Place branding scholars and practitioners increasingly highlight the influence that corporate image can exert on the image of the country of origin (COI). Yet, there is remarkably little theoretical and empirical research on this influence. In this qualitative and quantitative study the researcher aims (1) to analyse whether corporate image affects COI; (2) to identify consumer-related and company-related factors that affect the influence of corporate image on COI; (3) to examine the influence of corporate image- (net valence and consistency) and corporate-related factors (number of corporate brands and accessibility) on COI; (4) to investigate the moderating effects of corporate familiarity, business familiarity and consumer ethnocentrism on the influence of corporate image-related factors on COI; and (5) to describe the COI not only in terms of lists of attributes, but also in terms of holistic impressions. This study focuses on the case of Spain and is based on empirical evidence provided by undertaking, firstly, in-depth interviews with 13 place branding experts and, secondly, a face-to-face survey of 300 British people aged 18 and over living in London or Greater London, selected using a multi-stage area sampling technique. The findings reveal (1) the statistically significant positive impact of corporate image on one dimension of COI (political beliefs); (2) six consumer-related (awareness of the corporate brand’s COO; power of the corporate brand image; strength of the corporate brand-country association; brand image fit; brand image unfit; strength of the industry-country association) and four company-related (extent to which the company plays up or down its COO; the company’s international and market visibility; the number of corporate brands operating in the market) factors that influence the impact of corporate image on COI; (3) that corporate image- and corporate-related factors explain collectively 10 per cent or over of variance in the affective dimensions of COI and a smaller proportion of variance in the cognitive dimensions of COI; (4) that business familiarity has a significant effect moderating the influence of net valence on COI; and (5) that tourism is the dominant element of the image that British people have of Spain. Theoretical (conceptual model, first study testing the influence of corporate image on COI) and managerial (guidelines for selecting corporate brands to be included in country branding campaigns) implications of these findings are considered, and finally, limitations of the study and future research directions are suggested.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how dimensions of Country of Origin Image (COI) can impact the purchase propensity of consumers. Drawing on the literature of international marketing, consumer behaviour, and social psychology, an experiment with a three-product category (experiential, functional, and symbolic) was designed to analyse purchase propensity of Swedish consumers for Brazilian products. To collect the data, Swedish consumers divided into three groups were part of the experiment. Each group had contact with one product category having five advertisements with different appeals, answering a survey sent via e-mail. Overall, COI appeals was found to have a higher purchase propensity benefit than no COI. Evidence was found that dimensions have different purchase propensity benefit among the product categories. The findings offer evidence that in a cultural distance setting, COI appeals should be implemented for the increase of purchase propensity, with adaptation based on context. / <p>Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the presentation took place on-line, in a Zoom conference.</p>

A área de estratégia, por meio da teoria baseada em recursos (RBT), desenvolve estudos que procuram compreender as características, recursos, capacidades e processos que levam algumas empresas, na mesma indústria, a terem um desempenho melhor que seus concorrentes. A RBT atingiu a maturidade teórica exigindo novos rumos para a sua revitalização. Simultaneamente, os estudiosos de marketing internacional afirmam que a teoria sobre a imagem do país de origem (COI) precisa ser revigorada e recomendam que ela seja analisada à luz da literatura de estratégia. É sob essa perspectiva que esta tese apresenta a sua contribuição, desenvolvendo e validando uma escala de importância de COI na perspectiva empresarial. O construto foi desenvolvido com base em uma capacidade específica da empresa: a construção e gestão da marca. Para isso, as bases teóricas sobre RBT, interface entre RBT e marketing, COI e marca foram revisadas e, ancorada nesta literatura, foi possível identificar os processos para incorporar a COI na estratégia da marca, os quais foram utilizados como dimensões da escala. Foram realizados diversos procedimentos psicométricos seguindo as recomendações de diversos psicometristas. O constructo foi definido como a capacidade de gestão da incorporação da COI à marca (BCOI), que reflete a importância conferida pela empresa para usar a COI como um recurso na construção da capacidade de marca. Após a etapa inicial, em que foram gerados e validados os itens com pesquisadores e com gestores, realizou-se um levantamento com 457 executivos. A amostra foi dividida em duas subamostras para aplicação de diferentes técnicas estatísticas. Na subamostra 1 foi realizada uma análise fatorial exploratória que confirmou o modelo inicial da escala delineado junto a pesquisadores e gestores no processo de geração de itens. Esse modelo foi testado na subamostra 2 por meio da análise fatorial confirmatória e da modelagem de equação estrutural. Os resultados indicaram que a BCOI se manifesta por meio de 26 itens organizados em cinco dimensões: elementos textuais e visuais, sentidos, recursos culturais, recursos naturais e empregados / The strategy stream, through resource theory based (RBT), develops studies that seek to understand the characteristics, features, capabilities and processes that lead some companies in the same industry, to have a better performance compered to its competitors. The RBT has reached the theoretical maturity requiring new directions for its revitalization. Simultaneously, international marketing scholars claim that the theory about the country of origin image (COI) needs to be invigorated and recommend it to be examinated in the light of the strategy literature. It is from this perspective that this thesis presents its contribution by developing and validating a scale of importance of COI in business perspective. The construct was developed based on a specific capability of the company: building and manageming the brand (branding). For this, the theoretical basis of RBT, the interface between marketing and RBT, COI and branding were reviewed and anchored in this literature, it was possible to identify the processes to incorporate the COI in the brand strategy, which were used as scale dimensions. various psychometric procedures following the recommendations of several psychometricians were performed. The construct was defined as the branding capability of COI incorporation (BCOI), which reflects the importance given by the company to use the COI as a resource in brand building capability. After the initial stage, in which items were generated and evaluated with researchers and managers, a survey with 457 executives was held. The sample was divided into two subsamples for application of different statistical techniques. An exploratory factor analysis was performed with subsample 1. The EFA produced an initial scale model that was tested in subsample 2 through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results indicated that the BCOI iis manifested through 26 items organized into five dimensions: textual and visual elements, senses, cultural resources, natural resources and employees.

A área de estratégia, por meio da teoria baseada em recursos (RBT), desenvolve estudos que procuram compreender as características, recursos, capacidades e processos que levam algumas empresas, na mesma indústria, a terem um desempenho melhor que seus concorrentes. A RBT atingiu a maturidade teórica exigindo novos rumos para a sua revitalização. Simultaneamente, os estudiosos de marketing internacional afirmam que a teoria sobre a imagem do país de origem (COI) precisa ser revigorada e recomendam que ela seja analisada à luz da literatura de estratégia. É sob essa perspectiva que esta tese apresenta a sua contribuição, desenvolvendo e validando uma escala de importância de COI na perspectiva empresarial. O construto foi desenvolvido com base em uma capacidade específica da empresa: a construção e gestão da marca. Para isso, as bases teóricas sobre RBT, interface entre RBT e marketing, COI e marca foram revisadas e, ancorada nesta literatura, foi possível identificar os processos para incorporar a COI na estratégia da marca, os quais foram utilizados como dimensões da escala. Foram realizados diversos procedimentos psicométricos seguindo as recomendações de diversos psicometristas. O constructo foi definido como a capacidade de gestão da incorporação da COI à marca (BCOI), que reflete a importância conferida pela empresa para usar a COI como um recurso na construção da capacidade de marca. Após a etapa inicial, em que foram gerados e validados os itens com pesquisadores e com gestores, realizou-se um levantamento com 457 executivos. A amostra foi dividida em duas subamostras para aplicação de diferentes técnicas estatísticas. Na subamostra 1 foi realizada uma análise fatorial exploratória que confirmou o modelo inicial da escala delineado junto a pesquisadores e gestores no processo de geração de itens. Esse modelo foi testado na subamostra 2 por meio da análise fatorial confirmatória e da modelagem de equação estrutural. Os resultados indicaram que a BCOI se manifesta por meio de 26 itens organizados em cinco dimensões: elementos textuais e visuais, sentidos, recursos culturais, recursos naturais e empregados / The strategy stream, through resource theory based (RBT), develops studies that seek to understand the characteristics, features, capabilities and processes that lead some companies in the same industry, to have a better performance compered to its competitors. The RBT has reached the theoretical maturity requiring new directions for its revitalization. Simultaneously, international marketing scholars claim that the theory about the country of origin image (COI) needs to be invigorated and recommend it to be examinated in the light of the strategy literature. It is from this perspective that this thesis presents its contribution by developing and validating a scale of importance of COI in business perspective. The construct was developed based on a specific capability of the company: building and manageming the brand (branding). For this, the theoretical basis of RBT, the interface between marketing and RBT, COI and branding were reviewed and anchored in this literature, it was possible to identify the processes to incorporate the COI in the brand strategy, which were used as scale dimensions. various psychometric procedures following the recommendations of several psychometricians were performed. The construct was defined as the branding capability of COI incorporation (BCOI), which reflects the importance given by the company to use the COI as a resource in brand building capability. After the initial stage, in which items were generated and evaluated with researchers and managers, a survey with 457 executives was held. The sample was divided into two subsamples for application of different statistical techniques. An exploratory factor analysis was performed with subsample 1. The EFA produced an initial scale model that was tested in subsample 2 through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results indicated that the BCOI iis manifested through 26 items organized into five dimensions: textual and visual elements, senses, cultural resources, natural resources and employees.