This project focuses on three distinct kinds of stereotypes that are expected to influence consumer behavior, involving beliefs about the characteristics of (a) typical users of a certain brand (brand user stereotype), (b) different countries and their people (country-of-origin stereotype), and (c) different brands (brand stereotype). For example, would a decision to buy a new Mercedes car be subject to simultaneous, yet distinct influences by the brand stereotypes and the country-of-origin stereotype and the brand user stereotype? Or would only a subset of these stereotypes impact the purchasing decision? The usefulness of stereotypes as explanatory constructs in a consumer behavior context is clearly dependent on their ability to boost perceptions of consumer value and/or mitigate perceived risk, and this important issue is examined in the project. Moreover, the extent to which the interplay between multiple consumer stereotypes is characterized by cross-national stability (or otherwise) is also assessed. 

The following research questions are addressed by the project: 

• How are the brand user stereotype, the country-of-origin stereotype, and the brand stereotype related to one another and how do they influence customer perceived risk and perceived value as well as consumer decision-making and behavior?
• Which brand- and consumer-level characteristics potentially boost or suppress the aforementioned effects?
• Is there cross-national stability of the interplay and content of the different consumer stereotypes and their impact on consumer behavior?
• Do different stereotypes influence consumer evaluations in concert or whether one stereotype dominates?

This project is the first to consider multiple consumer stereotypes simultaneously, assessing their similarities/differences in terms of stereotype content and examining their consequences on behavioral outcomes. Branding research will benefit from this project because the routes through which different stereotypes impact brand preference and choice will be outlined. International marketing theory will be enriched by highlighting the nature and extent of cross-national stability/variability in stereotypical assessments and identifying whether they exhibit greater cross-country similarity when global brands are involved. Practitioners will benefit from empirically-based guidance on which stereotype(s) and stereotype content dimension(s) to emphasize (or downplay) in brand communications in an effort to enhance perceptions of customer value and reduce perceived risk.

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Project Leader

Co-Project Leaders

Team

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Gidaković, P. and Žabkar, V. (2022). The Formation of Consumers' Warmth and Competence Impressions of Corporate Brands : The Role of Corporate Associations. European Management Review, in press. doi: 10.1111/emre.12509.

Gidakovic, P., Szőcs, I., Diamantopoulos, A., Florack, A., Egger, M. and Žabkar, V. (2021). The Interplay of Brand-, Brand Origin-, and Brand User Stereotypes in Forming Value Perceptions. British Journal of Management, in press. doi: 10.1111/1467-8551.12552.

Zečević, M., Mijatović, D., Kos Koklič, M., Žabkar, V. and Gidaković, P. (2021). User Perspectives of Diet-Tracking Apps: Reviews Content Analysis and Topic Modeling. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(4), 1-16. doi: 10.2196/25160.

Gidaković, P. and Žabkar, V. (2021). How Industry and Occupational Stereotypes Shape Consumers' Trust, Value and Loyalty Judgments Concerning Service Brands. Journal of Service Management, 32(6), 92-113. doi: 10.1108/JOSM-12-2020-0447/full/html.

Diamantopoulos, A., Szőcs, I., Florack, A.,Kolbl, Ž. and Egger, M. (2021). The Bond Between Country and Brand Stereotypes: Insights on the Role of Brand Typicality and Utilitarian/Hedonic Nature in Enhancing Stereotype Content Transfer. International Marketing Review, 38(6), 1143-1165. doi: 10.1108/IMR-09-2020-0209.

Baker, A. and Florack, A. (2021). Uncovering Men’s Stereotype Content (Warmth and Competence) Associated with a Representative Range of Male Body Size Categories. Body Image, 37, 148-161. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.02.007

Micevski, M., Diamantopoulos, A. and Erdbrügger, J. (2021). From Country Stereotypes to Country Emotions to Intentions to Visit a Country: Implications for a Country as a Destination Brand. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 30(1), 118-131. doi: 10.1108/JPBM-09-2019-2563 

Kolbl, Ž., Diamantopoulos, A., Arslanagic-Kalajdzic, M. and Žabkar, V. (2020). Do Brand Warmth and Brand Competence Add Value to Consumers? A Stereotyping Perspective, Journal of Business Research, 118, 346-362. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.048

Florack, A., Egger, M. and Hübner, R. (2020). When Products Compete for Consumers Attention: How Selective Attention Affects Preferences. Journal of Business Research, 111, 117-127. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.05.009

Kolbl, Ž., Arslanagic-Kalajdzic, M. and Diamantopoulos, A. (2018). Stereotyping Global Brands: Is Warmth More Important Than Competence? Journal of Business Research, 104, 614-621. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.12.060.

Gidaković, P. and Žabkar, V. (2019). Vloga porabniških stereotipov pri ovrednotenju blagovnih znamk. Economic and Business Review, 21(4). 277-284. Link

Gidaković, P., Kos Količ, M., Zečević, M., Žabkar, V. (2021). How Brand Impressions and Brand Attitudes Mediate the Effect of Brand Social and Environmental Responsibility on Purchase Intentions. Proceedings Annual Conference of the European Marketing Academy Conference, May 25-28 (Madrid, Spain).

Diamantopoulos, A., Egger, M., Florack, A., Gidaković, P., Kolbl, Ž., Szőcs, I. and Žabkar, V. (2020). On the Interplay of Brand Origin, Brand and Brand User Stereotypes. Proceedings of the 11th EMAC Regional Conference, September 16-19 (Zagreb, Croatia).

Diamantopoulos, A., Kolbl, Ž., and Saracevic, S. (2019). "Blending In vs. Sticking Out?" The Impact of Brand Buyer Stereotypes vs. Consumers' Need for Uniqueness on Consumer-Brand Identification. Proceedings Annual Conference of the European Marketing Academy Conference, May 28-31 (Hamburg, Germany).

Szőcs, I., Diamantopoulos, A., Florack, A., Egger, M. and Kolbl, Ž. (2019). Country and Brand Stereotypes as Drivers of Brand Evaluations. Proceedings Annual Conference of the European Marketing Academy Conference, May 28-31 (Hamburg, Germany).

Gidaković, P. and Žabkar, V. (2019). Confiding in able Brands with Good Intentions: How Brand Stereotypes Affect Brand Trust. Proceedings Annual Conference of the European Marketing Academy Conference, May 28-31 (Hamburg, Germany).

Conference Presentations

Gidaković, P., Kos Koklič, M., Zečević, M. and Žabkar, V. (2022). ABC of Consumer Stereotypes About Brands: The Role of Brand Agency and Brand Conservative-Progressive Beliefs in Shaping Brand Communion,  presented at the American Marketing Association Winter Educators' Conference, February 18-20 (Las Vegas, USA). Awarded Best Paper in Branding Track.

Zečević, M., Gidaković, P., Kos Koklič, M. and Žabkar, V. (2022). Consumer Perspective for the Dynamic Process Model of Long-Term Corporate Survival: From Perceived Ethicality to Brands that Consumers Trust and Identify With, presented at the American Marketing Association Winter Educators' Conference, February 18-20 (Las Vegas, USA). Awarded Best Paper in 2022 AMA Winter Academic Conference.

Egger, M., Florack, A., Diamantopoulos, A. and Halkias, G. (2021). The “Common Good” Phenomenon in Country-of-Origin Effects, presented at the ESCON Transfer of Knowledge Conference, September 13-19 (Salzburg, Austria).

Baker, A. and Florack, A. (2020). A Systematic Investigation: Understanding the Stereotype Content Associated with Men’s Body Size, presented at the Interdisciplinary Conference in Psychology, May 7-8 (Ottawa, Canada).

Gidaković, P. and Žabkar, V. (2020). Brand's Warmth and Competence Matter! But How Do They Come About?, presented at the American Marketing Association Winter Educators' Conference, February 14-16 (San Diego, USA).

Gidaković, P. and Žabkar, V. (2019). Advancing Behavioral Aspects of Brands as Intentional Agents Framework, presented at INFORMS Marketing Science Conference, June 20-22 (Rome, Italy).

Szőcs, I., Diamantopoulos, A., Florack, A., Egger, M. and Kolbl, Ž. (2019). The Interplay between Country and Brand Stereotypes in Predicting Consumer Outcomes, presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business, June 24-27 (Copenhagen, Denmark).

Gidaković, P. and Žabkar, V. (2019). Examining Positive, Negative and Ambivalent Behavioral Consequences of Brand Stereotypes, presented at the American Marketing Association Summer Educators’ Conference, August 9-11 (Chicago, USA).

Gidaković, P. and Žabkar, V. (2019). How Consequences of Brand User Stereotypes Differ Between Users of Local and Global Brands, presented at European Marketing Academy Regional Conference, September 25-27 (St. Petersburg, Russia).

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