Manufacturing Product Diversity: Flexible Production and International Trade57
Advertising, Brands, and the Cultural Economy59
Consumer Markets 2: Shopping and the Distribution of Goods63
The Retail Revolution63
Shopping67
Chapter 3: Methodology72
Chapter 4: Discussion of Results75
Chapter 5: Conclusion89
Managerial implications90
Recommendations90
Brand image and dimensions of retail store image94
References97
Appendix128
Abstract
Brand image research has long been recognized as one of the central area of the marketing research field not only because it serves as a foundation for tactical marketing-mix issues but also because it plays an integral role in building long-term brand equity (Keller, 1993). Alternately, the globalization has resulted in the proliferation of hybrid products (Czepiec and Cosmos, 1983; Johanson and Nebenzahl, 1986). Hybrid products are products that involve a local manufacturer but carry a foreign brand or locally branded but made in a foreign country (Czepiec and Cosmos, 1983). Hence, many products are experiencing a lack of congruency between the brand-origin (country where the brand is perceived to belong by its target consumers) and the country of origin (COO) labeled on the product. This research studies the effect of different COO labels on brand image perception and brand image structure of two brands with different level of reputation among Japanese consumers.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background
Decision making is painful (Pfister, 2003). It requires effortful processing of available information to reach a suitable judgment. Thus, consumers may rely on inferences to make a choice. Huber and McCann (1982) have shown that inferences can affect how people evaluate products. Inferences come from previous experiences and stored information about the product's cues like brand and COO. Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) described three kinds of human beliefs: descriptive, informational, and inferential. Descriptive beliefs derive from direct experience with the product.
Informational beliefs are those influenced by outside sources of information such as ads, friends, and so on. Inferential beliefs are those formed by making inferences (correctly or incorrectly) based on past experience as this experience relates to the current stimuli. Images held in consumer mind are one manifestation of these beliefs. Under effect of communication and previous use, consumers form images about product's cues that will serves as basis for judgment in future evaluations. Erikson et al. (1984) found that images variables influence consumer's multi-attribute evaluation. Images variables are “some aspects of the product that is distinct from its physical characteristics but that is nevertheless identified with the product” (Erikson et al. (1984)).
Problem Statement
In today's market, having a well thought through brand strategy is a key contribution to corporate success. Brands enable consumers to efficiently encode their functional and emotional values in their minds (Franzen and Bouwman, 2001). The resulting images enable consumers to recognize the points of difference between competing brands. Keller (1993) defines brand image as the “perceptions about a brand as reflected by the brand associations held in consumer ...