Marketing Faculty Publications and Presentations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-31-2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the relative effectiveness of different strategies that emerging-market brands can use to mitigate a weak country image.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs discrete choice conjoint analysis to evaluate the relative effectiveness of store image, warranty duration, third-party certification and corporate engagement on US consumers’ perceptions of products from China and Cambodia. China, representing an advanced emerging market, and Cambodia, representing a less advanced market, were selected to provide a diverse context for comparison. The study examines electric scooters (relatively more hedonic) and refrigerators (relatively more utilitarian) to test the robustness of the findings across different product categories.
Findings
The study demonstrates that retail store image is the most influential factor in mitigating negative COO effects. An extensive warranty emerges as the second most effective mitigation strategy, followed closely by third-party certification. In contrast, corporate social engagement is found to be the least effective strategy across all studies. The study further explores moderating influences on these preferences. The findings are largely robust, with only minimal effects of age, gender, product home country and product type on the relative effectiveness of the identified mitigation strategies.
Practical implications
The findings offer valuable insights for managers of emerging-market brands, suggesting a prioritization of marketing efforts.
Originality/value
The study enhances the theoretical understanding of COO effects, presenting a nuanced view of how various strategies can be deployed to mitigate negative perceptions of brands associated with emerging markets.
Recommended Citation
Raji, M., Magnusson, P. and Martirosyan, Y. (2024), "How emerging-market brands can overcome a weak country image", International Marketing Review, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-02-2024-0051
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Publication Title
International Marketing Review
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-02-2024-0051
Comments
This author accepted manuscript is deposited under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC) licence. This means that anyone may distribute, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes, subject to full attribution. If you wish to use this manuscript for commercial purposes, please contact permissions@emerald.com.'