Consumer Ethnocentrism And Consumer Associations With Slovak Brands

This paper describes the perception of Slovak consumers toward domestic and foreign brands and examines their associations with Slovak brands. The introduction to country of origin in marketing is provided, followed by a brief description of consumer ethnocentrism and consumer animosity; then description of research methodology is mentioned; and finally, research results are presented.The representative research was conducted in 2013 over a sample of 1,067 Slovak consumers over the age of 16. To capture the spontaneous reactions to Slovak brands, the respondents were asked to name what comes to their mind when they hear the expression “Slovak brand.” Slovak consumers associate domestic brands with quality, tradition, fair prices, and Slovakia. Their primary feelings toward Slovak brands are mostly positive. If they have negative perception, that is only because domestic products are not often available in stores and there is a lack of Slovak brands. Moreover, the consumers were presented with a list of 27 statements concerning their attitude toward domestic and foreign brands and their brand buying behavior. Based on the research results, Slovak consumers can be observed as very brand-oriented and often possess a strong brand loyalty when making purchasing decisions. Slovak consumers are not necessarily patriotic as far as purchasing is concerned. The main reason for buying Slovak products is only to support the economy and the Slovak consumers are very aware of the benefits of supporting domestic production. Nevertheless, consumer ethnocentrism is not typical for Slovaks.