The mediating role of brand knowledge and involvement on the relationship between country-of-origin and brand preference

Abstract

This study attempts to explore whether brand knowledge and a particular product category may have an effect on stereotyping of country of origin (COO). Our findings show that COO has a positive impact on brand preference (BP), and product involvement level (IL) has statistically significant positive mediating effects on COO-BP relationship. Brand knowledge is found to have contrasting effects in high vs. low involvement product categories. For high involvement product (automobile in this case) consumers’ positive brand knowledge alleviates the COO effects on BP, consumers tend to rely less on COO in BP. On the other hand, for low involvement product (coffee in this case) consumers pay much more attention to COO.