Effects of brand name and made-in label on consumers' product evaluation.

Abstract

This paper adds to the fast developing pool of country of origin studies and focuses on the effect that country of production and brand name has on consumers’ judgment with regard to a high involvement product (i.e. luxury watches).

Two hundred and ninety respondents participated in the survey conducted. Our results suggest that the country in which a product is manufactured in and the language of the brand name affect consumers’ perceptions of the product stimuli shown. When both factors were considered simultaneously, effects on consumers’ perceptions were not significant. However, it is found that the respondents rated products made in China poorly despite having a non-Chinese brand name. Products with Chinese brand name are also less preferred compared to those with the German and English brand names, despite being produced in a more developed country like Switzerland or the US.

Lastly, we discuss the limitations and implications of our study and made suggestions for future research.