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This paper aims to identify what ethical attributes tourists associate with national parks’ brands shown on food souvenir labels and the influence of such attributes on purchase motivations.

An exploratory study was carried out involving a total of 102 Italian tourists, who were interviewed at two different souvenir shops in Italy. Respondents were first asked to describe what images and values they were associating with the visited Italian National Park. The second level of questions related to the association of food products with national parks and the purchase motivations of food products branded with the national park’s label. The ethical attributes associated with the national parks’ brands and their relevance in purchase motivations were detected and analyzed through content analysis.

The analysis of the national park brand allows highlighting the food souvenir role in communicating ethical values that influence the perceived quality of food as well as tourists’ purchase motivations. The analysis reveals interesting implications for the enhancement of local productions in tourist destinations, more specifically, how the place brand can act as a valuable communication tool. Particular attention is given to the crucial role that national parks’ brands play in strengthening the value proposition of small businesses located within parks. This vision must be implemented from the perspective of mutual promotion of local food and tourism in these parks.

The results of this paper contributed to the literature by filling the gap regarding the role of place brands in promoting food souvenirs.

Ideas related to “the Nordic” are important in the reconstruction of national identities in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and these countries’ modern national narratives are structurally highly similar. At the same time, there are clear differences between the Nordic countries regarding their national images. The purpose of this study is to a examine the relationship between ideas of the Nordic and national images through a qualitative study of brand manifestations on Nordic web portals for foreign visitors.

The two guiding research questions are: How do Nordic branding strategies and national stereotypes impact on nation-branding content toward visitors in the Nordic region? What traces of the Nordic as a supranational concept can be found when the Nordic is translated into concrete national brand manifestations? The analysis focuses on brand manifestations such as brand visions, codes of expression, differentiation, narrative identity and ideologies.

The analysis shows that clichés about the nations prevail in contemporary brand material and that Nordic branding strategies impact on the portals in diffuse and implicit ways. There are, however, some important common denominators, pointing toward a new Nordic brand related to exotic, untouched yet easily accessible nature, with a focus on pure, fresh and clean food with new tastes, in combination with happy and welcoming people.

The results from the study contribute with insight in how ideas of the Nordic on a supranational level transform when used in concrete and practical branding material. Further, this paper proposes a new Nordic branding focus, which contests traditional Nordic ideas.

This paper concerns public sub-sector branding within the higher education (HE) system. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how public sub-sector branding within HE is organized and how it is influenced by the use of national values, traits and characteristics.

The study relies on two data sources: first, the paper benefits from a data set of one-stop web-portals for HE from the 23 countries listed in Times Higher Education’s top-60 universities ranking. Second, it builds on a sample and brief overview of Norway’s sub-sector branding of its HE sector.

Expert authorities within the HE sector are legally and organizationally responsible for sub-sector branding, and they establish coordinated and coherent web-portals. In practice, however, nation-branding concerns are influencing on how the HE sub-sector is branded. The paper concludes with a discussion of democratic implications, and points to paradoxes arising from the use of national clichés and characteristics in this highly international sub-sector of the public realm.

The paper informs discussions about public sub-sector branding within HE, a phenomenon that thus far has not been systematically studied. The practical applications of such a study are evident, as branding is becoming more important in the public sector in general, and in HE in particular.

This research aims to address ethnocentric consumers’ willingness to boycott dual origin brands, in the particular case of national brands linked to a very specific regional origin, through analysing the paradox of (unfavourable) regional ethnocentrism versus (favourable) consumer–brand relationship (i.e. brand identification, trust and love) on consumers’ decision to buy or boycott those brands in that circumstances. Building on social identity and cognitive dissonance theories, this study aims to examine the Spanish consumer relationship with national brands originated in Catalonia considering the current conflicting circumstances in the region.

The authors collected data by means of personal questionnaires, distributed among 277 Spanish consumers of Catalan brands of Cava. The data is analysed by using structural equation modelling and linear structural relations.

After controlling for brand familiarity, the results of this study reveal that ethnocentrism negatively distorts consumers’ confidence in dual origin brands and highlight the role of identification and trust as brand love antecedents. It also reveals that ethnocentrism has a more profound impact on boycotting decision than brand love.

This study is one of the few to capture the puzzlement created by the paradoxical nature of the brand’s duality of origin. Furthermore, it contributes to the marketing literature by examining the impact of ethnocentrism on two relationship variables (i.e. identification and trust) and exploring their joint impact on consumers’ decision to buy or boycott. The findings of this study can be helpful for companies facing boycotting behaviour triggered by ethnocentric consumer reaction towards dual origin brands.

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo abordar la disponibilidad de los consumidores etnocéntricos para boicotear las marcas de origen dual -en el caso particular de marcas nacionales vinculadas a un origen regional muy específico-, mediante el análisis de la paradoja del (desfavorable) etnocentrismo regional versus la relación (favorable) entre el consumidor y la marca (es decir, la identificación, la confianza y el amor a la marca) en la decisión de los consumidores de comprar o boicotear dichas marcas en esas circunstancias. Partiendo de las teorías de la identidad social y la disonancia cognitiva, este estudio examina la relación del consumidor español con las marcas nacionales originales de Cataluña, considerando las circunstancias conflictivas actuales en la región.

Los datos se recogieron mediante cuestionarios personales, distribuidos entre 277 consumidores españoles de marcas catalanas de Cava. Los datos se analizaron utilizando modelación de ecuaciones estructurales y relaciones estructurales lineales.

Después de controlar la familiaridad con la marca, nuestros resultados revelan que el etnocentrismo distorsiona negativamente la confianza de los consumidores en las marcas de origen dual y destaca el papel de la identificación y la confianza como antecedentes del amor por la marca. También revela que el etnocentrismo tiene un impacto más profundo en la decisión de boicotear que el amor por la marca.

Este estudio es uno de los pocos que captura la confusión creada por la naturaleza paradójica de la dualidad del origen de la marca. Además, contribuye a la literatura de marketing al examinar el impacto del etnocentrismo en dos variables relacionales (la identificación y la confianza) y explorar su impacto conjunto en la decisión de los consumidores de comprar o boicotear. Nuestros hallazgos pueden ser útiles para las empresas que se enfrentan al comportamiento de boicot provocado por la reacción etnocéntrica de los consumidores hacia las marcas de origen dual.

The authors analyze the relationship between different consumer attitudinal variables and a number of variables related to consumer perception of the store and purchasing behavior, in assortments composed exclusively of private labels (PLs).

The authors developed an experiment based on an online survey to test the hypotheses formulated. The model’s causal relationships are established using structural equations.

The image of stores that only offer their own brand is mainly configured by price consciousness and the attitude toward the private label. The private label purchase intention is strongly influenced by the store image and a favorable attitude toward the brand, and loyalty strategies should be aimed at securing a clear perception of providing real value.

For retailers who only offer their own brands, an assortment with price-competitive PLs is key to the strategy of differentiating them from other retailers. It is reasonable to assume that, if retailers have a favorable image, customers transfer this brand value to their PLs and trust them. Customer loyalty strategies of these retailers should be aimed at ensuring that consumers clearly perceive that their assortment provides real value and that, although it is limited in terms of number of brands, it can meet all their needs.

This research represents a significant contribution to brand management literature because, includes, together with loyalty to the store, its image and the PL purchase intention as consumer response variables. Another differentiating feature is the methodology used. Estimation of the structural equation model permits the simultaneous estimation of the relationships between the variables.

Analizamos la relación entre diferentes variables actitudinales de los consumidores y un número de variables relativas a la percepción de los consumidores con respecto al establecimiento y el comportamiento de compra, todo ello en surtidos compuestos exclusivamente por marcas de distribuidor.

Desarrollamos un experimento online, basado en una encuesta, para testar las hipótesis planteadas. Utilizamos ecuaciones estructurales para determiner las relaciones causales del modelo.

La imagen de los establecimientos que ofrecen exclusivamente su propia marca se configura, principalmente, por la conciencia de precio y por la actitud de los consumidores hacia la marca privada. La intención de compra de la marca de distribuidor está fuertemente influenciada por la imagen del establecimiento y por una actitud favorable hacia dicha marca, por lo que las estrategias de fidelización de clientes deberían estar orientadas a asegurar una clara percepción de proporcionar valor real a los consumidores.

Para los minoristas que ofertan exclusivamente sus propias marcas, un surtido con marcas de distribuidor muy competitivas en precio es fundamental en su estrategia de diferenciación de sus competidores. Además, es razonable suponer que si los minoristas cuentan con una imagen favorable, los consumidores trasladarán este valor de marca a sus propias marcas propias y confiarán en ellas. Las estrategias de fidelización de este tipo de minoristas deberían ir enfocadas a asegurarse de que los consumidores perciben claramente el valor real que aporta su surtido y que, aunque limitado en términos de número de marcas y alternativas, les permite cubrir todas sus necesidades.

Esta investigación supone una significativa contribución a la literatura sobre gestión de marcas al incluir, conjuntamente con la lealtad al establecimiento, su imagen y la intención de compra de la marca de distribuidor como variables respuesta del consumidor. Otro elemento diferenciador es la metodología empleada, ya que la estimación del modelo de ecuaciones estructurales permite la estimación simultánea de las relaciones entre las distintas variables.

This paper aims to explain variations in store brand penetration using trust. It aims to help both retailers and manufacturers predict store brand purchases through an improved understanding of the impact of trust in store brands across 10 different store brand product categories and among nine different grocery retailers.

Data were collected through a telephone survey of 904 participants responsible for the household grocery shopping with a quota of 100 respondents from each of the nine leading grocery retailers in Greece.

The findings provide empirical support that store brand purchases are positively influenced by the consumers’ perceived level of trust toward the retailer’s store brands. Results also confirmed variations in store brand penetration across the ten product categories that were tested, variations among the retailers and variations in the level of trust.

This paper is adding to the store brand literature from a quantitative perspective and is contributing to the theory, as there is no clear theoretical view on the effect of trust on store brand purchases.

El objetivo de este artículo es explicar las variaciones que se producen en la adopción y penetración de la marca de distribución a partir de la confianza que los consumidores depositan en esta. Con ello se pretende ayudar tanto a los distribuidores como a los fabricantes en la predicción de las compras de marcas de distribución a través del impacto de la confianza en diez categorías de producto distintas y diferentes cadenas de distribución de alimentación.

Se recogen datos a través de encuestas telefónicas a una muestra de 904 individuos responsables de la compra de productos de alimentación en el hogar distribuidos equitativamente entre las nueve marcas líderes de distribución alimentaria en Grecia.

Los resultados empíricos obtenidos apoyan el planteamiento del trabajo de que las compras de marcas de distribución están influidas positivamente por el nivel de confianza que los consumidores manifiestan hacia las mismas. Los resultados también confirman que la variación en el grado de penetración de las marcas de distribución en las distintas categorías de productos y cadenas de supermercados analizadas viene explicada por las variaciones en los niveles de confianza manifestados.

Este trabajo contribuye a la literatura de las marcas de distribución no sólo en aspectos teóricos sino también empíricos al no existir hasta la fecha un posicionamiento teórico claro sobre el efecto de la confianza en la adquisición de las marcas de distribución.

The aim of this research is to investigate the factors affecting consumers’ willingness to buy private label brands (PLBs). The relationships among store image, familiarity with PLBs, consumers’ perceptions of PLB quality, risk, price consciousness and attitude towards PLBs are examined. Finally, the relationship between attitude towards, and willingness to buy PLB is explored.

Self-administered questionnaire was distributed to shoppers at Carrefour operating in Cairo, Egypt. The data obtained from 265 respondents were examined using structural equation modelling (analysis of moment structures) version 22, which empirically test the hypothesised relations established in the research conceptual model.

With the exception of perceived risk, the results suggest that all consumers’ perceptual and attitudinal factors affect directly or indirectly consumers’ willingness to buy PLB.

This study is limited to international hypermarket/supermarket operating in Egypt. So the findings should be exercised with cautious while attempting to generalise the research results.

Retail managers should focus on the enhancement of both store image and familiarity with PLBs to leverage consumers’ perceptions with respect to PLBs quality and risk to achieve differentiation and to increase sales.

This is one of the few studies that investigate the role of familiarity with PLBs in a developing context. In doing so, it proposes that familiarity with PLBs directly affects consumers’ perceived quality and perceived risk, while it indirectly influences consumers’ willingness to buy PLBs.

El propósito de este trabajo es el de analizar los factores que afectan a la predisposición de los consumidores a comprar marcas de distribución. Es por ello que se examina la estructura de relaciones existentes entre la imagen de la tienda, la familiaridad con las marcas de distribución, las percepciones de calidad y riesgo así como la conciencia de precio y su posterior efecto en actitudes hacia las marcas de distribución y la predisposición de compra.

Se distribuyeron cuestionarios auto-administrados entre compradores de la cadena Carrefour en El Cairo, Egipto. Los datos proporcionados por 265 individuos fueron analizados con ecuaciones estructurales (AMOS) para contrastar empíricamente las relaciones planteadas en el modelo conceptual propuesto.

Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que todos los factores actitudinales y perceptuales de los consumidores afectan directa o indirectamente a la disposición de los consumidores a adquirir marcas de distribución, excepto la percepción del riesgo.

Este estudio se limita a las cadenas de supermercados e hipermercados que operan en Egipto, por lo que los resultados obtenidos tienen una limitada generalización fuera de este contexto.

Los directivos de los detallistas deben centrar sus esfuerzos en ensalzar la imagen de la tienda y la familiaridad con las marcas de distribución con el propósito de influir en las percepciones de calidad y riesgo que los consumidores tienen sobre ellas con el fin último de lograr una diferenciación y un incremento de las ventas.

Este estudio es uno de los pocos que investiga el papel que ejerce la familiaridad con las marcas de distribución en países en vías de desarrollo. Propone que la familiaridad afecta directamente a la percepción de calidad y riesgo de los consumidores e influye indirectamente en la disposición de los consumidores a comprar las marcas de distribución.

The objective of this research is to propose a framework which is apt to assess how a nation branding campaign could promote cultural identity by ultimately curbing political polarization.

By relying on a multidisciplinary approach that blends theoretical constructs from different fields the methodology is based on a mixed-method approach whereby the qualitative data stemming from a set of interviews with key-informants is coupled by a survey of Colombian citizens in order to gain in-depth insights over the impact of nation branding on political polarization.

From the findings, it emerges that a campaign based on nation branding and targeting domestic citizens could curb political polarization within Colombia, by also fostering cultural identity.

The study considers only Colombia. To fully assess the robustness of the framework it would be useful to extend the analysis to a broader range of countries and to a wider set of domestic issues.

The research not only provides in-depth insights on how nation branding can be used effectively in order to curb political polarization but also practical guidance on how a nation branding campaign can be effectively designed. The findings are relevant to policy-makers that have the opportunity to implement informed and educated nation branding campaigns not just overseas, but also to strategically address important domestic issues by engaging the domestic stakeholders.

While country branding has been extensively investigated within the context of international business, we have a relatively limited understanding of its domestic impact. In contrast to traditional country branding literature, this paper aims to theoretically advance our understanding of nation branding and its effect on political polarization, as well as gauging its impact on cultural identity.

The aim of the study reported in this article was to establish whether the quality of clothes of a given brand is perceived and assessed by consumers at the same level. An additional purpose was to identify the features that characterize the quality of popular, among Polish young female consumers, clothing brands and to classify them according to their quality level (perceived and assessed).

The article presents two approaches to consumer assessment of the quality of clothes: the survey method, in which the product quality was determined by 320 Polish female young respondents (19–25) based on their own previous experiences and impressions related to a particular clothing brand, and a direct assessment of shirts of selected brands using a sensory quality assessment method, a five-point hedonic scale with the verbal anchor (115 evaluators).

The research has revealed a significant difference between the perception of selected quality features of brands and the consumer assessment of the products. The perception maps developed based on the PROFIT analysis (PROperty FITting) as well as on cluster analysis provided interesting information about the situation of selected brands and their features in comparison with others and allowed to identify strong and weak features characterizing a given category.

This study has several limitations. First and foremost, the research results cannot be generalized to all consumers because they encompass the results from one national context and one population of respondents (young females). It should also be noted that the conducted research comprises only the most popular clothing brands available on the Polish market, in particular, the fast fashion segment brands. Furthermore, it would be advisable to carry out a sensory assessment of the quality of other clothing items offered under the brand names investigated.

This research could be a valuable source of information for clothing company managers, thanks to which they could better manage their brand and its position on the market. When undertaking marketing activities consisting of building positive perceptions about the product, it is important to make sure that the product offers an attractive sensory experience. When real quality deviates from consumer perceptions about the quality, managers should take corrective actions to restore and even improve the brand image in the eyes of the consumer, as well as to ensure the brand and the products offered under it a stable position on the market.

By comparing two approaches to consumer quality assessment, discrepancies between declared and real (sensory) quality of clothes have been identified and the distinctive features that differentiate selected brands regarding their quality level have been indicated.

Consumers' willingness to pay premium (WTPP) for two different types of agricultural brand labels (enterprise and regional), are evaluated through a non-hypothetical Random n-price auction experiment during the online purchase of fresh agricultural products. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the two WTPP, compare their differences, and explore their sustainability.

Data were collected in July–August 2020 from a sample of 310 consumers in Liaoning Province, China. A nonhypothetical random n-price auction experiment was implemented in a simulated online shopping environment.

The results show that WTPP exists, and WTPP level of regional brand labels is higher than that of enterprise brand labels. Consumers' WTPP is sustainable. Consumers with low WTPP for enterprise brand labels and consumers with high WTPP for regional brand labels have stronger willingness to repurchase.

The results have direct practical implications for developing brand agriculture and encouraging “brand consumption”. The results can provide theoretical reference for policymakers, enlightenment for the development and effective dissemination of agricultural brand labels and important information to e-retailers on how to sale agricultural products with agricultural brand labels.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no previous study has related WTPP and its sustainability for agricultural brand labels in China. We try to fill a gap in literature on consumers' WTPP for agricultural brand labels. And the authors explore the sustainability of WTPP by analyzing the impact of WTPP on repurchase intention and recommendation intention respectively.