Editorial

Citation

Leventhal, R.C. (2011), "Editorial", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 20 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/jpbm.2011.09620eaa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Journal of Product & Brand Management, Volume 20, Issue 5

The old saying that “nothing succeeds like success” has great meaning for a company that is trying to establish itself in the marketplace. Success can be perceived in many ways. For global marketers, perhaps, the concept of establishing a positive reputation, gaining market share, remaining competitive in the face of increased competition, or being innovative in terms of brand development or brand extension may serve as that which guides a specific marketing strategy. We can look at those companies whose brands have achieved global recognition and try to determine what they have done to achieve this status. But for many marketers the best action would be to try and better understand their consumers in a given marketplace, and then use this information to further define specific brand strategies.

Agrawal, Grimm, Kamath and Foscht examine the differences in the signals of brand quality that consumers utilize in and across different countries. Two major dimensions of signals of quality are identified and used to generate four clusters of countries representing different beliefs in signals of brand quality. These dimensions broadly fall in to those that can be characterized as external versus internal signals. The most important implication of the authors’ findings is that differentiation of marketing strategies would seem to be advantageous contrary to the commonly held view that international firms need to standardize their marketing strategies in the face of increasing globalization and alleged consumer convergence.

Flight, D’Souza and Allaway extends the current understanding of the inter-dependent role innovation characteristics have upon not only themselves but also a consumer’s ultimate adoption behavior. The authors develop a measurement scale that encompasses a wide array of product characteristics. Therefore, marketing managers should be aware of the complexity in which an innovation may be described and evaluated by a consumer. By adding a detailed layer of specification in the way we describe innovation, greater precision may be achieved in the planning process. And finally, informational characteristics (compatibility, communicability and observability) generally impact positive higher-order constructs but have little impact in reducing risk and complexity.

Souiden, Pons amd Mayrand investigate consumers’ behavior in emerging countries. In particular, the authors asses the effects of country image and country-of-origin’s image on consumers’ uncertainty, aspiration and purchasing intention of high-tech products. Marketers should understand that consumers in emerging countries are ambivalent when they consider the purchase of complex products. Highlighting the country image can contribute to alleviating consumers’ uncertainty and increase their aspiration to purchase sophisticated and complex products. Yet promoting the country-of-origin’s image can prove an effective means to improve product image in emerging markets.

Norberg, Maehle and Korneliussen examine the significance of various aspects of consumers’ perception of a collective label as predictors for consumers’ intention to buy the labeled items and willingness to pay for the label. By defining which factors influence consumers’ purchase intentions and willingness to pay for the labeled products, the authors suggest what marketing managers should pay attention to when they introduce a new label for a commodity.

Bian and Moutinho investigate impacts of counterfeit branded products ownership on branded products and explore the determinants of counterfeit branded products purchase intention of both counterfeit branded product owners and non-owners. Several perception dimensions appeared to significantly influential on counterfeit branded product behavioral intention, with brand personality playing the dominant role. Evidence of an interactive effect of counterfeit brand product ownership with perceptions of counterfeit brand products did not exist.

Franzak and Pitta consider the development of service dominant logic (SDL) with regard to brand management and focus on key factors. They seek to extend the application of SDL to a form that includes the consumer as part of the development process – a solution dominant approach. They focus specifically on the importance of relationships as the most important element in brand management. Service dominant logic and a focus on relationships has already been successfully applied to brand management, helping to refine the practice in this area. A solution dominant logic approach may help still further.

Godey and Lai examine the various steps involved in the analysis of international brand portfolios, as well as issues specific to each of these phases. The authors employed a longitudinal case study involving Procter & Gamble’s European Business Unit “Laundry And Fabric Care” over a five-year time span. The authors examine the strategic and operational movements that led to the reduction of the P&G brand portfolio in the laundry category. They then compare said actions with the current results of the company in this market to assess the performance of this strategy rationalization. This study provides an illustration of a specific methodology tested by a well-established and successful international company.

In this issue you will also fine a case study, our Pricing practice & strategy section, as well as our book review section.

Richard C. Leventhal