Effect of Materialism on the Use of the Brand Name in Purchasing Decisions from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

The effect of materialism on consumers’ tendency to use the brand name (TBN) as the main criterion in purchasing decisions is analysed along with how this can change depending on the main socio-demographic variables (sex and age). Data from Russian and Spanish consumers are analysed in final samples of 321 (Spain) and 375 (Russia). The design is similar to that of an adaptive sample Web method. For purposes of representativeness, both samples meet the minimum quotas for gender, age and habitat. The results show that different dimensions of materialism affect TBN in different ways and consumers with a high level of TBN also present a higher level of materialism. Firms could use the differences in how materialism influences the TBN of “new” consumers vs. “experienced” ones when developing communication and branding strategies or for international segmentation of markets. The paper also contributes to a deeper understanding of the nature of the demand for brand name products