Consumer Affinity

Theory
Seven categories of affinity bases
Measurement Model of Consumer Affinity
Study 1
Study 2
Discussion



Table of Content
A feeling of liking, sympathy and even attachment
towards a specific foreign country that has become an
in-group based on direct personal experience and/or
normative expose and positively impacts consumer
decision making associated with products and services
originating from the affinity country (Oberecker et al.
2008)
Consumer Affinity
Idiosyncratic affinities
Normative affinities
Consumer affinity should be differentiated from the
constructs of xenophilia and internationalism
(Oberecker & Riefler & Diamantopoulos 2008)

Lifestyle
People & mentality
Lifestyle
Language
Cuisine
Scenery Landscape & diversity
Climate
Architecture
Culture History
Traditions
Similarities &
Dissimilarities
Politics & Economics Political situation
Economical Situation
Stay abroad Lived there
Long- term stay
Travel Holiday experience
Contact Friends
Relatives
Macro
Drivers
Micro
Drivers
Seven categories of affinity bases
Measurement Model of Consumer
Affinity
Sympathy
Attachment
Attitudes are usually developed in an early life stage
and tend to be stable over time (Balabanis et al 2001)

(...) consumer affinity tends to be stable, affinity
feeling are not irrevocable (Oberecker & Riefler &
Diamantopoulos 2008)

() women tend to be more critical consumers
(Bartos 1991)
University in Bangkok

69 MBA students

First part: Identify countries that you like

Second part: Why do you have positive feelings for
that country



Study 1
Macro Drivers
I admire the qualities of American citizens
I admire the quality of education in the USA
I would feel very safe when traveling in the USA
The USA have high quality of life

All the leading companies in the world are located in the
USA

The USA is the world business leader

Results
Micro Drivers
American are likable

American are open to new ideas
Americans are very creative
Americans are friendly
1. U.S
2. China
3. Singapore
4. Malaysia
Country: New Zealand
1,000 individuals, over 18.
Telephone/ email
Analyze attitudes toward U.S, Germany, Italy &
Singapore.
Products: Televisions, cameras, refrigerators

Study 2
Results

Willing to purchase
products from
culturally similar
countries
Willing to
purchase
products
according to
different
criteria's
Ethnocentrism
Studies that have dealt with cross-cultural comparisons of COO
effects, indicates that consumers attitudes towards foreign
countries differ significantly from country to country (Apil 2006)

We suggest that affinity may also occur if someone believes a
nation has a stereotype made up of positive emotional
associations (Oberecker & Riefler & Diamantopoulos 2008)

Associations might have been either personally experienced on
vacation trips or observed in advertisements and media
depictions (Oberecker & Riefler & Diamantopoulos 2008)




How can marketers change feeling of affinity towards
a country?

Does Consumer Affinity affect behavioural
intentions?


Discussion
Apil, A 2006, Foreign Product Perceptions and Country of Origin Analysis across Black Sea;
Studies on Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia and Turkey, IBSU International Refereed
Multi- disciplinary Scientific Journal, no. 1.
Bannister, J & Saunders, J 2014, Uk consumers Attitudes Towards Imports; The
measurement of national Stereotype Image, European Journal of Marketing, vo. 12, iss8, pp.
562-570
Chatallas, M & Kramer, T & Takada, H 2007, The impack of national stereotypes on the
country of origin effect, International Marketing Review, vol.25, no.1, pp. 54-74.
Oberecker, M & Diamantopoulos, A 2011, Consumers Emotional Bonds with foreign
countries: Does Consumer Affinity affect behavioural intentions?, Journal of International
Marketing, vol. 19, n0. 2, pp 45-72.
Oberecker, M et al 2008, The consumer Affinity Construct: Conceptualization, Qualitative
Investigation, and Research Agenda, Journal of International Marketing, vol. 16, no.3, pp. 23-
56.
Watson, J & Wright, K 2000, Consumer ethnocentrism and attitudes toward domestic and
foreign products, European Journal of Marketing, vol 34, no. 9/10, pp 1149-1166.
Wongtada N et al 2012, Developing and Validating Affinity: A new Scale to measure
Consumer Affinity towards foreign countries, Journal pf International Consumer Marketing,
vol 24, pp. 147-167.



References