Effects of partitioned country image in the context of brand image and familiarity: A categorization theory perspective

This article examines the effects of brand image country image and familiarity with both brand and country on consumer evaluation of binational brands. Specifically two sub‐constructs of country image: overall image and product specific image and three different types of familiarity: product familiarity brand familiarity and country familiarity are identified and utilized. Hypotheses based on categorization theory are developed and tested using a mail survey of a random sample of US households. The study shows that product specific image plays a mediating role between overall country image and consumer evaluation. With product and brand familiarity moderate familiarity consumers utilize country‐of‐origin information less than low or high familiarity consumers. Likewise with country familiarity low familiarity consumers rely more on country‐of‐origin information than high familiarity consumers.