The rage in the luxury world these days is 'back to basics.'
Wealthy consumers don't want flash and sizzle, they want authenticity, low-key practicality and craftsmanship. Conspicuous consumption is dead, we hear. No one wants to be pay to be noticed anymore. They want stealth wealth and comfortable shoes.
Or do they?
A new study from the Affluence Collaborative and Agency Sacks finds that wealthy consumers (those with $500,000 or more in income) are far more likely than others to want respect and attention from their purchases. When asked what needs are met by their favorite brand, nearly a third of the wealthy consumers agreed with the statement that 'It allows me to feel a sense of accomplishment.'
Fully 28% agreed that their favorite brands 'allow them to stand out from the crowd' and 20% said the brands 'command respect from others.'
Of course, that is a minority of respondents. But what is surprising is how the responses of the wealthy differ from the lesser-wealthy.
The affluent, or those with $200,000 to $499,000 in income (in light of the latest tax debates, we also could call them the 'Obama wealthy'), were far less likely to spend to stand out from the crowd or get respect. Only 8% of the affluent said they shopped to command respect from others, compared with the 20% for the wealthy.
Across the board, the wealthy needed their favorite brands to fill far more needs in their life compared to the affluent-from 'providing me with a sense of adventure' to 'making me feel reassured in a changing world.'
That is a tall order for a handbag or a watch.
Andrew Sacks, president of Agency Sacks, said the reason is that the wealthy have become consumer 'separatists,' who want to be treated differently, need special products and special service, and crave very personal recognition.
Even though many of them grew up middle class and built their own fortunes, they have quickly developed a strong sense of entitlement. Mr. Sacks calls it 'earned entitlement.'
'Just because they have middle class values and may not dress the part of wealth of old, their needs and demands are every bit as intense, and perhaps even more so as the value of the dollar is that much more important to them,' he said.
Why do you think the wealthy have so many emotional needs from the stuff they buy?
奢侈界时下流行的东西可以说是返朴归真。
富有的消费者不想摆阔了，他们想要的是可靠性、低调的实用性和体现技艺的东西。我们听说，炫耀式消费已经不再。没有人再想要通过花钱来获得关注。他们想要藏富，过实惠的日子。
果真如此吗？
Affluence Collaborative and Agency Sacks的一项新研究发现，有钱人（收入在50万美元及以上的人群）可能希望以购买行为来获得尊重和关注的程度要远远大于其他人。当被问到购买他们最喜欢的品牌令何种需要得到了满足时，近三分之一的有钱人认可下面这种说法：这让我感受到一种成就感。
足足28%的人认为，他们最喜爱的品牌能够让他们“鹤立鸡群”，20%的人说这些品牌让他们得到了其他人的尊重。
当然，这只是受访者中的一小部分。但令人吃惊的地方在于：有钱人和不那么有钱的人，他们的答案差别是何等之大。
收入在20万至49.9万美元之间的这类生活宽裕人群，他们为了“鹤立鸡群”或是为得到尊重而进行消费的可能性远不如上述人群。只有8%的生活宽裕族说他们消费是为了获得别人的尊重，而有钱人的这一比例为20%。
总体来说，有钱人要靠自己锺爱的品牌来满足的生活需要大大多过宽裕族，从“带给我一种冒险感”到“让我在变化的世界中感到安全”，不一而足。
这对于一个手包或是一块手表来说是个苛刻的要求。
Agency Sacks的总裁萨克斯(Andrew Sacks)说，原因在于有钱人已经成为消费者中的“分裂分子”，他们想获得不同的待遇，需要特殊的商品和服务，渴望一种极其私人化的认可。
尽管他们中的许多都成长于中产阶级家庭，依靠自身努力获得了财富，他们却很快培养出了一种强烈的权利感。萨克斯将其称为“挣得的权利感”。
他说，他们可能仅仅是因为拥有中产阶级的价值观，才没有像老派富人那般炫富，但他们的需求和需要与老派富人一样强烈，或许还更强烈，因为钱的价值对他们来说要更重要得多。
你认为有钱人为何对他们所买的东西有如此多情感上的需求？ |