Country-of-Origin and its Influence on Consumers’ Buying Intention – A Conceptual Study

Abstract

The concept of country-of-origin has been examined from various perspectives, given the extended influence on the marketing mix. The technologies present in modern society facilitated the process of collecting information for consumers, making research about their buying behavior more important than in anterior times. This paper’s purpose is to review the existing literature for a more accurate understanding of the country-of-origin concept and to analyze its effects on determining the consumers’ buying intention. Furthermore, the study explores consumers’ perception about a country’s image as a factor of influence in the purchase decision, focusing on a cognitive, affective and normative perspective. The aim is to outline new aspects on which companies should concentrate in gaining consumer’s trust, developing a durable competitive advantage. The findings suggest further directions in minimizing negative effects for some countries of origin, the attention being directed on the methods of reducing the halo effect of a country’s image on consumers’ perception. The conceptual approach of the subject completes the scientific literature by adding new connections between variables and by linking the explored findings with practical examples. The study also offers some recommendations for future research.