18,514 research outputs found
Conceptualising, measuring and managing the influence of corporate image on country of origin image:the case of Spain
No full textUtilitarian versus hedonic brands: Cognitive and affective country image components
No full textResearch acknowledges a variety of sources that can influence country image, including a country’s economic, political, and social conditions; culture and traditions; citizens; tourism; sports; historical events; and the media (Anholt 2002; Jaffe and Nebenzahl 2006; Kotler and Gertner 2002; O’Shaughnessy and O’Shaughnessy 2000; Papadopoulos and Heslop 2002). Our study examines the neglected area of country image formation by focusing on the role of a country’s brands. Specifically, we assess the influence of the dominant type of recalled brands (hedonic vs. utilitarian) on the affective and cognitive components of country image. The study is based on empirical evidence provided by collecting quantitative data through an online panel comprised of British people. Respondents were asked to retrieve from memory as many brands as they could about Italy and South Korea, respectively. Then they evaluated the country image (the cognitive and affective elements) of Italy and South Korea. To test the hypotheses, we classified the retrieved brands into hedonic and utilitarian categories. The results suggest that the link between hedonic (utilitarian) brands and the affective (cognitive) is complex and may be moderated by other variables. Theoretically and managerially, it is crucial to determine how a country’s brands contribute to shape the country’s image. Understanding the makeup of a country’s image and the contribution of each element can shed better light on the mechanisms underlying the country of origin effects and help identify the elements in a country’s image that are crucial to the activation of such effects. The results of this study should help practitioners allocate resources in nation-branding campaigns
Understanding the richness and complexity of consumers’ memory structures for a country:A network analysis approach
No full text
Country image appraisal: more than just ticking boxes
No full textCurrent academic research almost unquestionably adopts an attitudinal measurement approach to assess the image of a country using standardized rating scales. This study revisits the image construct and proposes an alternative approach for assessing country image based on psycholinguistics and associative networks. With this approach, new country image attributes emerge that enhance the information provided by traditional attitudinal measures. In particular, the concreteness, imageability, semantic richness and emotionality of a country’s image serve as a supplementary dimension to the attitudinal and associative network approaches. The study empirically compares the two perspectives using a random sample of consumers. The results show a lack of correspondence between the two and highlight the benefits and limitations of each approach.<br/
The influence of a country's brands and industry on its image
No full textPurpose: Extant research has largely treated country image (CI) as an exogenous variable, focusing mostly on its consequences for consumers’ evaluations and purchases of products or brands originating from a country. Scant research has examined the instrumental role of a country’s brands and products in the evaluations of CI. This study aims to investigate how the brands of a country contribute to CI ratings and the conditions underlying their effect on CI. Design/methodology/approach: Three experimental studies test the hypotheses, one pertaining to the effect of brands on CI (N = 227), the second to the effect of products on CI (N = 116) and the third to the effect of brands and products on industry image (N = 215). The experimental approach overcomes the limitations of cross-sectional surveys commonly used in CI studies to detect the direction of the observed effects. Furthermore, respondents (British consumers) were allowed to determine the brands and products associated with a country. Findings: Drawing on memory schema theory, across three studies, the authors identify two types of reverse inferences: from brand to CI and from product category to CI. The reverse inference from a brand to a superordinate image is stronger for industry image than for CI. Research limitations/implications: This research focuses on consumers’ evaluations from only one country (the UK). Further research could replicate the studies across different countries and with different countries of origin (COOs). Researchers could also examine the influence of brands misidentified with the wrong COO and mistakenly stored as such in consumers’ memories. Practical implications: The results are relevant for managers and consultants working with country- (place-) branding campaigns. Brands and industries can help strengthen the evaluations of the economic dimension of different countries; however, these assets are underdeveloped in country-branding campaigns. Linking countries with brands and industries in campaigns could result in positive associations, which, in turn, could enhance the reputational rating of the countries. Originality/value: This research extends previous studies on the effects of a country’s products and brands on CI by incorporating the mediating role of industry image between brands/products and CI, separating the effects of brand and product category on CI, allowing consumers to determine, which brands and products are associated with a country and adopting an experimental methodology to ascertain the causal direction of the effects.</p
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