Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to assess brand identity, equity and brand management in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach -The methodology is based on the analysis of four site cases of consumer goods SMEs through in-depth interviews and related documents. Findings -Results showed that the founders' value and beliefs set the tone for the core competencies to be developed and transmitted through brand identity. A bundle of marketing innovations, including coherent marketing programs and the use of the country of origin image, support the brands. Brand diversification strategies contribute to SMEs' growth.Research limitations/implications -Results need to be expanded and confirmed with other international SMEs that are not as well established and that do not use the country of origin in their brand image. Practical implications -Entrepreneurs need to be aware that their public image may reflect consumers' perception of their firms. Consequently, this image should be carefully nurtured. Because of resource constraints, a limited number of product or service features that complement the entrepreneur's core values should be selected to enhance brand equity. Among those, features linked to the firm's capabilities and to the country of origin would be the most cost-efficient and effective. Moreover, a number of brand diversification strategies can be used by SMEs to spur their growth. Originality/value -The study emphasizes the use of strong brand associations by SMEs, primary and secondary, a focused and integrated communication strategy to enhance the brands as well as a creative approach to brand strategies to contribute to their growth.

Purpose -This paper aims to consider the price premium that consumers state they are willing to pay for products with reused or recycled content. It also aims to address the effect of the impact of product category on consumers' willingness to pay premium prices. Design/approach/methodology -Willingness to pay was studied for seven different product categories (n ¼ 49). Findings -Perceived functional risk is an important determinant of the price that consumers are willing to pay for products that have recycled or reused content. It was also found that consumers will switch from a recycled product to a new product within a smaller range of price for products with high functional risk.Research limitations/implications -The study is exploratory, while it serves its purpose by raising initial questions and finding that this is a complex area that is worth studying. Additional work is clearly required to consider the wide range of potentially relevant variables and a sampling plan that ensures an understanding of the generalisability of findings across the population within a region and across regions. Practical implications -A technique for understanding consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) is provided and insights into differences are offered between products in terms of WTP for greener products. Practitioners can use this technique to determine the price range and indirectly the profitability of a version of their product based on recycled or reused content. Originality/value -An understanding of WTP for products with recycled or reused content is developed. This is important as legislation in many countries aims at diverting disposed product from waste dumps to consumers.

Purpose -Substantial changes in the organic food sector and recent studies on the Canadian organic food market are showing promising trends. However, community organic food markets are different from organic food mainstream markets. In a domain growing in theoretical and practical importance, the main objective of this paper is to develop an understanding and analysis of "community organic food market". Design/methodology/approach -Focus groups were conducted and data collected were analyzed using content analysis. Findings -Five main themes emerged and brought contributions in terms of: organic food definition and recognition, organic food consumers' motivations, trust with regard to organic food, labeling and certification process, organic food distribution channels, and the proposition of a conceptual model of decision making with regard to organic food consumers in small communities. Research limitations/implications -Data collection was conducted in only one small community location and should be extended to other small communities as well as urban city centers.Practical implications -This study provides some insights to managers in terms of the market mix and target marketing of organic food niche markets. Originality/value -The paper explores the difference between an organic food mainstream market and an organic food niche/community market using a consumer behaviour perspective.

Foster, (2005),"Exploring the gap between attitudes and behaviour: Understanding why consumers buy or do not buy organic food", British Food Journal, Vol. 107 Iss 8 pp. 606-625 http:// dx.If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -Although consumption of organic food (OF) shows promising trends in Canada, there is no clear understanding of the barriers that still prevent a larger demand for OF. The main objectives of this paper are to understand what, how, where, and why Canadian consumers buy OF by exploring consumers' motivations and decision-making process, and digging into consumers' trust orientations with regards to OF. Design/methodology/approach -In-depth interviews are conducted and data collected are analyzed using content analysis. Findings -Results indicate that Canadian typical organic product consumers have a defined purchase scheme in terms of retail stores selection and price, as well as values and trust orientations. They identify health, the environment, and support for local farmers as their primary motivators for organic consumption. In particular, health motivation is mainly based on avoidance from chemical residues, antibiotics, hormones, genetically modified organisms, and diseases. Results also show that distribution, certification, country of origin, and labeling are all related to consumers' level of trust when consuming OF. Research limitations/implications -Data collection was conducted in only one Canadian city and should be extended to other cities across the country. Originality/value -This paper entails an exploration of consumer's decision-making process and their underlying motivations and trust orientations but also an investigation of the marketing mix related to OF.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate, in an emerging market, the simultaneous effects of country of design (COD), country of manufacture (COM), and brand image on consumers' perceptions of bi-national products. A comprehensive model broadens country-of-origin literature by incorporating brand image and the concepts of fit and congruity borrowed from brand extension research. Perceptual (in) coherences that might exist among COD, COM, and the brand are incorporated. Design/methodology/approach -Tunisia is the emerging market studied. A total of 389 respondents evaluated different product combinations (COD/COM/brand) in two categories. Relationships between constructs are tested using structural equation modelling. Findings -Consumers are sensitive to the COD (more so for public than for private goods) and also value the COM of branded products. The transfer of the COD image to brand image is significant. It is very high for one product category (cars). Brand/COM congruity is also important since product evaluations decrease when consumers perceive incoherence in a manufacturing location.Research limitations/implications -The paper used limited informational cues for products' descriptions and concentrate on fairly complex durable goods. Research design should be expanded. Practical implications -Perceived COD competencies can benefit brand image through strong COD-brand associations. In emerging markets, COD (through brand image) and COM effects are important for understanding consumers' perceptions of publicly versus privately used branded products. Originality/value -The major contribution consists of a simultaneous examination of the effects of COD, COM, brand, and of their inter-relationships. Investigating bi-national products and related consumer behaviour in emerging markets is of particular interest as it corresponds to the reality of these markets.