Places in names: an investigation of regional geographic brand congruency
| Published date | 19 November 2018 |
| Pages | 781-792 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-11-2017-1656 |
| Date | 19 November 2018 |
| Author | David R. Sloan,Damon Aiken,Alan C. Mikkelson |
| Subject Matter | Marketing,Product management,Brand management/equity |
Places in names: an investigation of regional
geographic brand congruency
David R. Sloan
Whitworth University, Spokane, WA, USA
Damon Aiken
California State University, Chico, CA, USA, and
Alan C. Mikkelson
Whitworth University, Spokane, WA, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this research is to explore the effects of regional geographic brand congruency (GBC) on brand trust, brand parity,
perceived value, brand honesty and purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach –The research uses an experimental method in two studies to test hypotheses derived from the literature.
Findings –This research conceptualizes GBC as the relationship between products/services and geographic regions that are authentic, credible and
fitting. Results from the two studies support the hypothesis that brands with regional GBC have higher levels of consumer evaluation compared to
brands with geographic incongruence or with no geographic reference at all.
Research limitations/implications –This research offers insight into the decision to name a brand. If one is going to associate a product with a
regional geographic location, it is more effective to use a location that is fitting as it applies to that product; otherwise, it would be best to avoid a
geographic association in a brand name.
Originality/value –The exploration of regional geographic brand congruency in relation to outcomes of brand trust, brand parity, perceived value,
purchase intentions and honesty offers new insights into the nature and role of place images.
Keywords Country image, Brand name, Place image, Consumer brand equity, Product origin, Geographic brand congruency
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Because brand names are associated with numerous
characteristics and deeper meanings in the memories and
imaginations of consumers (Aaker,1991;Keller, 1993), one of
the most important first steps in marketing involves naming
one’s product/service. Some noteworthy characteristics of
branding include choosing the rightquality symbols (Rao et al.,
1999), providing suitable credibility cues and information
about products (Erdem and Swait, 1998), communicating
tangible assets (Simon and Sullivan, 1993)andfittingly
imparting desired consumer perceptions about the product
(Fournier, 1998). Beyond cues of quality, safety, nutrition,
health and environmental responsibility, consumers in the
marketplace are also keenly aware of (if not actively searching
for) geographicbrand associations (Dimara and Skuras, 2005).
Much of the literature examining the effects of geographic
associations on consumer product evaluations focuses on
country of origin (COO) effects (starting with Schooler, 1965.
The extant COO research has found that products identical in
every way are often evaluated differently according to COO
image associations (Erickson et al., 1984;Johansson et al.,
1985). The very notion of origin can bringforth product quality
assumptions and associations (Erdemand Swait, 1998;Keller,
1993). Interestingly, Magnusson et al. (2011) found that
country of origin misattribution is very common and yet still
conveys a good deal of brand information. More recently,
researchers have noted that country typicality (and atypicality)
has a range of positive (and negative) brand associations
(Spielmann, 2016). This notion of typicality or “congruence”
of geographic associations has received relatively little
attention. We define geographic brand congruency (GBC) as
the relationship between products/services and geographic
regions that are authentic,credible and fitting.
Moreover, a logicalextension of the COO approach is to shift
to a region- and/or place-based level of analysis (Van Ittersum
et al., 2003a). Regional, place-based branding strategies
identify a morespecific locale than the entire country associated
with a product (Josiassen et al., 2013). This is appropriate
because the increase in open borders, multinational trade
coalitions and globalizationof markets have all contributed to a
more complex global management of brands (Leeet al.,2008).
These brands are often imbued with the regional associations
from whence they came (Spielmann, 2016).In addition, many
countries have significant intranational variability in religion,
values, voting behaviors and especially food consumption
(Rozin et al.,2003). For example, wine brands from
California’s Napa Valley take on associations and
characteristics of the region (not just from the USA) as do
wines from the Bordeaux region of France in comparison to
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on
Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
27/7 (2018) 781–792
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-11-2017-1656]
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