Aggregate Images of American and Japanese Products: Implications on International Marketing

This study using semantic differential responses to a set of 20 attitudinal (criterion) variables attempted to identify a composite ''made-in'' image for US and Japanese products as perceived by American and Japanese consumers. Principal components factor analysis was used to red...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of world business : JWB 1981-07, Vol.16 (2), p.31
Main Author: Narayana, Chem L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Consumer attitudes
Foreign
International
Marketing
Perceptions
Prestige
Product image
Quality
Recognition
Semantics
Variables
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This study using semantic differential responses to a set of 20 attitudinal (criterion) variables attempted to identify a composite ''made-in'' image for US and Japanese products as perceived by American and Japanese consumers. Principal components factor analysis was used to reduce the semantic differential responses, resulting in an analysis of American and Japanese perceptions of the ''made in Japan'' and ''made in USA'' images. Image data were gathered using Nagashima's semantic differential format. Questionnaires were administered to a random sample of 100 residents each of Moscow, Idaho (US) and Fukushima, Japan. There appeared to be a measure of consistency in factors used by both Japanese and US consumers in reaching their composite perceptions. Most of the image factors seemed related to advertising. US consumers perceived US products to be more reliable, of better workmanship, more expensive, and more prestigious than Japanese products, while the Japanese consumers consider Japanese products to be of better quality, less popular, less mass-produced, less widely distributed, less prestigious, and more functional than American products.
ISSN:1090-9516
1878-5573