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The importance of variables such as price, promotional message, packaging and distribution policy in influencing consumer perceptions and attitudes towards products is well established. However, the additional information input of "Made in . . ." (i.e., the product's country of origin) has attracted little research attention in the United Kingdom, a fact which, in view of our changing status within the European community and the ensuing re-orientations in our international trade, suggests a fruitful course of enquiry for UK marketers faced with intense competition from imports. Similarly, the "Made in ..." concept has usefulness for exporters wishing to determine and exploit the stereotyped images ascribed to their country within specific foreign markets. These generalised images, created by variables such as representative products, economic and political maturity, historical events and relationships, traditions, industrialisation and the degree of technological virtuosity, will have effects upon consumer attitudes additional to those emanating from the significative elements of products. For example, Gaedeke [1] found that attitudes towards a specific product or brand could be substantially changed, both favourably and unfavourably, when the country of origin of the product/brand was revealed to the consumer.In a sense countries have images too, perhaps not so far removed from the marketers' concept of "brand image". National reputations for technological sophistication, reliability, design and value will naturally vary from country to country but, more importantly in the context of this study, consumers may be expected to generalise their attitudes and opinions across wide ranges of products from any given country. The aim of this particular study is to reveal these current stereotyped attitudes of UK consumers towards domestic products and the product offerings from a selection of foreign countries highly active in the UK domestic market.

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Designers have used Corporate Visual Identity Systems (CVIS) to widen the communications mix. Using name, symbol and/or logo, typography, colour and slogan, a CVIS helps transmit a company’s visual identity through fixed assets, such as buildings, vehicles and other business collateral. This wider view of business communications adds an eighth P, publications, to the seven Ps of service marketing: product, price, place, promotion, participants, physical evidence and process. Managerial literature suggests that firms who standardise their CVIS anticipate communications benefits beyond the usual marketing mix. A comparison of multinational companies with and without standardised CVIS supports this view.