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The dominant paradigm in international branding research treats perceived brand globalness (PBG) and localness (PBL) as attributes algebraically participating in brand assessment and disregards the perception of brands as humanlike entities actively embedded in consumers’ social environments. Challenging this view and drawing from stereotype theory, the purpose of this paper is to suggest that PBG/PBL trigger the categorization of products under the superordinate mental categories of global/local brands which carry distinct stereotypical content. Such content transfers to every individual product for which category membership is established and shapes brand responses.

One experimental study (Study1, n=134) tests the process of global/local brand stereotype formation, identification and content transfer. Subsequently, two consumer surveys test the impact of brand stereotypes on brand approach/avoidance tendencies (Study2, n=328) and consumer–brand relationships (Study3, n=273). Data were analyzed with experimental techniques and structural equation modeling.

The findings suggest that upon categorization under the global or local brand class, individual brands are charged with the stereotypical content of the class. Global brands are predominantly stereotyped as competent while local brands are predominantly stereotyped as warm. Localness-induced warmth has uniformly positive effects, whereas globalness-induced competence acts as a double-edged sword which can both help and harm the brand.

This research contributes by proposing a novel conceptualization of global and local brands as groups of intentional marketplace agents stereotyped along their intentions and abilities, empirically establishing the process through which individual brands are assigned stereotypical judgments and demonstrating how these judgments impact critical brand outcomes and consumer–brand relationships.

The purpose of this paper is to offer a different perspective on the global consumer culture (GCC) phenomenon and identify new avenues for future research.

The paper is a thought piece.

The unprecedented globalization of the marketplace in the last 50 years has given rise to the emergence of GCC, and the rise of global companies and global brands, among others. Yet, as one surveys the globalscape, there are developments on the horizon that might threaten continued globalization. In this paper, the author discusses these developments and their implications around three interrelated, yet distinct, components of globalization: global integration of world economies, GCC and global brands.

The paper identifies unique research opportunities to study GCC in an emerging business context in which continued global integration is not guaranteed, and where globalization headwinds could reduce the contribution of perceived brand globalness to brand value.

This research examines global advertising strategies and tactics in a global media brand for a shared audience across seven countries (Brazil, China, France, India, South Korea, Thailand, and USA).

A content analysis of advertisements in local editions of Cosmopolitan magazine compares the extent of standardization in execution elements (advertising copy, models) across product nationality (multinational, domestic) and category (beauty, other).

Local editions deliver more multinational than domestic product ads across all countries, except India. Overall, multinational product ads tend to use standardized strategies and tactics more than domestic product ads, although this propensity varies across countries. Beauty products (cosmetics, fashion) are more likely to use standardized approaches than are other products (e.g. cars, food, household goods).

The research only examines one type of magazine and for one type of audience.

A global medium such as Cosmopolitan offers international advertisers an opportunity to reach a shared consumer segment of women with varying degrees of standardization, and that even in Asian countries, some standardization is possible.

This is the first multi‐country study to examine advertising executions for global advertising strategy within a transnational media brand. Unlike previous studies that advise against global strategy in Asia, we find that contemporary advertisers are practicing some global advertising strategies, but to varying degrees.

Ambient advertising is a unique, intimate and non-traditional form of communication between the product and the consumer; and uses all physical and environmental elements leading to stronger customer engagement. The purpose of this paper is to explore the innovations in ambient advertising including flash mob dancing, use of structures, posters, props, bus tickets, supermarket floors, shopping carts, bank receipts, animals, and other strange and unusual venues in developed economies (e.g. the USA) vs emerging economies (e.g. India).

The research proposes relationship strength (R)-inherent drama (I)-prodigious execution (P) or R-I-P conceptual framework to measure ambient advertising and delves into the R-I-P constructs of ambient advertising.

The results of Study 1 demonstrate that consumers’ global consumption orientation positively influences their attitudes toward ambient advertising. Results from Studies 2 and 3 exhibit interesting comparisons of innovations in ambient advertising between the USA and India; which improves understanding of globalization of ambient advertising in both developed and emerging economies. Relationship strength (R) between the product and the customer strengthens ad believability in both developed and emerging economies; while inherent dramatic surprise (I) displays contrasting results for developed and emerging economies. Prodigious execution (P) results in ad irritation for developed economies while it has no impact for emerging economies.

Overall R-I-P constructs of ambient advertising strengthen brand and ad attitudes and purchase intentions. The research has strong implications for advertising innovations in the USA vis-à-vis India, and demonstrates stronger implications of advertising internationalization across developed and emerging economies.

The research is valuable in the context of emerging and developed economies of the world with respect to ambient advertising. The research explores the trends in ambient advertising and develops measures for testing perceptions of consumers in various world markets toward ambient advertising. The world economies exhibit varying levels of acceptance and appreciation to the global emerging advertising trends, and this presents a huge challenge to the companies worldwide.

The purpose of this study is to systematically collate and scrutinize the state of the art on consumer cosmopolitanism (CCOS) from an international marketing perspective and to provide a foundation for future research on the subject matter to proliferate and prosper.

A systematic review of the extant literature was conducted focusing on peer-reviewed journal articles published in major marketing, international business and management journals.

A systematic analysis of 44 journal articles shows that CCOS research is a rapidly growing research stream in the international marketing field. However, at the same time, the results reveal a lack of coherent and consistent conceptual underpinning, conflicting empirical findings regarding the profile and behavior of cosmopolitan consumers, persisting knowledge gaps, as well as methodological and contextual weaknesses.

This paper is the first to consolidate the pertinent literature on CCOS. In doing so, it provides a roadmap for future research with reference to theory, context and methodology based on the research inconsistencies and knowledge gaps identified, contributing toward the development of this research area.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a positioning taxonomy for the FMCG sector in the Indian emerging market, because a review of the literature shows that existing positioning typologies/taxonomies are based on managerial perspectives rather than consumer/customer perceptions and have only been developed for advanced countries. This study helps to solve this problem by creating a positioning taxonomy for emerging markets.

In three phases, this study uses a systematic procedure for developing and validating a scale. Phase 1 consists of item generation and selection based on a review of the literature, focus group sessions and expert opinion. The second phase entails scale refinement via exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis is used in Phase 3 to establish convergent, discriminant and nomological validity.

This study’s findings include a consumer-derived taxonomy of positioning strategies that have been tested and validated. There were four distinct positioning strategies that emerged: value for money, being local, premiumization and product attributes.

The main implication of this paper is to support researchers in developing and validating measurement scales. The limitations include target populations, choice of industry and geography and cross-sectional time horizon of this study.

This study’s practical implications are the four positioning strategies that FMCG managers, advertising and marketing experts in the emerging Indian market could adopt to position their fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) products to achieve the overall success of their organizations.

Researchers are provided step-by-step guidance on how to develop and validate a measurement scale.

This study adds to the marketing literature by providing both a solid theoretical foundation and a validated instrument for the operationalization of positioning strategies.

This investigation set out to uncover whether CSR appeals – socially and/or environmentally oriented efforts promoted as part of a corporation’s advertising campaign – present a fruitful strategy for pharmaceutical manufacturers. This study investigates whether consumers in the two countries are similar with regards to (1) attitudes toward CSR engagement (2) perception of the social engagement of a company (3) perceived product/cause fit and (4) evaluation of CSR versus non-CSR appeals in OTC pharma ads. A field study was conducted (483 subjects; non-student sample) to explore how a standardized promotional message with or without a CSR appeal is perceived in a cross-cultural setting. Results indicate that consumers’ response (with regard to attitudes toward CSR, perceived social engagement by a company, perceived product-cause fit, as well as ad evaluation) all varied by country. Consumer responses were only tested with regard to a fictitious product as well as for one product category. Overall results suggest that CSR messages resonated more with some consumers than with others and, thus, may need to be tailored by market. Apart from a very small number of investigations, neither consumer evaluations of over-the-counter (OTC) drug ads in general, nor responses to CSR ad appeals in particular, have been explored. Thus, this investigation’s primary goal is to explore responses toward CSR messages in non-prescription drug ads in the United States and Brazil.

This paper aims to propose an original model of cultural intelligence (CQ), global identity and consumer willingness to buy foreign products. Previous research has discussed the relationships between CQ and global identity but only in the context of multi-cultural management teams. The research presented here proposes a model that is applicable to consumer marketing.

Online surveys are used to collect data from the USA with a snowball sampling technique and from the UK with panel data. A structural equation model (SEM) is estimated in analysis of moment structures 25 and Hayes bootstrap mediation tests are used to test the hypotheses.

The SEM results show that global identity influences motivational CQ, motivational CQ influences cognitive, metacognitive and behavioral CQ and cognitive and behavioral CQ influence consumer willingness to buy foreign products. Results from Hayes Bootstrap mediation tests show that motivational CQ mediates the relationships between global identity and the other three CQ dimensions.

The findings imply that firms can gauge and enhance consumer CQ levels by investigating or influencing levels of global identity; managers can influence or gauge consumer metacognitive, cognitive and behavioral CQ through motivational CQ; and managers can target consumers with high cognitive and behavioral CQ levels when marketing foreign products.

This paper not only provides a deeper understanding of the relationships between global identity and cultural intelligence but also incorporates CQ in a consumer context. Previous research has only discussed CQ in the context of managers.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how consumers perceive and evaluate local and global brands – in a developed mature European market.

For this purpose, four dimensions and two consequences of brand equity are evaluated, based on consumers’ standpoint. Structural equation modeling is carried out in order to analyze results obtained.

The findings suggest that brand loyalty, brand image and perceived quality exert the higher influence on consumers’ brand value; while there are relevant differences in consumer’s assessment toward local and global brands.

This study provides local and global brand marketers with further specific knowledge on how to market and enhance their brands’ value in a globalized increasingly competitive world.

The purpose of this paper is to find out whether a global advertisement will be effective and how it is perceived; is it affected by consumers' age, education, religion besides collectivism, and individualistic behavior?

Descriptive research involving 1,000 respondents. Global advertisements of fast moving consumer goods and consumer durable products are taken for study using questionnaire technique. The focus is to elucidate information on the perception of a global advertisement and how it will be affected by education, age, religion and collectivism, and individualistic behavior.

It is found that culture does affect the perception of global advertisement. Religion, age, and education do play a role in perception of global advertisement – they play an important role in buying intention.

The study is limited to the Indian scenario and can be applicable to SARC countries or South‐East Asian countries as they are the fastest growing emerging world markets.

This is an original research paper and its findings could be important in minimizing wastage. India, Thailand, Brazil, China, and Russia are important emerging markets. Understanding their culture, education, age, and religion could improve global advertisements' effectiveness.