Reasons for country image evaluation: A study on China image from a Brazilian perspective

Abstract

This article's objective is to study the evaluations toward a country image, identifying groups of consumers with different underlying reasons for these evaluations. This is a descriptive and quantitative research, which applied the personification scale in a sample of Brazilian executives. A cluster analysis was carried out based on the respondents scores for the country image dimensions in order to identify different reasons for the bad evaluation of Brazilians about Chinese products. Two different respondents profiles for China's negative assessment were identified and it was seen that the bad evaluations are because of different scores attributed to the image dimensions named as Underdog, Economic Value Seeker and Quality and Satisfaction Seeker. As for a practical implication, Chinese companies that are interested in marketing their products in Brazil should develop special communication programs, with the goal of reducing the negative bias that consumers have with respect to Chinese products. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.