The sound of luxury: A content analysis of hashtagged luxury brand posts and their music on social media

Abstract

Luxury consumption functions as a means for individuals to project their status or ideal self. Consumers engage in conspicuous consumption by displaying luxury brands, utilizing price tags and logos as symbols of social identity. Music, a powerful determinant of emotions and consumer behavior, plays a pivotal role in brand communication, particularly for luxury brands seeking to establish exclusivity and a high-end identity. Given the critical role of music in luxury branding, this study aims to analyze the types of music associated with the hashtags #luxurybrand and #luxurybrands on social media. Employing qualitative content analysis, the research examines Instagram posts tagged with #luxurybrand and #luxurybrands, categorizing music presence, genre, and lyrical content. The findings reveal that while 884 out of 2000 analyzed posts feature music, the majority of luxury brand-related content does not incorporate musical elements. Jazz emerges as the most frequently associated genre, followed by pop, reinforcing the contemporary perception of jazz as a symbol of sophistication and high culture. Moreover, instrumental music is favored over vocal music in luxury brand posts, aligning with the industry’s emphasis on timelessness and exclusivity. These findings suggest a departure from traditional perspectives in music branding, indicating that genre selection exerts a greater influence on luxury brand identity than lyrical content. Future research should further investigate consumer perceptions to enhance the understanding of music’s role in luxury brand communication.

Keywords

• luxury brands
• music
• consumer
• hashtags

Lüksün sesi: Sosyal medyada hashtag kullanılan lüks marka paylaşımlarındaki müziklerin içerik analizi

Abstract

Lüks tüketim, bireylerin statülerini veya ideal benliklerini yansıtma aracı olarak işlev görmektedir. Tüketiciler, lüks markaları sergileyerek, fiyat etiketleri ve logoları sosyal kimliklerinin sembolleri olarak kullanarak gösterişçi tüketime yönelmektedir. Duyguların ve tüketici davranışlarının şekillenmesinde güçlü bir belirleyici olan müzik, özellikle ayrıcalıklılık ve üst düzey bir kimlik oluşturmayı amaçlayan lüks markalar için marka iletişiminde merkezi bir rol oynamaktadır. Müzüğün lüks marka algısındaki kritik rolü göz önünde bulundurulduğunda, bu çalışma, sosyal medyada lüks marka etiketleriyle ile ilişkilendirilen müzik türlerini analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Nitel içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılarak gerçekleştirilen araştırmada, Instagram’da #luxurybrand ve #luxurybrands etiketleriyle paylaşılan gönderiler incelenmiş; müzik varlığı, müzik türü ve şarkı sözleri içerik açısından kategorize edilmiştir. Bulgular, incelenen 2000 gönderiden 884’ünün müzik içerdiğini, ancak lüks marka ile ilgili içeriklerin büyük çoğunluğunun müzik unsurunu barındırmadığını ortaya koymaktadır. Caz müziği, en sık ilişkilendirilen tür olarak öne çıkarken, onu pop müziği takip etmektedir; bu durum, cazın günümüzde sofistike ve yüksek kültürün bir sembolü olarak algılanmasını pekiştirmektedir. Ayrıca, lüks marka paylaşımlarında enstrümantal müzik, vokal müziğe kıyasla daha fazla tercih edilmekte olup, bu eğilim sektörün zamansızlık ve ayrıcalıklılık vurgusuyla örtüşmektedir. Elde edilen bulgular, müzik markalama alanındaki geleneksel yaklaşımlardan bir sapma olduğunu göstererek, tür seçiminin, lüks marka kimliğinin oluşumunda şarkı sözlerinden daha büyük bir etkiye sahip olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Gelecek araştırmalar, müziğin lüks marka iletişimindeki etkisini daha iyi anlamak amacıyla tüketici algılarını derinlemesine incelemelidir.

Keywords

• lüks markalar
• müzik
• tüketici
• hashtags

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