Affiliations: [a] Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT, USA | [b] Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Melvin Prince, Professor of Marketing, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT 06515, USA. Tel.: +1 203 327 2097; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: Core constructs are necessary as a basis for scale development in brand prestige research. This study examines the theoretical rationale for two such concepts – brand excellence and status conferral – and uses latent class scaling in an empirical test as to whether they are both important independent dimensions of prestige brands. Based on the analysis, these concepts are shown to be consistently present for two brands in two diverse product categories. The research calls into question earlier work on the measurement of brand prestige that was premised on a one-dimensional concept of prestige. Further studies are needed to explore the dimensionality and substantive structure of the brand prestige concept, to confirm or disconfirm findings from this research.
Keywords: Latent class scaling, brand excellence, status conferral, prestige brand
