Why would anyone come to Corfu to have a Heineken?

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine brand-naming decisions, along with other management decisions that affect tourist experiences, such as visitor tours and souvenir appropriation, in the context of a microbrewery located on a Greek island that remains heavily dependent upon tourism. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from in-depth interviews with the microbrewery’s owner and senior management team to offer rich insights into the issues under investigation. Findings Findings stress the importance of the meanings that can be conveyed through brand names, including those that indicate authenticity of the brand’s origin, filling previously identified gaps in the literature on country of origin (COO) with regard to fast-consuming goods and low-involvement products such as beer, and exploring the issue of experiential consumption of beer as part of the tourists’ vacation experience. Research limitations/implications Data were gathered from only a single company, and although highlighting important managerial decisions regarding brand naming, further research could be widened to other companies and other industries, and could explore these issues from the tourists own perspective rather than solely from a managerial perspective. Practical implications Results may offer insights for local producers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, whose markets serve both domestic and tourist consumers. Originality/value This research furthers knowledge into gaps on a range of issues arising in the literature that have hitherto not been previously linked, specifically: product COO/brand origin, cultural consumption of beverages and sense of place, issues of authenticity, souvenirs and experiential consumption.

Country-of-origin cues: effects of country-related affect and product association on consumer responses to hospitality firms

“…One stream of research views COO perception as a single construct, which is treated either as a mere “made in country” cue or as a general image of a country. This line of research has demonstrated that COO influences product evaluation and purchase intention (Suh et al , 2016; Alshibly et al , 2019; Souiden et al , 2020), attitudes toward brand acquisitions (Nguyen and Alcantara, 2020), brand love (Cho and Hwang, 2020), brand equity (Cowan and Guzman, 2020), perceived product authenticity (Cheah et al , 2018; Melewar and Skinner, 2020) and destination evaluations (Zhang et al , 2016). Prior research shows that consumers are more influenced by COO than by brand globalness (Han, 2020).…”

Beyond the authenticity–standardisation paradox in international gastronomy retailing: Twisting the hosting city brand with the place of origin

“…Beyond the country of origin, the place of origin (Atkin and Newton, 2012;Giacomarra et al, 2020;Melewar and Skinner, 2020;Orth et al, 2020;Pike, 2015;Pucci et al, 2017;Spielmann et al, 2019;Van Ittersum et al, 2003) applies to the food and beverage sectors. The place of origin highlights that "smaller sub-national places" (Papadopoulos et al, 2018), such as cities, regions, districts and neighbourhoods participate in the creation of the perceived origin.…”

“…The place of origin highlights that "smaller sub-national places" (Papadopoulos et al, 2018), such as cities, regions, districts and neighbourhoods participate in the creation of the perceived origin. Rural and regional areas can mobilise tangible and intangible attributes, echoing heritage and local culture (Atkin and Newton, 2012;Melewar and Skinner, 2020;Pucci et al, 2017;Van Ittersum et al, 2003). A substantial difference between the country of origin and the place/region of origin was argued for the latter, providing higher place-specificity, creating the conditions for consumers to attach more importance to the regional origin than the country origin (Pucci et al, 2017).…”

Place branding and local food souvenirs: the ethical attributes of national parks’ brands

“…Product's authenticity, related to destination, is among the most sought-after elements when tourists purchase souvenirs (Cave et al, 2012;Trinh et al, 2014). Despite the considerable effort researchers put into the understanding of what tourists perceive as authentic (Littrell et al, 1993;Sims, 2009;Melewar and Skinner, 2020), the concept still lacks unambiguity. It has been pointed out that consumers are influenced by their own identity and ethical values when they are looking for authenticity (Sims, 2009, p. 325).…”

“…The desire for authenticity is satisfied through the purchase of local products (Björk and Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2016;Melewar and Skinner, 2020). Indeed, "local foods may be particularly popular with tourists because they are considered iconic products that capture the nature of a particular location" (Lin and Mao, 2015).…”