Brand Image

Table of Contents

Abstract3

Chapter 1: Introduction4

Chapter 2: Literature review18

Critical Commentary and Future Directions26

Goods in the Social and Cultural World38

Cultural Distinctions: Product Use and Personal Identity39

Collective Life43

The Language of Commodities45

Social Class and Cultural Distinctions47

CONSUMER MARKETS 1: PRODUCING GOODS, CONSTRUCTING SYMBOLS51

Product Diversity: The Case of Fashion51

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

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 memory”. These associations refer to any aspect that link the brand ...