Why consumers do (not) like global brands: The role of globalization attitude, GCO and global brand origin

摘要

Since the early 1980s, marketing literature has highlighted the ho-mogenization of consumer needs and desires across the globe (Levitt, 1983) and suggested that companies might address this homogeniza-tion with a standardized global product or service (Keillor, D'Amico, & Horton, 2001). In recent decades, many multinational companies have followed this suggestion and altered their brand portfolios in favor of global brands (e.g., Schuiling & Kapferer, 2004). Corporations are motivated to launch global brands to (a) explore economy of scale effects in R&D, manufacturing, and marketing (Yip, 1995); (b) accelerate time to market for innovations (Neff, 1999); and (c) create a global image (Kapferer, 1997). Initially, the literature assumed that brand globality created perceptions of quality and prestige that were attractive to all consumers (e.g., Alden, Steenkamp, & Batra, 1999; Johansson & Ronkainen, 2005; Steenkamp, Batra, & Alden, 2003). However, more recent studies suggest that 20% of US consumers are against globalization (Dimofte, Johansson, & Ronkainen, 2008) and that 10% of consumers worldwide avoid global brands if local alternatives are offered (Holt, Quelch, & Taylor, 2004). Consequently, an increasing number of critical voices have challenged the assumption of exclusively positive global brand associations (e.g., De Mooij, 1998; Holt et al., 2004).