Evaluation of International Brand Alliances: Brand Order and Consumer Ethnocentrism

This study investigates how native consumers evaluate international brand alliances (IBA) between a foreign brand and a native brand. The empirical results support the moderating effects of both brand order and consumer ethnocentrism (CET) on the effects of foreign and the native partner brand attitudes on the attitude towards an international brand alliance (IBA). The partner brand (regardless of its being a native or foreign brand) attitude has a stronger effect on the attitude towards an IBA when the partner brand appears first in the IBA than when appearing second. CET enhances the effect of the native brand attitude on IBA attitude unconditionally; but attenuates, only when foreign brand fit is low, the effect of the foreign brand attitude on IBA attitude.

Highlights

► Examine consumer evaluation of international brand alliance (IBA). ► Partner brand attitude has a stronger effect on IBA attitude when the partner brand name appears first. ► CET enhances native brand attitude's effect on IBA attitude. ► CET attenuates foreign brand attitude's effect on IBA attitude only when foreign brand fit is low.