Navigating Brand Preference through Consumers´ Stereotypes

This project focuses on three distinct kinds of stereotypes that are expected to influence consumer behavior, involving beliefs about the characteristics of (a) typical users of a certain brand (brand user stereotype), (b) different countries and their people (country-of-origin stereotype), and (c) different brands (brand stereotype). For example, would a decision to buy a new Mercedes car be subject to simultaneous, yet distinct influences by the brand stereotypes and the country-of-origin stereotype and the brand user stereotype? Or would only a subset of these stereotypes impact the purchasing decision? The usefulness of stereotypes as explanatory constructs in a consumer behavior context is clearly dependent on their ability to boost perceptions of consumer value and/or mitigate perceived risk, and this important issue will be examined in the project. Moreover, the extent to which the interplay between multiple consumer stereotypes is characterized by cross-national stability (or otherwise) is currently unknown and will be also assessed. The following research questions are addressed by the project: How are the brand user stereotype, the country-of-origin stereotype, and the brand stereotype related to one another and how do they influence customer perceived risk and perceived value as well as consumer decision-making and behavior? Which brand- and consumer-level characteristics potentially boost or suppress the aforementioned effects? Is there cross-national stability of the interplay and content of the different consumer stereotypes and their impact on consumer behavior? Do different stereotypes influence consumer evaluations in concert or whether one stereotype dominates? We plan a series of seven complementary studies (some based on several samples) that will be conducted in Austria, Slovenia and in a developing country setting. Both consumer surveys and experimental studies (eye-tracking experiments) will be used to generate study findings. Regarding its contributions, this project is the first to consider multiple consumer stereotypes simultaneously, assessing their similarities/differences in terms of stereotype content and examining their consequences on behavioral outcomes. Branding research will benefit from this project because the routes through which different stereotypes impact brand preference and choice will be outlined. International marketing theory will be enriched by highlighting the nature and extent of cross-national stability/variability in stereotypical assessments and identifying whether they exhibit greater cross- country similarity when global brands are involved. Practitioners will benefit from empirically-based guidance on which stereotype(s) and stereotype content dimension(s) to emphasize (or downplay) in brand communications in an effort to enhance perceptions of customer value and reduce perceived risk.

Stereotypes are simplified attributions of characteristics and expectations. They are evident in many people's views and decisions - even when they are based on faulty generalizations. Little is known, however, about the influence of stereotypes on consumers' judgments and behavior. This project therefore investigated the importance of stereotypes and the associated beliefs about typical users of a brand, the countries of origin associated with a brand, and the brands themselves. A basic assumption of the project was that consumers view brands quite similarly to people or groups, and that comparable stereotypes are applied as cognitive shortcuts to people, groups, and brands. In fact, the project showed that consumers make inferences about positive or negative intentions about users of a brand just as they do about countries or brands, and develop expectations in stereotypical ways. Consumers have stereotypes about the positive intentions and competence of users of a brand, of people from different countries, and even of brands themselves. Various studies conducted as part of the project also found strong evidence that these different types of stereotypes not only relate to similar content, but are directly linked. For example, statistical models from the studies conducted suggest that stereotypes about brands are influenced by stereotypes about brand users and the origin of the brand. This result was found in the context of different countries with different brands. Moreover, since brand stereotypes are positively related to the perceived value of a brand and purchase intentions, this also supports the assumption that brand users as well as countries of origin can be used to specifically reinforce selected aspects of a brand such as expected positive intentions. In fact, this finding is also relevant with regard to the greater diversity of users or countries of origin portrayed in advertising, since, for example, stereotypes about positive intentions may well be found not only among groups of people portrayed in an idealized way, but also among people who deviate from the usual ideals of advertising.