Nicole Koschate-Fischer

Are Consumers Really Willing to Pay More for a Favorable Country Image? A Study of Country-of-Origin Effects on Willingness to Pay

Price-related consequences of the country-of-origin (COO) cue have received limited attention in extant literature. In this study, the authors draw from equity theory and cue utilization theory and investigate (1) whether a brands COO affects a consumers willingness to pay and (2) the extent to which the consumers familiarity with the brand moderates this relationship. The results of three complementary experimental studies reveal that COO indeed has a positive impact on willingness to pay. Furthermore, the authors find a negative moderating influence of brand familiarity on the COO effect in a high-involvement setting but not in a low-involvement setting. The authors discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings, and they identify directions for further research.

Willingness to Pay for Cause-Related Marketing: The Impact of Donation Amount and Moderating Effects

Companies increasingly employ cause-related marketing to enhance customer goodwill and improve their image. However, because these efforts have major implications for pricing strategy and firm profitability, understanding the relationship between the companys donation amount and customers’ willingness to pay is important. In particular, little is known about the moderating effects that influence this relationship or their underlying mechanisms. Study 1 confirms that two types of customer predispositions moderate the link between donation amount and willingness to pay: donation-related and cause-related predispositions. Three additional studies focus on the negative moderating effect of company–cause fit and provide insights into the underlying moderation process. Specifically, the motives customers attribute to the company mediate the moderating impact of fit on the donation amount–WTP link (Study 2), which occurs particularly in cases of utilitarian (Study 3) and privately consumed products (Study 4).

Moderating effects of the relationship between private label share and store loyalty

A key benefit of private labels for retailers is their potential to increase customers’ store loyalty. However, previous research has not examined how this relationship varies across customers and situations. This study contributes to knowledge in this area by developing a conceptual framework that guides the investigation of the role of four moderating factors in strengthening the private label brand share–store loyalty link: (1) customers’ price-oriented behavior, (2) degree of commoditization of the product category, (3) product category involvement, and (4) the retailers price positioning. This article draws on a large-scale empirical study using a household panel and questionnaire data for 35 diverse fast-moving consumer goods product categories. The results of this study show that the relationship between private label share and store loyalty is more complex than previous research has suggested. Specifically, the private label brand share–store loyalty link is stronger for customers with high price-oriented behavior, retailers with a low price positioning, and product categories that are less commoditized and have relatively higher involvement.

The EU as superordinate brand origin: an entitativity perspective

Purpose Drawing from the entitativity theory, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the European Union (EU) as a superordinate entity and investigate the extent to which a “Made-in-EU” designation leads to superior/inferior brand evaluations and through them to higher/lower purchase intentions than different country-specific designations. Design/methodology/approach Prior literature and qualitative interviews with consumers are used to generate several propositions regarding the role of the EU as a brand origin. These are subsequently tested in a series of four experimental studies using a common design but different country-specific origins as stimuli. Findings While a “Made-in-EU” designation is interpreted as a quality signal, linking a brand to the EU fails to generate positive affective associations. Furthermore, the exact impact of a “Made-in-EU” brand designation very much depends on the standard of comparison, that is, the specific country against which the EU is evaluated. Research limitations/implications Superordinate designations such as the EU can indeed represent distinct entities in consumers’ minds which strongly impact their perceptions and intended behavior. Practical implications Moving from a “home country” label to a “Made-in-EU” label is not advisable for owners of domestic brands. For foreign brands from EU countries with an unfavorable country image, adopting a “Made-in-EU” label is worth considering since it can strengthen quality perceptions. However, any quality advantage might be offset by weaker brand affect perceptions. Originality/value The concept of entitativity introduces a new conceptual lens in the context of origin research which – almost exclusively – has previously focused on the individual country as the unit of analysis.

The Made-In-Eu Label: An Entitativity Perspective on Country-of-Origin Effects

Origin designations have long been recognized as relevant cue impacting consumers’ evaluations and behavior towards products or brands. Yet, one aspect that has widely been neglected is the concept of entitativity. The general understanding within origin research is that the relevant entity is the country. However, consumers may also perceive entities based on regional designations. The European Union (EU) reflects such a superordinate regional entity and countries within the EU are often treated as a group in consumers’ minds. There even exists a voluntary ‘Made-in-EU’ label, depicting the consolidated production origin. It is, however, unexplored how consumers react to such regional/superordinate entity labels compared to concrete COO labels designating specific countries. From a managerial perspective, it is important to know whether and when to promote a ‘Made-in-EU’ label instead of a concrete COO label on a brand. In three complementary experiments, the present study assesses differences in consumers’ reactions to country-specific origin designations vs. superordinate entity labels, focusing on three outcome variables: brand quality, brand affect and purchase intentions. Findings show a strong consumer preference for close entity designations and a moderating effect of consumers’ identification with the EU entity. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are considered and future research directions identified.

Erlösmodelle für datenzentrische Dienstleistungen

Die Digitalisierung begunstigt die Entwicklung von datenzentrischen Dienstleistungen. Diese zeichnen sich durch die wertschopfende Nutzung von Daten aus. In dem Beitrag wird auf den Unterschied zwischen datenzentrischen und digitalisierten Dienstleistungen eingegangen. Zudem werden Erlosmodelle fur datenzentrische Dienstleistungen diskutiert. Bei Abonnement-, Freemium- und Pay-per-Use-Erlosmodellen findet eine direkte Bepreisung der Leistung statt. Demgegenuber werden bei Erlosmodellen, die auf der Kommerzialisierung von Werbeflache bzw. personenbezogenen Daten beruhen, Leistungen kostenfrei angeboten und uber Dritte refinanziert.