This dissertation is devoted to attitudes of consumers toward luxury in two agricultural markets, horse sports and foods. Literature postulates a change of perceived luxury definitions and motives for luxury consumption. Accordingly, personally-oriented luxury consumption has gained significance while socially-oriented motives have been pushed into the background. Based on this, the following studies were aimed to reveal how far it has affected the consumer behavior in both agricultural markets. The research results are used to define the target groups for different kinds of luxury marketing and to give recommendations for the design of accordant marketing strategies. The studies provide empirical evidence for the existence of a shift of motives for luxury consumption and luxury definitions away from prestige and conspicuousness toward self-realization, hedonism, intangible values, functionality, sustainability and authenticity. Moreover, the results imply that luxury consumption can be categorized in tangible luxury goods and luxury experience. Despite intersections by means of hedonism and self-realization, the studies revealed differences in the consumption motives for both categories of luxury.

Laura Helena Hartmann machte 2006 in ihrem Heimatort Leer in Ostfriesland das Abitur. Hinterher absolvierte sie ein Bachelorstudium der Wirtschaftswissenschaften an der Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg sowie ein Masterstudium der Wirtschaftswissenschaften an der Universität Bern (Schweiz). In beiden Studiengängen legte sie ihren Fokus auf volkswirtschaftliche Themen, insbesondere Mikroökonomie. Nach dem Sammeln einiger Erfahrungen in der Praxis promovierte sie von 2013 bis 2015 an der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen am Department für Agrarökonomie und Rurale Entwicklung. Ihre Arbeit wurde betreut von Herrn Prof. Dr. Achim Spiller, Inhaber des Lehrstuhls "Marketing für Lebensmittel und Agrarprodukte".