Can Experiences With a Country's Foods Improve Images of That Country? |
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Authors: | Myung-Soo Jo Chang Soo Kim |
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Institution: | 1. Desautels Faculty of Management , McGill University , Montreal , Quebec , Canada;2. Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, College of Business Administration , Seoul , Korea |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACT This study examines how experience with other countries’ foods affects people's images of those countries, as well as the strength of such images. The findings show that foods are effective cultural elements that can enhance country images. People who have eaten a country's foods reveal more favorable country images than those who lack such experiences. Country images are even more favorable when people have more positive and many food experiences. Furthermore, positive country image effects are greater for people in opposite-hemisphere countries than for those in neighboring countries. Finally, people who prefer certain attributes of a country's foods provide more favorable ratings for related product attributes from that country, indicating affect transfer from food experiences to other product categories. These findings have key implications, especially for policy makers and researchers who seek effective ways to improve country images. |
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Keywords: | Country-of-origin effects country of origin cross-cultural marketing global consumer culture Korea |
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