1. Qualitative 360 Europe
2014
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2. Real and Perceived Luxury:
Using Qualitative Research
to Understand Consumers
in Emerging Markets
Özlem Sandıkcı Türkdoğan
İstanbul Şehir University
sandikci@gmail.com
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3. “… market heterogeneity, sociopolitical
governance, chronic shortage of resources,
unbranded competition, and inadequate
infrastructure” render EMs
“radically different from the traditional
industrialized capitalist society” (Sheth 2011, 166)
Theoretical
Challenges
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2

4. Methodological
Challenges?
Just as practitioners face
unexpected problems while doing
business in EMs, researchers also
encounter difficulties while
conducting studies in these markets.
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5. Challenges researchers face in EMs
can lead to theoretical
discoveries and
bring new insights to
a marketing phenomenon
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6. Illustrative Case
Counterfeit Luxury Fashion
Consumption
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7. Counterfeits and EMs
• $400-600 billion (or more) (ICC 2005, WCO 2006)
• In emerging markets both luxury and
counterfeit consumption is on the rise
• Turkey is among the leading
counterfeit
producers in clothing category
• Turkey is one of the largest markets for
counterfeits (EU commission 2008) and on the
Watch List of US Trade representative (USTR
2009)
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6

8. Academic Research
Supply-side issues:
o Factors that encourage
production of counterfeit goods [Green
and Smith 2002; Santos and Riberiro, 2006)
o Strategies to combat counterfeiting
[Berman 2008; Chaudry et al 2009; Stumpf and Chaudry 2010]
sandikci@gmail.com
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9. Academic Research
Demand-side issues:
[Eisend & Schuchert-Guler, 2006; Staake, Thiesse & Fleische 2009]
o Demographic characteristics
o Attitudinal and behavioral aspects
o Reasons
• Financial motivation
• Social motivation
• Ease of access
o Justifications and ethics
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10. Underlying Assumptions
• Counterfeit consumption is mostly related
to low income consumers (younger
and less educated)
• Counterfeits are cheap
• Consumers are expected to move
from counterfeit to the original
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up -
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11. but:
Changing Fashion
Landscape
• haute couture
• prêt a porte
• fast fashion
• look-alike fashion
• global cultural intermediaries
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12. but:
New Middle Classes
in EMs
• higher purchasing power
• higher mobility
• internet savvy
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11

13. How can we make sense of
growing usage of
counterfeit luxury products
consumption in EMs?
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12

14. Emergent Research
Design
Following unexpected
findings/challenges and revising
research approach
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13

15. Phase-1
Informant selection process and home
interviews
• Challenges in:
o Accessing informants
o Building trust
• In-depth interviews with 32
informants (60% females; 22-46 years old)
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16. Discovery-1
Brand relationships among Turkish consumers
• Detailed brand/product knowledge and interest
I became interested in Louis Vuitton when I was at the
university. When we were abroad, I saw Graffiti bags. I really
liked them and I got one. My friends like it, my mother likes it.
I really feel like it is a part of me. My mother wanted to buy a
Louis Vuitton for herself and use it I said 'No, this is my brand;
find yourself anther one'. My best friend wanted to get one to, I
prevented it. Because the bag you carry gives a message – you
associate the person with that brand. So in my close circle, I
want people to remember me when they see Louis Vuitton
(EM18).
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15

17. Strong relationships and
interest and commitment
are typical of
brand communities
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18. Phase-2
Netnographic approach and crossmarket comparison
 Netnographic study of a virtual
community of Louis Vuitton lovers
(predominantly American, Australian and
British consumers)
 Follow-up interviews with Turkish
informants
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19. Discovery-2
Mix users
• Across age groups and gender
• Traveled overseas, enjoy shopping and fashion
• Purchase and use both the original and
counterfeit versions of the same brand
• Typically, begin with the original then add the
counterfeit version
• Generally, mixing is confined to one or a few
select brands; does not happen across the entire
spectrum of brands one uses
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20. Phase-3
Shopping trips
 Visits to Sosyete Pazarı (High Society Markets)
and high-end counterfeit stores
 Observations and in-formal interviews
Field-note (excerpt): The 4x4 m store is full of bags, all legitimate merchandise. C. took me
straight to the owner, she knows him from her previous visits. She asked about LV; he reached
under the counter and handed her a glossy catalogue. It was this season’s catalogue. She casually
flips through the pages and points a few models to him. He nodes, walks to the storage room. In a
few minutes he is back with a handful of bags that looked like the models she picked. She matterof-factly inspects two bags, without saying a word. She stroked the outer fabric and studied each
buckle. She touched the in-lining, pulling it out to examine stitching, zips, tags and pockets. He
pulls out a bunch of ‘well-read’ magazines, thumbs through the pages to find one with the bag
she was examining. He says: “This is the bag of Victoria Beckham.” She smiles knowingly: “It
looks good on her.” He then lays out other magazines with photos of both foreign and Turkish
celebrities. Points to the bags and says: “These are “in” this season.” He shows one and names the
celebrity he claims to have bought one yesterday.
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21. Discovery-3
Mixing
in luxury fashion consumption
• Drivers of mixing behavior
• Practices of mixing
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22. My mother thinks like ‘if I have money I buy the best one, if I don’t
have, I don’t but at all’. I don’t think like that. Even though I have
money I buy the counterfeit. If I like I can buy something from a
street seller. For me what is important is whether it looks good on
you. That’s a difference in mentality, I don’t think like my mom.
She thinks you have to have the best and do the best. I think you
have to do what makes you happy. It gets reflected in every aspect
of the life. … If I see something that I like, if its quality is good I
buy the counterfeit. I don’t mind. For me, having more is more
important than having one original.” (F, 26)
“These men (sellers) have catalogs. I mean the catalogs of the
original brands. When you like something you point at it and
they bring it to you. They also have many magazines, Turkish
and foreign. When you choose something they find it in a
magazine and they show it to you saying this bag is used by so
and so. I bought a Louis Vuitton a couple years ago. He said it’s
Victoria Beckham’s bag and found her picture in one of the
magazines. They are very professional, they can find you
anything you want.” (F, 41)
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23. “I always go to the shops that sell originals. I buy the
counterfeits of the models that I see at the original
shop. I try to see if there is any difference between the
fake and the original. I check its stitching, fabric, feel. I
touch the fabric. I look at the colors available. Tags are
important for me. If it is at a different place in the
counterfeit it gives itself away. I check the prices. …. I
try on the clothes and see how they look. Sometimes I
go to the original shops with my friends to let them
know that I shop there.” (F, 28)
“… she might have five original hand bags and five
fake ones. But because she uses the original nobody
thinks that some of the bags are not genuine.
Nobody categorizes her as a faker. She doesn’t show
that and everybody treats as if she is always using
the original brand. These are brands like Louis
Vuitton, Prada or Yves Saint Laurent. She blends it
with her overall look so smoothly. Because she
always wears brand name products she knows how
to craft a look. … She is well-off nobody thinks that
she is wearing a fake dress.” (F, 46)
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24. Implications
• A new consumer segment who
mixes original and counterfeit
• Mix users fall within the target
market of the brand and tend to be
loyal to the brand
• Firm- versus consumer-centric
understanding of counterfeit and
original
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25. Qualitative research and emergent
design can provide a nuanced
understanding of the dynamic,
unpredictable and complex
environment of EMs
Thank you!
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26. Qualitative 360 Europe
2014
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Supported by
Organised by