Country of Origin and Consumer Preference for Personal Care Brands

The issue of country-of-origin (COO) has been examined and evaluated comprehensively in the past, yet most literature till date has focused primarily on underlying determinants and measurement of COO effect size on product evaluations, attitudes, and purchase intentions of consumers across diverse industries, on both consumer and industrial products. The present study, in contrast, examines the similarities and differences between foreign and domestic brands in terms of associations among COO, brand perception, and purchase of personal care brands. Using a representative sample of 200 consumers in India, the author finds that foreign and domestic brands are indistinguishable in terms of COO's association with purchase, but COO's association with brand perception is relatively stronger in case of foreign brands. An important and novel finding of the study is that, although foreign brands score over domestic brands in both: association of purchase with brand perception and mean brand perception score, yet consumers exhibit a relative preference for indigenous brands in their purchase. The variations pinpointed by the study may lead to several important and actionable managerial implications and uses in the design of marketing campaigns aimed at enhancing brand perception or pushing sales.