eThesis - School of Business electronic theses

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OBJECTIVES The objective of the study was to discover the relationship between brand origin and consumer-based brand equity. The study included four standard car brands and four premium car brands from four countries, which are recognized for their car production. The study explored the effect of brand origin on brand equity, and the difference in the effect between premium and standard cars. In addition, the impact of gender and product category experience on consumers’ perception of premium cars originating in various countries was studied.

METHODOLOGY The empirical data for the study was collected in February 2012 through a quantitative web-based questionnaire, which was targeted at the participants of two marketing courses in Aalto University School of Economics. A total of 102 usable responses were received. The data was analyzed with quantitative statistical methods. Two main analytical methods were Pearson correlation and one-way ANOVA. The cars’ brand equity was measured with sum variables for brand quality and brand image. Each sum variable consisted of five variables. Country images of the four countries were measured with sum variables, which consisted of 7 variables. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between brand equity and country image. One-way ANOVA was used to determine mean value differences between genders, and between respondents with different product category experience.

RESULTS The study suggests that Finnish consumers evaluate cars from certain countries more favourably than other countries. The results suggest that in some cases premium cars’ brand equity is influenced by the image of their origin more than standard cars. It is also suggested that brand origin effect is greater among females than males in the premium car segment.