Nationalistic appeals and consumer boycotts in China, 1900-1949

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-524
Author(s):  
Tony Yan ◽  
Michael R. Hyman
Keyword(s):  
Historical Data ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Brands ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Social Events ◽  
Consumer Boycotts ◽  
Local Companies ◽  
Foreign Brands

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how nationalistic appeals may affect consumers’ perception and purchasing of targeted brands. Qualitative historical data from old China (1900–1949) reveal that social movement groups can adopt nationalistic appeals assisted by meaning framing – defined as a creative interpretation of symbols, designs, behaviors, social events and cultural identities to serve social and political goals – to shape consumers’ attitudes toward foreign brands. After examining the mechanisms and processes underlying consumer boycotts from 1900 to 1949, the responsive strategies of affected foreign companies are illustrated. Design/methodology/approach Critical historical research method is applied to historical data and historical “traces” from China’s corporate documents, memoirs, posters, advertisements, newspapers and secondhand sources documenting Chinese boycotts from 1900 to 1949. Findings Consumers may pursue interests beyond economic interests. Nationalistic appeals can mobilize consumer boycotts against foreign brands that were perceived to support or relate to targeted countries. Political framing of certain events shapes consumers’ perceptions and concomitant brand choices. Research limitations/implications Although differences between historical and current contexts may require tailoring past marketing strategies to current conditions, past strategies can inform current and future strategies. Practical implications Strategies adopted by foreign companies in old China (1900–1949) can help contemporary companies design effective marketing strategies for a hostile marketplace infused with nationalistic appeals and competing interests. Social implications Although local companies can adopt economic or political nationalism to realize their economic goals, it represents a double-edged sword that can harm national brands. Originality/value A historical analysis of nationalistic business appeals in pre-1949 China can inform the counterstrategies modern companies adopt to overcome consumer boycotts.

Cross-culture product hybridization in pre-communist China (1912–1949)

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 548-574
Author(s):  
Tony Yan ◽  
Michael R. Hyman
Keyword(s):  
Historical Data ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Cross Culture ◽  
Global Marketplace ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Marketing Efficiency ◽  
Communist China ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Studies on cross-culture marketing often focus on either localization or globalization strategies. Based on data from pre-communist China (1912–1949), product hybridization – defined as a process or strategy that generates symbols, designs, behaviors and cultural identities that blend local and global elements – emerges as a popular intermediate strategy worthy of further inquiry. After examining the mechanisms and processes underlying this strategy, a schema for classifying product hybridization strategies is developed and illustrated. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Critical historical research method is applied to historical data and historical “traces” from pre-communist China’s corporate documents, memoirs, posters, advertisements, newspapers and secondhand sources. Findings Strategic interactions between domestic and foreign companies in pre-communist China fostered products and a city (Shanghai) containing Chinese and non-Chinese elements. Informed by historical traces and data from pre-communist China (1912-1949), a 2 × 2 classification schema relating company type (i.e. foreign or domestic) to values spectrum endpoint (i.e. domestic vs foreign) was formulated. This schema reflects the value of communication, negotiation and cultural (inter)penetration that accompanies cross-culture product flows. Research limitations/implications Cross-culture marketing strategies meant to help companies satisfy diverse marketplace interests can induce a mélange of product design elements. Because product hybridization reflects reciprocity between domestic and foreign companies that embodies multiple interests and contrasting interpretations of product meanings, researchers should examine globalization and localization synergistically. Practical implications Strategies adopted by domestic and foreign companies in pre-communist China (1912–1949) can help contemporary companies design effective cross-culture marketing strategies in a global marketplace infused with competing meanings and interests. Originality/value Examining historical strategies adopted in pre-communist China (1912–1949) can inform contemporary marketers’ intuitions. Understanding product hybridization in global marketplaces can improve marketing efficiency.

Pawnbroking in pre-1949 China: soft strategies for overcoming a negative image

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 580-591
Author(s):  
Tony Yan ◽  
Michael R. Hyman
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Ethical Values ◽  
Moral Value ◽  
Negative Image ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the means for enhancing the image and business legitimacy of a socially discredited industry – pawnbroking in pre-1949 China – are explored. Previous studies suggest companies operating within such industries cannot solely rely on hard marketing strategies “to maximize sales and profits as they do with soaps and shoes” (Davidson, 2003, p. 7). Instead, they must find soft strategies for improving company and industry image and legitimacy. Design/methodology/approach This research relies on qualitative analysis of historical data and documents. Findings Soft strategies deployed by Chinese pawnbrokers – such as interpretations, moral value advocacies and institutionalized arrangements – contributed substantially to improving pawnbroking’s image and business legitimacy. Research limitations/implications Interconnections among ethical values, image, business legitimacy and select marketing strategies are clarified. The efficacy of historically analyzing previously implemented business strategies and their embedding contexts is discussed. Practical implications Strategies Chinese pawnbrokers used to mitigate their previously negative image and boost their business legitimacy suggest strategies current socially disapproved companies can use to improve their image and business legitimacy. Originality/value A historical analysis of pre-1949 Chinese pawnbroking can suggest soft marketing strategies for overcoming consumers’ negative company and industry impressions.

Examining brand origin recognition accuracy in Indonesia

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 878-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fandy Tjiptono ◽  
Haja Tiana Rakotondrainibe Andrianombonana
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Recognition Accuracy ◽  
Brand Names ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Evaluation ◽  
Local Companies ◽  
Foreign Brands ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Populous Country ◽  
Origin Recognition

Purpose Brand origin (BO) has been suggested as an important determinant of brand evaluation and purchase intention. However, previous studies have indicated that consumers have limited knowledge and ability to recognize national origin of brands. The purpose of this paper is to assess brand origin recognition accuracy (BORA) and its relationships with brand evaluation and purchase intention in the Indonesian laptop market. Design/methodology/approach A convenient sample of 195 people in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta participated in the survey. They were given a list of 18 laptop brands (four local and 14 foreign brands) and were asked to identify their actual national origins. Findings The study found that consumers are more likely to misidentify than correctly recognize a true BO. This limited ability also has contributed to the low BORA scores for both local and foreign brands. Brand evaluation was found to be positively correlated with purchase intention. However, the current study could only find partial supports for the relationship between BORA scores and brand evaluation as well as purchase intention. Practical implications Many Indonesian consumers are unaware of the laptops’ BO, whether it is foreign or local. Companies need to inform, educate, and/or remind consumers of their brand’s true origin and avoid being associated with a weaker country image. Furthermore, despite all four Indonesian laptop brand names seem to use non-Indonesian names, only one brand gains a slightly better brand evaluation from favorable misclassification. It may suggest that the effectiveness of foreign branding strategy in the Indonesian laptop market is debatable. Originality/value This is one of the few studies examining BORA in Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country and the largest laptop market in Southeast Asia.

South-east Asia's fintech ecosystem is growing

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Local Markets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electronic Payments ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Digital Infrastructure ◽  
Local Companies ◽  
Financial Technology

Subject Expansion of fintech in South-east Asia. Significance South-east Asia is primed for a rapid expansion of financial technology ('fintech'), despite a lack of both digital infrastructure and region-wide regulation. The region is seeing growing demand for electronic payments. Impacts As fintech develops across South-east Asia, acquisitions of smaller local companies by large players will increase. In many local markets, foreign companies will be forced to rely on local fintech providers. New regulations could provide opportunities for new forms of digital protectionism. Malaysia is well positioned to be a leader in Islamic fintech.

Weaknesses undermine Japan’s advanced IT sector

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Software Companies ◽  
Software Engineers ◽  
Japanese Enterprise ◽  
Local Companies ◽  
Foreign Competitors ◽  
The Internet Of Things

Subject Japan's software sector. Significance Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for Japan to engage in the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ -- areas such as the 'Internet of Things', big data and artificial intelligence. However, Japan is lagging behind in most advanced high-tech sectors. The country is strong in particular areas, mainly manufacturing, but its software companies have not progressed in comparison with foreign competitors. Impacts Japan’s software providers are unlikely to catch up with their global competitors. Japanese enterprise software is oriented to suit local companies' needs, with little attraction elsewhere. Japan’s software users will look abroad for the latest capabilities. Because of low domestic salaries, the top Japanese software engineers are lured away by foreign companies.

Brand Origin Recall Accuracy (BORECA): a new measure of brand origin salience

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 464-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatma Abdellah-Kilani ◽  
Rihab Zorai
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Brand Awareness ◽  
Recall Accuracy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Task Knowledge ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Brand Quality ◽  
Foreign Brands ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize and test a new concept named “Brand Origin RECall Accuracy” (BORECA) that assesses consumers’ ability to recall accurately the origins of brands they are aware of. It measures consumers’ brand awareness and brand origin (BO) awareness for a given product category. Design/methodology/approach Based on the accessibility–diagnosticity model and the limitations of the brand origin recognition accuracy concept, the authors propose and test the BORECA concept focusing on one product category (apparel) in an emerging country context, i.e. Tunisia (Mena). A sample of 374 respondents were surveyed on country-of-origin (COO)-category awareness, brand awareness, BO awareness and foreign vs local brand quality evaluation. Descriptive statistics, correlation indices, MANOVA and linear regression analysis were used in data analysis. Findings Results show a substantial BORECA score, i.e. highly accurate awareness of the origins of the recalled brands, affected by respondents’ age, gender and education level. The average BORECA score for local brands is higher than for foreign brands. The local BORECA score seems to positively correlate to respondents’ evaluation of local brand quality and negatively to foreign (dominant COO category) brands. Research limitations/implications Based on an aided recall task rather than simple recognition, BORECA provides a deeper assessment of brand awareness and BO awareness. The pressure induced by the task (knowledge test + retrieval effort) may cause anxiety bias that inhibits the recall of other brands and BOs. Practical implications Nationalistic and ethnocentric tendencies emerging in the findings point to some branding strategies for both local and foreign companies. Originality/value The paper provides a good indication of BO salience in an emerging economy. It seeks to explain the impact of the BORECA score for local brands on the perceived quality of both local and foreign brands.

Differential reporting of social and environmental disclosures between local and foreign oil companies in Nigeria

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Odhiambo Odera ◽  
Albert Scott ◽  
Jeff Gow
Keyword(s):  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Corporate Websites ◽  
Changing Patterns ◽  
Environmental Disclosures ◽  
Oil Sector ◽  
Local Companies

Purpose This study aims to identify the differences between local and foreign companies’ social and environmental disclosures (SEDs) practices operating in the Nigerian oil sector. It aims at distinguishing SED levels by comparing local and foreign companies operating in the oil sector. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses annual reports through content analysis. SED extent and type are measured by the number of sentences. SEDs are further classified into three subcategories according to whether they are negative, neutral or positive disclosures and then their proportions are compared through descriptive analysis. To better understand SED differences, the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon tests are used. Findings Local companies are found to provide more content and a wider variety of SED than foreign companies. The majority of the total SEDs in both local and foreign companies are positive with very little evidence of negative news. Research limitations/implications The measurement of SEDs focuses on only annual reports, without consideration of other disclosure media such as standalone reports and corporate websites. SEDs are assumed to be voluntary for the companies and they may choose not to disclose any information in annual reports, as there are no regulations or disclosure guidelines in Nigeria to be followed. Originality/value The main contribution of this study lies in identifying the factors that have led to diversity and uniqueness in SED between local and foreign oil companies. As such, this study seeks to contribute to the development of understanding multiple factors that could give rise to changing patterns of SED.

Assessing sustainability marketing from macromarketing perspective: a multistakeholder approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soha Abutaleb ◽  
Noha El-Bassiouny
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Planned Behavior ◽  
Planned Behavior ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
Sustainable Products ◽  
Government Role ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe paper examines three main stakeholders in the market and their roles toward achieving sustainability marketing. Those stakeholders are consumers, companies and policymakers. The current study is examining consumers’ attitudes toward sustainability marketing and their purchase intentions of sustainable products through the use of theory of planned behavior. The paper is also examining the role of companies and policymakers in encouraging consumers to consider sustainability in their purchasing decisions.Design/methodology/approachConcurrent research study is applied, where qualitative and quantitative research methods are conducted at the same time for different purposes with equal weights. Qualitative interviews were applied with fast-moving consumer goods companies and policymakers, while quantitative surveys were applied with Egyptian consumers.FindingsThe results showed that companies are taking serious and effective steps in transforming their marketing strategies into sustainable marketing ones. The government role is still limited as there are no strict laws and regulations that force companies and factories in Egypt to develop sustainability marketing strategies. Consumers’ attitudes were highly affected by firms' sustainable practices as well as subjective norms that led to influencing their intentions toward purchasing sustainable products.Originality/valueAlthough the topic of sustainability marketing is considered by a plenty of researchers in the academic discipline, there are no studies that have combined the main three stakeholders' roles in achieving sustainability marketing in one study. The study highlights the impact of government role and firms' role on consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions toward sustainable products, especially convenient products. This was done through the adoption of the theory of planned behavior.

When foreign brands appear local, and local brands appear foreign

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Chen
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Brand Names ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Foreign Brand ◽  
Foreign Brands

PurposeBoth foreign and local companies frequently name their brands in foreign language on the market of developing countries, and some of them choose to disclose the brands' country of origin to consumers. The purpose of this research is to investigate the joint effects between the practices of disclosing the actual country of origin of the brands and the language of the brand names on consumers' purchase intention for foreign brands and local brands in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed hypotheses were tested in two studies, namely an experiment and a field experimental survey, with stimuli from two product categories.FindingsThe results of the two empirical studies with Chinese participants consistently demonstrate that revealing the actual country of origin of the brands undermines consumers' purchase intention for local brands that use foreign brand names, but does not impact consumers' purchase intention for foreign brands that use local brand names.Originality/valueThis research first investigates the effects of adapting the brand names into local language of developing countries for brands from developed countries on consumers' purchase intention, which provides new insight into the literature on foreign branding and country of origin effects as well as practical implications for brand managers.

Information processing by elderly consumers: a five-decade review

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluigi Guido ◽  
Marco Pichierri ◽  
Cristian Rizzo ◽  
Verdiana Chieffi ◽  
George Moschis
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Processing Activity ◽  
Elderly Consumers

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review scholarly research on elderly consumers’ information processing and suggest implications for services marketing. Design/methodology/approach The review encompasses a five-decade period (1970–2018) of academic research and presents relevant literature in four main areas related to information processing: sensation, attention, interpretation and memory. Findings The study illustrates how each of the aforementioned phases of the information processing activity may affect how elderly individuals buy and consume products and services, emphasizing the need for a better comprehension of the elderly to develop effectual marketing strategies. Originality/value The study provides readers with detailed state-of-the-art knowledge about older consumers’ information processing, offering a comprehensive review of academic research that companies can use to improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts that target the elderly market.

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