Abstract
AbstractAlthough the importance of various brand‐related stereotypes held by consumers has been acknowledged in the marketing literature, their interplay has not yet been considered. We derive four alternative theoretical models of the relationships between brand, brand origin and brand user stereotypes and their effects on consumers’ value perceptions. The four models are subsequently tested on two nationally representative samples in Germany and Serbia, respectively. The best‐performing model in both studies predicts that brand origin and brand user stereotypes act as complementary drivers of the brand stereotype. In turn, value perceptions mediate the positive impact of the brand stereotype on purchase intent. This investigation is the first to: (a) juxtapose and empirically assess alternative theoretical perspectives on the interplay of brand‐related stereotypes; (b) reveal the combined influence of multiple stereotypes on consumers’ value perceptions and through them, on intentions to buy the brand; (c) determine the relative influence of distinct stereotype content dimensions (i.e. warmth vs. competence) on consumers’ perceptions of value; and (d) highlight the extent to which the interplay among different stereotypes in influencing consumer outcomes is stable across different market settings. Implications of the findings are considered and future research directions identified.
Highlights
Shared beliefs about brands as intentional agents (Kervyn, Fiske and Malone, 2012) and are based on the notion that individuals can relate to brands as they relate to people and, perceive brands as they perceive humans (Fournier, 1998)
Country stereotypes refer to oversimplified beliefs about traits, intentions and behaviours that are characteristic of people living in a country, which are formed through direct or indirect experience (Chattalas and Takada, 2008; Maheswaran, 1994; Samiee, 1994)
By imposing equality constraints on the paths from the brand origin and user stereotypes on the brand stereotype, we find that the brand user stereotype is a significantly stronger predictor of the brand stereotype compared to the brand origin stereotype
Summary
Three parallel streams of literature have emerged showing that consumer evaluations of and behaviour towards brands are influenced by stereotypical perceptions of brands (Aaker, Vohs and Mogilner, 2010; Kervyn, Fiske and Malone, 2012), brands’ country of origin (Halkias and Diamantopoulos, 2020; Magnusson, Westjohn and Sirianni, 2019) and users of brands (Antonetti and Maklan, 2016; Ziano and Pandelaere, 2018), The authors thank the Austrian Science Fund (FWF; Project No I 3727-G27) and the Slovenian Research. Drawing on theories from cognitive psychology and consumer culture theory, we propose and empirically test four alternative conceptual models linking the stereotype content of the three brand-related stereotypes to purchase intentions through value perceptions. Consumers rely on different cues associated with the brand, its origin and/or users Through stereotyping, they make cognitive assessments that influence their brand-related responses (Cuddy, Fiske and Glick, 2007). Consumers’ stereotypical assessments of the brand/brand origin/brand user (and their underlying dimensions of warmth and competence) can facilitate informational transfer for assessing potential benefits and sacrifices (i.e. perceived value) to reduce uncertainty (Kolbl et al, 2020). Consumers often hold lay theories related to warmth and competence of both brands’ country of origin and social groups that are perceived to use a brand. Significance of correlation coefficients: *p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001
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