Some people pay big bucks for a designer handbag or a luxury car—and the distinctive logo that goes along with them. Now scientists have learned that other people pay even more to leave the logo behind. The findings appear in the Journal of Marketing.
High-end goods are often ostentatiously labeled. After all, if you spend all that money on a status symbol, you want to make sure that other folks recognize your good taste, even at a distance. But researchers surveying California consumers found that people who are seriously well-off are willing to pay a premium for items whose branding is more discreet.
These patricians don’t need gaudy symbols to advertise their wealth. Status seekers, on the other hand, are drawn to more obvious logos. These design
