This is the first-ever book about product and country images. It discusses the nature and role and influence of product-country images in international marketing strategy and consumer behavior. Thousands of companies use country identifiers as part of their international marketing strategy, and hundreds of researchers have studied the ways in which these identifiers influence behavior. As markets become more international, the more prominently the origin of products will figure in sellers' and buyers' decisions. The time is ripe for practitioners and academicians to delve into the insights offered in this seminal volume so as to better prepare for meeting the competitive challenges of the global marketplace. Product-Country Images is a wide-ranging and state-of-the-art book offering specific information and case studies to further understanding of the various aspects of this complex topic.

This study analyses how consumer perceptions on the quality of products are influenced by the marketing appeals of multinational firms and by the country-of-origin effects. It presents findings derived from the results of country-of-origin effect, corporate image, its brand image and purchase intention survey conducted in Almaty, Kazakhstan, one of the CIS countries that are considered as developing countries and transition economies. The findings suggest that while attitudes of consumers towards country-of-origin and corporate image exert a great deal of influence on their perceptions of product quality and purchase behaviour, the effects of certain country image appeals on products purchase behaviour are moderated by the broad socio-demographics and national cultural characteristics. Finally, this study highlights the importance of global brands building associated with corporate image and how they can be further improved by global marketing appeals.

The country-of-origin (COO) concept refers to the country where a particular product is made and is anchored on the international marketing theory. The broad objective of this pioneering study was to determine the effect of COO, consumer characteristics and attitudes on consumer behaviour towards foreign clothing brands in Nairobi, Kenya. The results established that country-of-origin influences consumer behaviour towards foreign clothing brands and that there was a significant association among the two. The findings also revealed that consumer characteristics directly influence consumer behaviour and also moderate the relationship between COO and consumer behaviour. There was a significant relationship between consumer characteristics and consumer behaviour. Furthermore, the results showed that consumer attitudes strongly mediate the relationship between country-of-origin and consumer behaviour, and there was a significant association among the two. Finally, the joint effect of COO, consumer characteristics and consumer attitudes was greater than the individual effects of the independent, mediating and moderating variables on consumer behaviour towards foreign clothing brands.

This piece of research paper deals with country of origin effects on consumer behavior. It is a review of all the research that has taken place over so many years in this area. It provides an answer that country of origin does effect consumer beliefs, attitudes and perceptions. Country image effects and the tendency of consumers to be ethnocentric leads to certain biases for certain products of certain countries which neutralize as consumers become more familiar with the products and involved in the purchases. Differences in the demographic profiles of consumers also lead to varying degrees of country of origin effects. This study is an important piece of information for marketers who often are in dilemma about the choice of which strategy to be adopted because the world, even though globalized, is still carrying boundaries of its cultural, political and economic environments.

"Country of origin and consumer ethnocentrism are evolving constructs as consumers' perception towards country, state or region changes over time. Understanding consumer motivations and attitudes towards the country and associated products can provide valuable insights for marketing strategies. This book explores the phenomena of consumer ethnocentrism and country-of-origin effect on the food market using examples from Polish retailers. The book aims to determine how appeals to the domestic or foreign country-of-origin provided through claims, symbols, labels and quality signs can affect consumer attitudes and food purchase intentions as well as to contextualise the consumer behaviour issues in the broader picture of the entire system of food production and distribution. The reader will gain a comprehensive analysis of consumer ethnocentrism and country-of-origin effect on the food market based on a series of original research studies conducted in Poland. The combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods provides novel and valuable insights into the phenomena under study. Based on original research, this innovative volume will be a valuable resource for consumer behaviour, food marketing and international marketing scholars and students"--