SNS use leads to luxury brand consumption: evidence from China

Purpose: Social networking sites (SNSs) are an indispensable part of people’s daily lives. However, scant literature describes how SNSs affect users’ behaviors, especially consumer behavior in emerging markets. This research aims to fill this literature gap. Design/methodology/approach: Two empirical studies were conducted using different methods. Study 1, a survey, provided correlational evidence. Study 2, a lab experiment, further verified the causal relationship. Findings: From Chinese consumer data, SNS consumption exposure enhances luxury brand consumption, mediated by social comparison motivation and moderated by legitimacy perceptions of SNSs as information outlets. Originality/value: This research bridges SNSs and luxury brand consumption, two islands among different streams of literature. In addition, the paper illuminates the psychological mechanism through which SNSs affect luxury brand consumption and the boundary condition in which this effect diminishes. Practically, this paper is also instructive for SNSs and luxury brands.