Country Brand Image Research Articles

Brand Globalization, Country Brand Image, and the Spillover Effect of Within/Outside Product Category

Brand Globalization, Country Brand Image, and the Spillover Effect of Within/Outside Product Category

Impact of TV dramas on consumers' travel, shopping and purchase intentions

AbstractCountries are increasingly competing with each other to attract tourists. However, little is known about how consumers' tourism‐related behaviors respond to country image endeavors, such as TV dramas. We propose that as an important image source TV dramas from a country contribute to crafting the country's brand image and thereby influence viewers' tourism related intentions. Considering the case of Turkish TV dramas and drawing on the Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM), a survey of 400 Arab viewers revealed that exposure to Turkish TV dramas results in increased intentions to visit and shop in Turkey as well as to purchase products made in Turkey. Furthermore, while increase in purchase intentions results primarily from enhanced experiential associations related to the country, increase in visit or shopping intentions results from improved status associations related to the country.

Host Country Brand Image and Political Consumerism: The Case of Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether 2018 FIFA World Cup (FWC) consumers would engage in political consumerism to reduce a perceived dissonance between host country (Russia) brand image and FWC brand attributes. Literature has associated Russia-hosted sport mega-events (SME) with violations of human rights. Drawing on cognitive dissonance theory, we investigate UK consumers ( n = 417) on their perceptions about Russia’s brand image (cognitive and affective attributes) and FWC brand attributes before and after the event. Online questionnaires were used to collect data, which were analyzed via covariance-based structural equation modeling. Findings showed that intentions did not differ from behaviors of political consumerism toward 2018 FWC products. Lower evaluations of affective host image attributes led to more political consumerism. Higher perceptions of the FWC attributes led to less political consumerism. Results inform FIFA (and possibly other SME owners) on how poor human rights practices (affective attributes) may affect the consumption of their products. Results also inform hosts about ineffectiveness of associating themselves with brands like FWC without showing concerns about human rights.

Country Brand Equity: The Role of Image and Reputation

ABSTRACT Country brand equity (CBE) is expanding in theory and in practice; however, little has been published on its conceptualization. By incorporating ‘reputation’ into the place brand equity construct at a country level, we provide a theoretical multidimensional framework for CBE. Seventeen interviews with international researchers were undertaken for theory building. A seven-dimensional CBE framework was developed according to the interpretations of two constructs - country brand reputation (‘share of experience’) and country brand image (‘share of mind’) - along with country brand associations, country brand awareness, country brand loyalty, country brand perceived quality, and channel relationships. We conclude by outlining potential further research avenues and implications for managerial practice. These contributions may guide policymakers, government officials, executives, and scholars in maximizing the value of a place brand (e.g., country, region, or city) by focusing on ‘reputation’ as an added (qualitative and/or quantitative) construct. This study may also inspire insights into joint efforts of public and private strategies and actions on economic performance, consumer welfare, and business decisions for national prosperity.

No-Do en la construcción de imagen marca país en el primer franquismo (1943-1951)/ No-Do in the construction of country brand image in the first francoism (1943-1951)

La construcción de imagen de marca-país y las estrategias de identidad institucional y de diplomacia han sido fundamentos teóricos para la gestión de la comunicación centrada en los países. En el caso de la dictadura franquista, NO-DO fue un instrumento de propaganda de la dictadura, fiel a los principios del régimen que lo creó. Por otro lado, el folclore fue uno de los instrumentos principales de cohesión durante la posguerra. Su finalidad era la de mostrar las particularidades de cada región dentro de una España unificada. El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar cómo la música folclórica se empleó para reforzar la identidad de España. Para ello se han analizado un total de 867 documentales que forman el corpus íntegro del periodo estudiado.Los resultados de esta investigación no solo confirman el peso específico de este género musical en el medio estudiado, sino que también se abordan otros elementos como los principales actores, material recurrente, variaciones en las tendencias, etc. De este modo se han obtenido datos que permiten establecer conexiones entre la programación del folclore en No-Do con hechos políticos. Palabras clave: No-Do, relaciones públicas, imagen de marca país, propaganda, música folclóricaAbstract The construction of a brand-country image and the strategies of institutional identity and diplomacy have been theoretical foundations for the management of country-centered communication. In the case of the Franco dictatorship, No-Do was a propaganda instrument of the dictatorship, faithful to the principles of the regime that created it. On the other hand, folklore was one of the main instruments of cohesion during the postwar period. Its purpose was to show the particularities of each region within a unified Spain. The objective of this work is to study how folk music is used to reinforce the identity of Spain.Folk music has been relegated to the background because it is considered an artistic form of low value. That is why the works related to the use of folklore as a propaganda element are limited, disseminated and regional in nature. In addition the few works that analyze folklore as propaganda in No-Do that link folklore and politics during the Franco dictatorship approach the issue from a general perspective, attending to the political context from the anthropological and historical point of view, obviating that it is a process of creation and dissemination of image in which institutions and the use they make of public relations play a determining role.In order to meet the objective set out in this paper and given the historical nature of the research, bibliographic and documentary research is used as the main methodological tool, in which a qualitative approach predominates. However, this research is not limited to qualitative analysis, since content analysis of the No-Do is performed, also obtaining quantitative data.With the objective of studying in depth the propaganda use of folk music in No-Do, the five aspects that, according to Pizarroso, are necessary for the analysis of a historical moment from the point of view of propaganda: sender, media or channels, content, propaganda techniques and the effects or repercussion.A total of 827 documentaries have been cataloged to carry out the study. Many of them are divided into two parts: A and B. These are the totality of the No-Do numbers, issued between 1943 and 1951. Then the content analysis has been carried out, for which an analytical template has been designed that It answers the different questions related to the investigation.The results of this research not only confirm the specific weight of this musical genre in the medium studied, but also address other elements such as the main actors, promoters, recurring material, variations in trends, etc. In this way, data have been obtained that allow establishing connections between the programming of folklore in No-Do with political events.Finally, the fundamental characteristics of the image disseminated in the Newscasts have been identified. With this, it has been possible to establish the propaganda profile of this cultural manifestation and the properties that represent it in which the conjunction of music, dance and folkloric clothing become a tangible element that allows the concept of homeland to materialize.Keywords: No-Do, public relations, country brand image, propaganda, folk music

Role of attitudes in Brazil's country brand image

For the past three decades, the academic community has sought to advance the analysis relating to the image of several countries around the world. However, despite the importance of the theory of attitude in evaluating the image of a country, the majority of papers in the field has focused on the cognitive component of attitude only, having the other components, affective and conative, not thoroughly being examined. The purpose of this paper is to investigate Brazil's country brand image, based on the three-attitudinal categories 'cognitive', 'affective', and 'conative'. The study population consisted of the 427 undergraduate students at foreign institutions partaking agreements with a Brazilian public university. Attitudes were analysed using exploratory factor analysis to correlate potential impact on Brazils' country brand image. Results of this study indicate that the conative dimension received the highest scores of the respondents implying strong behavioural intentions in relation to Brazil's country brand image.

Role of attitudes in Brazil's country brand image

For the past three decades, the academic community has sought to advance the analysis relating to the image of several countries around the world. However, despite the importance of the theory of attitude in evaluating the image of a country, the majority of papers in the field has focused on the cognitive component of attitude only, having the other components, affective and conative, not thoroughly being examined. The purpose of this paper is to investigate Brazil's country brand image, based on the three-attitudinal categories 'cognitive', 'affective', and 'conative'. The study population consisted of the 427 undergraduate students at foreign institutions partaking agreements with a Brazilian public university. Attitudes were analysed using exploratory factor analysis to correlate potential impact on Brazils' country brand image. Results of this study indicate that the conative dimension received the highest scores of the respondents implying strong behavioural intentions in relation to Brazil's country brand image.

Country branding through Olympic Games

Recent geopolitical and economic events make it very clear that the global market place is highly interconnected and very competitive (Lee and Cull, 2010; Levin, 2010; Yung, 2011). To gain competitive advantage, countries, in conjunction with their own multinational firms, strive to develop and implement creative nation branding strategies and to promote positive country brand images (Anholt, 1998; Paswan et al, 2002; Loo and Davies, 2006; Szondi, 2006; Greyser, 2008). Countries compete with each other for foreign investment, for tourists, buyers, overseas students and skilled workers (Beverland and Lindgreen, 2002; Anholt, 2003; Black and Westhuizen, 2004; Dzenovska, 2005; Papadopoulos, 2004; Florek and Conejo, 2006; Dinnie, 2008). Several researchers (for example, O’Shaughnessy and O’Shaughnessy, 2000; Papadopoulos and Heslop, 2000, 2002; Paswan et al, 2002) have suggested that a country could be considered as a brand, and that countries can change their national brand image. Strategic and tactical activities have been suggested to influence a country’s brand image (Nebenzahl and Jaffe, 1991; Jaffe and Nebenzahl, 1993; Swart and Bob, 2004), including hosting major sporting events. However, to the best of our knowledge, few have examined the effect of hosting a major sporting event on country brand image, and where they have the focus was limited to the impact on the destination’s image and tourism (Gibson et al, 2008).