The MBPS is a cross-nationally validated instrument for measuring the meanings consumers attribute to branded products across three theoretically distinct dimensions. Strizhakova, Coulter, and Price (2008) developed the scale through a multi-phase, multi-country research programme encompassing the United States, Russia, and Costa Rica, motivated by the observation that globalisation has produced a worldwide marketplace for branded goods whose meanings differ systematically across cultural contexts. Quality Signaling captures the meaning of branded products as markers and guarantors of product quality — the belief that brands signal reliable, consistent, and superior product performance compared with unbranded alternatives. Identity Expression captures the meaning of branded products as vehicles for self-expression, social identity communication, and lifestyle signalling — the degree to which owning and displaying branded products communicates something meaningful about who the consumer is or aspires to be. Hedonism captures the intrinsic enjoyment, pleasure, and gratification derived from the experience of owning and consuming branded products — the hedonic value of the brand beyond its functional or identity utility. The three dimensions are empirically separable and show theoretically predictable cross-national patterns: Quality Signaling is most prominent in emerging markets where brand names function as quality heuristics in markets with high product counterfeiting and variable quality; Identity Expression is strongest in cultures with high status consumption norms; Hedonism is most closely linked to materialism scores across cultures.
Strizhakova, Y., Coulter, R.A., & Price, L.L. (2008). The meanings of branded products: A cross-national scale development and meaning assessment. Journal of International Marketing, 16(4), 14–55.
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