The effect of customer ethnocentrism and customer participation on global brand attitude: The perspective of Chinese customer

Abstract

Due to a globalized economy, most multinational companies have shifted from a multi-local strategy to a global branding strategy to help them maintain their brand image as a globally recognized brand. Global branding can lead to advantages for multinational companies, such as enhancing economies of scale, scope, and logistics. Understanding customer ethnocentrism in the context of global brand management is important when determining global positioning and branding strategies. In this study, 333 Chinese respondents participated through an online survey to investigate the implications of customer ethnocentrism for multinational brand products from the Chinese perspective. The results of the study indicate that the perception of the affective reaction of ethnocentric Chinese consumers influences brand attitudes (e.g., love, image, satisfaction, loyalty) through customer participation. However, customer cognitive bias and behavioral preference tendencies did not influence customer participation. This study contributes to the existing literature on global brand management by establishing a role for customer ethnocentrism. In addition, for marketers and practitioners, the findings of this study provide guidance for developing marketing strategies for multinational branded products.