Managing country-of-origin affiliations for luxury brand-building in China

Abstract

The recent wave of luxury ventures in China has created an important need to understand luxury brand-building in China. A critical component of this research domain is the concept of country-of-origin (CoO). Chinese ventures use multiple country associations which makes the country one of the most suitable places to study the new phenomenon of hybrid brands. This marks a new stage in the evolution of CoO research. Findings stemming from a conceptual research and an explorative study are used to develop a conceptual model for managing CoO affiliations for hybrid brands within the context of Chinese luxury brands. Practical implications will help brand managers to understand which CoO facets make a luxury brand ‘Chinese’ and, on the other hand, how to improve brand prestige with Western CoO cues.