The effectiveness of the interaction between luxury brands and consumers in the online context: the role of psychological distance and materialism

In this research we hypothesize that high (vs. low) level of interaction between luxury brands and consumers in the online context might affect perceptions of brands’ luxuriousness. Moreover, we speculate that this effect is explained by psychological distance and is moderated by consumers’ materialism. We test this idea across two experiments. Study 1 shows that when consumers are characterized by a high (vs. low) level of materialism, a higher level of brand-consumer interaction increases brand luxuriousness. Study 2 sheds light on the underlying mechanism by showing the mediating role of psychological distance. This research contributes to the literature on luxury consumption, to the literature on digital marketing and to the literature on materialism and psychological distance. Relevant managerial implications are discussed.