Why do consumers in developing countries prefer foreign brands? A planned study of Japanese brands in Vietnam

The effect of consumer identification with a nation on brand evaluation has received limited attention in the international marketing literature. This paper draws on social identity theory and identification literature to develop a conceptual model and associated hypotheses to capture the impact of ‘consumer identification with a nation’ on consumers’ brand evaluations. The model, which will be tested with data from Vietnamese consumers regarding Japanese products, contributes to identification theory. It indicates the different ways identification impacts on consumer perceptions and evaluations of products. The planned research aims at advancing branding theory and practice by incorporating identification as an important antecedent of consumer-based brand equity.