to dispense, namely purchase of one brand or another. Hence, the actual place.
that the brand originates from is almost irrelevant, even if it were possible in.
an era where corporations have dispersed their functions across national.
boundaries to identify such a place. Consumer perceptions may differ from.
reality because of ignorance, lack of salience of origin information for a.
particular brand, or deliberate obfuscation by companies concerned about.
consumer reactions to an unfavorable origin. We also believe that in some.
cases, consumers may know full well where a branded product is.
manufactured but still not consider that location to be the brand origin. For.
instance, a Honda manufactured in the US may still be thought of as a.
Japanese car, albeit one made in a Midwestern US plant. This issue is.
discussed at greater length below after surveying the country-of-origin.
literature, since it relates to an important deficiency of that stream of research.
The definition recognizes that usage or otherwise of the brand origin cue.
must be evaluated in terms of the brand's intended target market. Some.
origin cues may be too specific to be meaningful at a distance - e.g. while.
the "Old El Paso" brand name may instantly communicate the Southwest to.
Americans, it probably would not do much for Europeans unaware of the.
existence, location or history of the real El Paso. Conversely, origin cues.
may be so broad as to be effective only for distant audiences - the Eiffel.
tower, or a perfume branded "Paris" may be an adequate signal of.
Frenchness for Americans, but may be too undifferentiated to work well in.
European markets.
Brand origin in context.
Plummer (1985) considers brand personality to be one of three components.
of brand image (the others being product attributes and consumer benefits),.
and research supports the importance of this aspect of brand image in.
finding that consumers see brands as being young or old, masculine or.