How Social Media Marketing Impacts Relationship Quality for Masstige Brands

The Indian fashion industry is witnessing a significant transformation with the prominence of masstige brands. These brands cater to aspirational consumers who seek symbolic value and esthetic appeal without the financial burden of traditional luxury. Upper-middle-class working women in urban India form an influential demographic for such brands. They have a strong presence on digital platforms, are brand-conscious, and are eager to engage with fashion brands that reflect their aspirations, values, and lifestyle preferences. Despite the surge in masstige branding in India, limited studies focus on the influence of digital marketing efforts, particularly social media marketing activities, on the perception of masstige brand value and consumer-brand relationship quality and their impact on electronic word-of-mouth behavior in developing economies like India. The present study tries to fill this gap by proposing a conceptual model grounded in the established relationship marketing theory. A quantitative survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire distributed among upper-middle-class working women in India who actively follow and engage with masstige fashion brands on social media to test the model. Responses were collected and analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 and AMOS version 20.0. The analysis followed a two-step approach: first, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the constructs, and second, a Structural Equation Modeling technique was used to test the hypothesized relationships. The study’s results yield several significant insights on the firm and positive influence of social media marketing activities on perceived masstige brand value, significantly influencing relationship quality dimensions.