Using Media to Influence Consumer Attitudes to Domestic Goods in Vietnam by Framing Public Interest: A Media Framing Effect Analysis

Abstract

Recent research shows the importance of purchasing local products for development the local and national economy. In developing countries, consumption of domestic products is a rapidly growing trend as it contributes to the development of brands and images of local companies. Faced with a foreign product preference in Vietnam, the Vietnamese government has organized a campaign entitled “Vietnamese people prioritizing Vietnamese products” in which local companies are encouraged to enhance their product quality, and consumers are encouraged to buy locally manufactured products. This study seeks to investigate how the Vietnamese government has shaped consumer behavior for domestic goods by framing public interest in the campaign. An analysis of 274 news articles in popular newspapers showed four main frames: campaign’s policy framing (CP), benefit of using Vietnamese goods (VG), advanced role models (RM), and criticizing foreign product preference (CF). A survey with 526 Vietnamese consumers indicated that four frames significantly predicted consumer attitudes. Results of the linear regression model were significant, the R-squared ( R2) value was .25, indicating that approximately 25% of the variance in LP was explained by CP, VG, CF, and RM. RM, VG, and CP significantly predicted LP, but CF did not significantly predict LP. The findings suggest that further studies test the framing theory by using media coverage as a secondary source.