The influence of personal values, brand personality, self-brand congruence and functional congruence on luxury car purchase intention: a comparison of different generational cohorts in China
Authors:   , Dorsch Bettina 
Published: July 2022

The focus of this research is on consumer behaviour regarding the purchase of luxury passenger cars in the rapidly changing consumer landscape of China. Using generational cohorts as reference, this study explores how personal values, brand personality, self–brand congruence, and functional congruence influence car purchase intentions in China. The model assumes that self–brand congruence positively affects purchase intention indirectly through functional congruence, whereas functional congruence directly affects purchase intention. The study consequently aims to fill the gaps in research on liking, which can be defined in this context as the feeling, inclination or preference towards a brand, and purchase intention of luxury passenger cars among consumers in China. It assesses a conceptual framework by exploring the key factors influencing Chinese consumers’ perceptions, underpinned by existing literature and primary data collected from Chinese luxury passenger car consumers. Quantitative data was collected via a survey questionnaire from 300 Chinese luxury car consumers who own, owned, or intend to own a luxury passenger car within the next six months. All genders and ages as well as three different cities – Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen – were captured. Two German luxury car brands, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, were chosen, as they are the most successful luxury car brands in China from outside of the country. Confirmatory factor analysis, piecewise structural equation modeling, and response survey analysis were employed to analyse the primary data. The findings indicate that there are few generational cohort differences in personal values, perception of brand personality, self–brand congruence, and functional congruence influencing liking and purchase intention. However, influences on personal values; perception of brand personality; self–brand congruence; functional congruence; and moderating variables such as brand conspicuousness, brand uniqueness, brand involvement, and brand differentiation were found. The higher-order personal value of self-enhancement in particular possesses the strongest impact on purchase intention. The brands explored in this study also differed from each other in terms of consumers’ perceptions of brand personality. Moreover, the effect of self–brand congruence on liking and purchase intention revealed that Conservation_Sincerity presents the most relevant positive impact on those two factors. Additionally, brand conspicuousness and brand uniqueness moderate BMW’s and Mercedes-Benz’s self–brand congruence. Further, self–brand congruence also influences functional congruence and thus purchase intention indirectly, whereas the functional congruence of BMW Warranty and Mercedes-Benz Exterior affects purchase intention the most. Furthermore, differences in the effect of self–brand congruence and functional congruence between different genders and cities on purchase intention were limited. This study also points to liking as the antecedent to purchase intention. The present study establishes new theoretical insights into the phenomena of liking and purchase intention regarding luxury passenger cars in China. These insights will help researchers and marketers to better understand consumers’ purchase intention regarding luxury passenger cars and hence to apply appropriate marketing strategies in China.