The Effects of Brand Origin Knowledge and Consumer Characteristics on Purchase Intention of Foreign Products

Abstract

In recent years, the brand-of-origin(BOO) has been a major issue in international business and international marketing literatures. Regardless of importance of brand origin information on purchase behaviors, the influence of brand origin recognition accuracy(BORA) on purchase intention of foreign products has a very limited attention in literatures. This study investigates the relations among BORA, consumer characteristics, and purchase intention of foreign products. The hypotheses are tested using structural equation model with survey data from 241 consumers in Korea. The results indicate that consumer ethnocentrism and innovativeness have significant impacts on brand origin recognition accuracy and purchase behavior of foreign products, while there is an evidence of a significant effect of BORA on purchase intention for foreign products. By empirically testing the relations among BORA, consumer characteristics, and purchase behaviors in holistic view, this study helps practitioners to acknowledge the factors that affect to purchase intention of foreign products, and alerts that they should be considered in deciding branding practices.