Date: 24 December 2025, Wednesday
Time: 10.30 – 11.30
Place: MA-330
“Victimhood as a Currency: Observing Abusive Consumption Mobilizes Support for Misused Objects and Brands”
by
Evrim de Groot
Glion Institute
Abstract
Consumers typically buy bulk for their cost-saving benefits. Drawing on costly signaling theory, we argue that such commitments, however, serve as subtle unintentional signals of status. Although consumers buy bulk for cost saving purposes, observers consistently perceive bulk purchasers (long-term subscribers, clubhouse shoppers, loyalty card holders) as higher in status not only because they appear to possess greater financial resources, but also because they are seen as respected customers. Consequently, such customers are afforded a way of costly signaling where the risk of being labeled a show-off is minimized due to the low-cost disguise. Hence, bulk purchases essentially come with a reward of exclusivity that customers do (consciously or unconsciously) pay for, and this excess can not be criticized by the excluded population. We also develop a game-theoretical model and introduce the concept of Exclusivity Commitment Volume (ECV), the minimum prepaid volume, bulk size or subscription duration required to convey high status. We suggest that this may be a viable pricing strategy to segment the market and attract high-status consumers.
Bio
Evrim de Groot is an Assistant Professor of Luxury Business Management at the Glion Institute of Higher Education. She holds a PhD in Management from HEC Lausanne, where she delivered guest lectures in luxury marketing and worked as a doctoral researcher in the Department of Marketing before joining Glion. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bilkent University and her master’s degree in Psychology from Lund University. Her research examines emerging forms of luxury and alternative status signals, particularly how luxury evolves in response to socio-economic change. Her work has been supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the HEC Lausanne Research Fund. At Glion, she teaches in the Specialization in Luxury Brand Strategy.