Extending the view of brand alliance effects: An integrative examination of the role of country of origin

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to broaden the external validity of the "brand alliance"rntheory, as it is set up by Simonin and Ruth, by analysing transnational brand alliances. It aims torndiscuss the significance of country of origin in this context.rnDesign/methodology/approach - Based on a broad literature review of the brand alliance andrncountry of origin literature the authors conducted an empirical study that examined consumerrnattitudes towards cross-national brand alliances.rnFindings - The findings demonstrate the role that the relationship between country of origin fitrnand brand fit plays in predicting consumer attitude towards cross-border brand alliances; and thatrnwhen brand familiarity decreases, the positive influence of country of origin fit on attitudes towardsrnthe brand alliance increases, and is greater than that of brand fit.rnResearch limitations/implications - The degree of importance that consumers place on eachrnproduct in the brand alliance was not taken into account. Future research could also analyse productrncategories that have strong country of origin associations (e.g. German beer or French pastries) or thatrnbelong to the low involvement category.rnPractical implications - An interesting result for managers when they set up a cross-nationalrnbrand alliance, as the study demonstrates the importance of brand familiarity and of country ofrnorigin fit.rnOriginality/value - The findings replicate those of Simonin and Ruth, which is a useful result because their findings might be attributed also to cross-boarder alliances. The study represents a noteworthy extension of previous research by introducing a new variable, the "country of origin fit."