Country image, product image and consumer purchase intention: Evidence from an emerging economy

Improving response rates in industrial mail surveys

The purpose of this study is to compare effects of country reputation and the overall corporate reputations of a country on international consumers’ product attitudes and purchase intentions. The country-of-origin effect can be linked not only to country reputation but also to the overall corporate reputations of a country. Using a general public survey of American citizens, this study attempted to examine the relations between the American public's opinions of South Korea, South Korean corporations and South Korean products. Key findings and implications for communication strategies in international marketing are discussed.

Comparing Effects of Country Reputation and the Overall Corporate Reputations of a Country on International Consumers’ Product Attitudes and Purchase Intentions

Mail survey response, speed, and cost

This paper explores the existence of different food‐related lifestyle segments in the Republic of Croatia. Using international instruments and a cluster analysis (joining‐tree clustering), five different segments were found which differ in buying motives, quality aspects of the food, buying decisions, cooking methods and consumption situations. They also differ in socio‐demographic characteristics. These segments, making up the following percentage of the population, were named: relaxed – 13 percent, traditionalists – 27 percent, modern – 32 percent, concerned –11 percent and hedonists – 17 percent. The names were determined by the main statements more frequently used by the families who belong to the respective segments. These segments are expected to change in the future, in size and in the characteristics of behaviour concerning food‐related lifestyles. Therefore, we plan to repeat the research in the year 2004. At the same time, we would like to compare these segments with those distinguished in developed European countries that have conducted similar research.

Market segmentation on the basis of food‐related lifestyles of Croatian families

Psychographic segmentation by values typically results in conclusions based on statistical associations between segment membership and marketing variables (such as brand preference, product purchase, product ownership, etc.). However, because these segments are never genuinely discrete with respect to the value orientations which distinguish each of them from the other segments, the overlap may pose problems for interpretation. Specifically, there may be interactions between value orientations, segment membership, and one or more of the marketing variables. If so, the use of specific value orientations to reinforce the advertising directed at one segment could simultaneously have a negative impact on another segment. This paper presents evidence of this type of interaction within the data of an actual segmentation study.

Alfred S. Boote

Papers

Interactions in Psychographics Segmentation: Implications for Advertising

On Factors and Clusters —A Reply