78% of Upper-Class Consumers Are Not Tied to a Brand, This is Why

Quality was one of the main considerations in brand choice among Pinnacle Analytics Indonesia (2026) respondents. In total, 27% of respondents cited quality as a reason for choosing a brand.

This figure equals the percentage of respondents who cited liking for the brand, which also reached 27%. Meanwhile, 19% cited suitability to needs and 16% cited enhancing their appearance.

Below is a summary of the reported reasons for brand choice:

The equal percentages for quality and brand liking are a finding worth noting. In the survey, quality does not stand alone as a reason for choice. Brand preference carries the same weight.

For brands, this finding is a reminder that a product’s appeal cannot be understood through brand image alone. Quality is one of the reasons respondents explicitly mentioned, so the benefits and characteristics of the product remain relevant in marketing communications.

However, the data does not prove that quality is always more important than price, or that upper-class consumers have higher quality standards than other consumer groups. The conclusion that can be drawn is more limited: quality is one of the considerations that emerged in brand-choice decisions among the respondents studied.

Something interesting emerges when two findings from Pinnacle Analytics Indonesia (2026) are read together.

On the one hand, 78% of respondents said they have no particular brand preference in general and choose based on their needs at the time. On the other hand, liking for the brand was still cited by 27% of respondents as a reason for brand choice.

The two findings need not be set against each other. Not having a single, fixed preferred brand is different from disliking brands or not considering them at all.

In other words, brand preference can still play a role in purchasing decisions without being a preference that applies to every need and product category.

For industry players, this distinction matters. The 78% figure cannot be accurately translated as evidence that upper-class consumers are disloyal or switch brands easily. The available survey also did not measure brand-switching frequency or respondents’ level of loyalty.

The more relevant implication is the need to distinguish between brand awareness and liking, on the one hand, and the actual reasons a person chooses a product, on the other. Brands still have a place in consumers’ considerations, but this data does not show that brand is always the sole determinant.

Besides quality and brand liking, the Pinnacle Analytics Indonesia (2026) survey recorded that 19% of respondents cited suitability to needs as a reason for brand choice. Another 16% cited enhancing their appearance.

These two findings broaden the picture of purchasing considerations. Product choice relates not only to how consumers assess brands or quality, but also to the product’s relevance to their needs and appearance.

Suitability to needs indicates that reasons for purchase can be contextual. The products a person considers may depend on the need they want to fulfill at the moment. Meanwhile, the mention of enhancing appearance shows that appearance is also among the reasons reported.

For brands, these two factors open room to formulate more specific value propositions. Product communication can explain benefits relevant to consumers’ needs as well as characteristics that support appearance, where this fits the product’s category and function.

Even so, the available percentages do not explain what kinds of needs respondents meant, or how much appearance influences their final decision. For this reason, these findings are better used to identify the considerations that emerge than to establish an overall order of consumer priorities.

Considerations around premium products can also be understood through academic research on the perception of luxury value in Indonesia.

Sun et al. (2024), in a study of 301 Indonesian millennial respondents, found that symbolic and financial value play a role in consumers’ perception of luxury fashion brands. Self-identity and investment value were also positively related to perceived luxury value.

These findings suggest that the perception of luxury products can go beyond direct usefulness. Products can also carry symbolic meaning, relate to their owners’ identity, or be regarded as having economic value.

Another perspective comes from the study by Asprilia and El Hami (2021) of 120 users of branded handbags in Indonesia. The study identified four dimensions of perceived luxury value: financial, functional, individual, and social.

The order of dominant dimensions differed by the cultural group studied:

Financial value ranked first in both groups. However, functional and individual value came after it among Javanese and Minangkabau respondents, whereas social value ranked second among Sundanese respondents.

This difference shows that the dimensions of perceived value do not always follow the same order in every group studied. Financial value is indeed prominent in this study, but functional, individual, and social aspects are also part of how respondents view luxury.

For brands targeting the premium market, these findings provide context that the “luxury” label alone does not explain the full value consumers perceive. However, both academic studies have specific respondent coverage and product categories. Their results cannot be directly generalized to all upper-class consumers or all product categories.

Read together, the data and research show that understanding upper-class consumers requires more than looking at the brands they choose.

The Pinnacle Analytics Indonesia (2026) survey shows that 78% of respondents have no particular brand preference in general. At the same time, quality and brand liking were each cited by 27% of respondents as reasons for choice, followed by suitability to needs and enhancing appearance.

Meanwhile, research on perceived luxury value shows that products can be assessed through financial, functional, individual, symbolic, and social dimensions. Which dimensions are relevant, and in what order, needs to be understood according to the context of each study.

For industry players, there are three implications worth attention.

First, do not equate purchasing power with fixed brand preference. Consumers who can afford premium products do not automatically choose the same brand for every need. Marketing strategies need to consider the reasons behind product choice, not just the audience’s purchasing-power profile.

Second, build a clear value proposition. Quality, brand liking, suitability to needs, and enhancing appearance are the reasons that emerged in the data. Brands can use these findings as a starting point for testing which messages are most relevant to their category and target consumers.

Third, understand product value in context. Research on luxury products shows that perceived value can encompass financial, functional, individual, and social aspects. However, brands still need research suited to their own products to find out which dimensions are truly relevant to their consumers.

These three implications are not a guarantee that a particular approach will increase sales. Their function is to help brands formulate more precise research questions and communication strategies based on the available findings.

High purchasing power explains a person’s capacity to spend, but it does not by itself explain the reasons behind their product choices.

Among the upper-class respondents studied by Pinnacle Analytics Indonesia (2026), quality and brand liking both emerged as reasons for choice. Suitability to needs and enhancing appearance were also among the considerations listed. Academic research on luxury products then broadens this perspective by showing financial, functional, individual, symbolic, and social value dimensions.

These findings do not prove that upper-class consumers always prioritize quality, disregard price, or buy luxury products for social status. Rather, the available data is a reminder that purchasing decisions cannot be explained by a single factor.

For brands, the challenge is not merely to make a product look premium or to make a brand easily recognizable. The challenge is to understand the reasons that make a product relevant, appealing, and worth choosing for the target consumer.

Because purchasing power explains what consumers can afford to buy. To understand what they ultimately choose, brands need to look at the value they consider.

References

Asprilia, M. T., & El Hami, A. (2021). Persepsi nilai mewah pada konsumen tas branded: Kajian nilai budaya di Indonesia [Perception of luxury value among branded handbag consumers: A study of cultural values in Indonesia]. Jurnal Ilmu Keluarga dan Konsumen, 14(1), 76–87.

Kantar Worldpanel. (2025). FMCG Outlook Indonesia 2025.

Pinnacle Analytics Indonesia. (2026, September). Indonesia Luxury Lifestyle Report 2026 (The Pinnacle Edit, Issue 01).

Sun, Y., Wang, R., Bai, H., Whyatt, G., & Ohandi, T. T. (2024). Perceived values of luxury fashion brands: Evidence from Indonesian Millennials. SN Business & Economics, 4, Article 169.