STEREOTYPES IN CONSUMERS’ PRODUCT EVALUATION BASED ON THE COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN

This paper focuses on the concept of country-of-origin and its effects on consumers’ product evaluation process. Given the increasingly competition in the context of a global market, nowadays it has become a difficult task to create and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage. Consumers rely on many elements in evaluating a certain product, but country-of-origin remains a powerful variable in terms of product image and perception. The purpose of this study is to examine both the advantages and risks involved in consumers’ evaluation process, linking the concept of country-of-origin with certain stereotypes created around it. The study is based on exploratory research, through the investigation of secondary data as a collection method. As results, research showed that a positive country image can compensate in terms of perception for a weak brand, suggesting that a predetermined opinion can substitute a quality searched for in buying a product. The article concludes with a discussion of directions and limits, as an impulsion for future investigation.