Temporal dynamism in country of origin effect

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to enrich country of origin (COO) effect in international marketing theory by adding the understanding of temporal dynamism into COO research. Design/methodology/approach Utilizing a qualitative and interdisciplinary phenomenological approach, this paper analyses historical and contemporary sources triangulated with contemporary primary interview data. The example of how perceptions of Italians about the values typical of the British Sixties varied over time periods is presented. Findings COO perceptions are both malleable and in evolution. Results show that values from earlier peak periods of appeal can be combined and recombined differently over time due to the varying historical and contemporary resonances of COO values. Research limitations/implications This study focuses on COO applied to two product areas, fashion and music, over a limited time period, in a two-country study and so the findings are not fully generalizable, but rather are transferable to similar contexts. Practical implications The fact that COO is neither static nor atemporal facilitates a segmented approach for international marketing managers to review and renew international brands. This enriched COO theory provides a rich and variable resource for developing and revitalizing brands. Originality/value The major contribution of this paper is that temporal dynamism, never before discussed in international marketing theory, renders COO theory more timeless; this addresses some critiques recently made about its relevance and practicality. The second contribution is the original research design that models interdisciplinary scholarship, enabling a thorough historical look at international marketing.

Reassuringly British: consumer engagement with domestic products and brands

“…Semaan et al (2019) attempts to address such mixed results observed over time and within literature regarding the effectiveness and influence of the COO label, suggesting that the heuristic has different effects on different consumers in different temporal or evaluative contexts. The perception of a product's COO is malleable, with the appeal able to change over time because of evolving historical and contemporary beliefs and events (Amatulli et al, 2019). For example and regarding British branding reputation, the 2001 foot and mouth disease crisis within Britain not only instigated a change in consumer behaviour towards British meat produce, but also generated a debate over local vs. commercial purchasing (Hartnett et al, 2007).…”

“…Ultimately however, it appears that such labelling practice is a key driver for consumers within their purchasing decisions for FMCGs, but different and underlying socio-political, socio-economic and other psychological concepts or cues may interact with its influence or attribute associations (Amatulli et al, 2019). Research has begun to support the idea that the label's effectiveness not only varies across different product categories and consumer groupings, but that its influence also varies across temporal and spatial dimensions in response to changing external conditions.…”

“…(2019) attempts to address such mixed results observed over time and within literature regarding the effectiveness and influence of the COO label, suggesting that the heuristic has different effects on different consumers in different temporal or evaluative contexts. The perception of a product's COO is malleable, with the appeal able to change over time because of evolving historical and contemporary beliefs and events (Amatulli et al. , 2019).…”

“…Ultimately however, it appears that such labelling practice is a key driver for consumers within their purchasing decisions for FMCGs, but different and underlying socio-political, socio-economic and other psychological concepts or cues may interact with its influence or attribute associations (Amatulli et al. , 2019).…”

«She’s leaving home, bye bye». The Sixties, the Birth of the Teenagers and a New Generational Narration

“…Negli Stati Uniti e nel Regno Unito questi studi a livello accademico sono appannaggio soprattutto di esperti della comunicazione. In Italia, nonostante un ritardo radicato nell'accoglienza e nella comprensione della musica pop anglosassone (Amatulli et al 2019), si stanno muovendo passi significativi in ambito sociologico (Tosoni e Zuccalà 2013) e storico anche grazie a Moicana. Centro studi sulle controculture (Moicana 2018).…”