding how consumers, specifically German business students, define and perceive luxury in the context of car brands, with a focus on BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include brand management strategies, the role of status symbols, the importance of consumer values, and the impact of brand image and technology on perceived luxury.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks: What is the significance of the concept of "luxury" in the choice of car brands: Mercedes and BMW in Germany?
Which methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a quantitative research approach, employing a postal questionnaire (distributed via email) to gather data from 30 business students in Germany.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body examines existing literature, describes the research methodology, presents findings from the primary survey, and provides a comparative analysis between the gathered data and established theories.
Which keywords define this research?
Primary keywords include Luxury Brands, Consumer Choices, Brand Management, Cars, Germany, Brand Equity, Status Symbol, and Automotive Industry.
How does the author distinguish between Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the analysis?
The analysis identifies that participants associate the Mercedes brand more with classic design and comfort, while BMW is perceived as more sportive and technologically driven.
Does the research support the theory that cars function as status symbols?
Yes, the findings indicate that 92% of respondents agree that a car can be a status symbol and that luxury brands like Mercedes and BMW are instrumental in signaling status.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Nicole Fich (Autor:in), 2009, Brand Management of Luxury Goods: Mercedes and BMW, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/175625
