Study
Innovation & MarketsRecentModerate effect

Country of Origin Image Moderately Influences Consumer Brand Evaluation

The perceived image of a product's country of origin has a moderate but significant positive impact on how consumers evaluate a brand.

Journal of Product & Brand Management · 2023

01

Key Findings

  • 01Country-of-origin image has a positive, moderate effect on consumer brand evaluations.
  • 02General product country image exerts the largest influence among the dimensions of country-of-origin image.
  • 03Brand commitment is most strongly affected by the aggregate impact of country-of-origin image.
  • 04Contextual factors (e.g., product sector, culture, brand origin continent) and methodological factors (e.g., publication year, sample size) significantly explain variations in the observed effects.
02

Application

Design takeaway

When developing or marketing products for international markets, actively consider and strategically leverage the country of origin as a brand attribute, understanding that its impact can be significant.

How to apply

When designing a product or a marketing campaign for a new market, research the existing perceptions of the product's country of origin and consider how to best align or counter these perceptions.

Project actions

  • 01When researching a product, consider if its country of origin is a key selling point or a potential challenge.
  • 02If you are designing a product for a specific market, investigate the country-of-origin associations relevant to that market.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo determine the aggregate and relative influence of country-of-origin image on consumer brand evaluations, and to identify contextual and methodological factors that explain variations in this relationship.
MethodMeta-analysis
ProcedureA random-effects model was employed to analyze 166 empirical studies, comprising 499,563 observations and 282 effect sizes, published between 1984 and 2020.
Sample499,563 observations
ContextConsumer product markets, global branding

Variables

IVCountry-of-origin image (and its sub-dimensions)
DVConsumer brand evaluation (including brand commitment, brand-specific associations, general brand impressions)
CVProduct sector, culture, brand source, respondent characteristics, publication year, sample size
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Comprehensive meta-analysis of a large number of studies.
  • +Identifies key contextual and methodological moderators.

Limitations

The influence of country of origin can be highly subjective and may be overshadowed by other factors like brand reputation, price, or product features.

Reliability & validity

The meta-analytic approach enhances reliability by aggregating findings across numerous studies. Validity is supported by the identification of factors that explain variance, suggesting the relationship is robust but context-dependent.

Think critically

To what extent can a strong country-of-origin image compensate for a weaker product design or brand strategy, and vice versa?

05

Design Principles

"The perceived origin of a product is a salient cue that influences consumer brand perception and evaluation."

Understanding the influence of country-of-origin image is crucial for global product development and marketing strategies. Designers and marketers can leverage positive national perceptions to enhance brand appeal and differentiate products in competitive markets.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Where a product is made can make a difference in how people like the brand, and this research shows it's a moderately important factor.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this study when discussing how external factors, such as national identity or perceived quality associated with a country, might influence the success of a design project.
  • 2.Use the findings to justify why considering the target market's perception of a product's origin is important in your design process.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

(2023). Country-of-origin image and consumer brand evaluation: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Product & Brand Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/jpbm-01-2023-4328 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/17bff128-d6cf-43b7-9054-87bb90e80c6c/country-of-origin-image-moderately-influences-consumer-brand-evaluation

Paragraph starter

The perceived image of a product's country of origin has been shown to exert a moderate, positive influence on consumer brand evaluations, impacting aspects such as brand commitment. This suggests that designers and marketers should strategically consider and leverage national perceptions as part of their branding and product development efforts, particularly in global markets.

09

Source

Journal of Product & Brand Management

Country-of-origin image and consumer brand evaluation: a meta-analytic review

journal · 2023

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about country of origin image moderately influences consumer brand evaluation?
When developing or marketing products for international markets, actively consider and strategically leverage the country of origin as a brand attribute, understanding that its impact can be significant. Evidence: Journal of Product & Brand Management (2023).
Why does "Country of Origin Image Moderately Influences Consumer Brand Evaluation" matter for design?
Understanding the influence of country-of-origin image is crucial for global product development and marketing strategies. Designers and marketers can leverage positive national perceptions to enhance brand appeal and differentiate products in competitive markets.
How can designers apply this research?
When developing or marketing products for international markets, actively consider and strategically leverage the country of origin as a brand attribute, understanding that its impact can be significant.
What were the main findings?
Country-of-origin image has a positive, moderate effect on consumer brand evaluations.. General product country image exerts the largest influence among the dimensions of country-of-origin image.. Brand commitment is most strongly affected by the aggregate impact of country-of-origin image.. Contextual factors (e.g., product sector, culture, brand origin continent) and methodological factors (e.g., publication year, sample size) significantly explain variations in the observed effects.
What research method was used?
Meta-analysis with 499,563 observations.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from Journal of Product & Brand Management.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing a product or a marketing campaign for a new market, research the existing perceptions of the product's country of origin and consider how to best align or counter these perceptions.
What are the limitations?
The meta-analysis relies on existing published research, which may have inherent biases. The strength of the effect can vary significantly depending on specific product categories, cultural contexts, and methodological approaches used in individual studies.
Is there evidence that brand affects design outcomes?
The study found that where a product comes from has a noticeable positive effect on how people feel about the brand, with the general perception of the product's country being the most influential aspect. This effect is strongest when it comes to consumer loyalty to the brand. Various factors related to the product, th Source: Journal of Product & Brand Management (2023).
Where does this country origin research apply?
Consumer product markets, global branding It sits within innovation & markets research on designdex.org.

Related research topics

brand design research · evidence on brand · does brand improve design outcomes · country origin studies for designers · brand and country origin findings · innovation & markets research evidence