Revisiting Brand Origin Misperceptions: A Comprehensive Model with Mediating and Moderating Effects
(R2020-84755)

AUTHORS

Timo Mandler, Toulouse Business School; Fabian Bartsch, Ieseg School of Management; Katharina Zeugner-Roth, IESEG School of Management

KEYWORDS

Country-of-origin; brand origin misclassification; moderation

ABSTRACT

Despite increasing interest in brand origin misperception (BOM), literature provides mixed empirical evidence regarding its impact on outcomes. Drawing on categorization and attitude theory, this study develops and empirically tests a holistic model estimating the impact of BOM on purchase intentions via brand beliefs and brand affect, as well as a set of key moderators drawn from prior research. An empirical study conducted in the US involving multiple product categories provides empirical evidence for the hypothesized moderated mediation model. Our findings indicate that consumers adjust both their brand beliefs and their brand affect to the true brand origin information, but for brand affect, this is only the case if the true origin has a worse country image than the perceived origin. In addition, we find that while several consumer- and brand-related factors moderate cognitive consequences of BOM, only consumers’ confidence in the brand origin moderates its affective consequences. Our findings have implications for theory and managerial practice