Cultural Value Communication in Creative Economy Products: A Second-Order Measurement Model in the Context of Thai Floral Perfume Branding

Abstract

This study aims to develop and validate the structural validity of a measurement model for cultural value communication in the context of Thai floral perfume products. It conceptualizes cultural value communication as a reflective second-order construct comprising four dimensions: consumption value, brand storytelling, authenticity, and symbolism and visibility. Data was collected from 400 consumers and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the quality of the measurement model at both the sub-component and higher-level components. The results indicate that the first-order measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and convergent validity. Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from 0.780 to 0.861, composite reliability values ranged from 0.872 to 0.906, and AVE values ranged from 0.687 to 0.706. The HTMT values among the first-order dimensions ranged from 0.631 to 0.707, indicating adequate discriminant validity across the four dimensions. For the second-order construct, cultural value communication showed satisfactory reliability and convergent validity, with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.848, composite reliability = 0.898, and AVE = 0.687. In addition, the bootstrapping results confirmed that all four first-order dimensions significantly reflected the higher-order construct, with coefficients ranging from 0.959 to 0.995 and statistical significance at p < .001. These findings support the empirical validity of cultural value communication as a reflective second-order construct in the context of Thai floral perfume products. This study presents a cultural value communication measurement scale that explains the roles of storytelling, authenticity, consumption value, and symbolism in elevating Thai products into meaning-based offerings.