Relevant or Redundant: Elite consumers' perception of foreign-made products in an emerging market

Hina Khan, David Bamber, Ali Quazi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)
1 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper examines the attitudes of elite Pakistani consumers concerning their preferences for foreign-made products and how these preferences influence purchasing decisions. Data were collected from a sample of 250 buyers using a mixed methodology consisting of focus groups and a questionnaire survey. The results show a link between the country of origin (COO) of products and purchasing decisions. The nature and extent of this link vary across product class and purchasing decisions. A means-end chain (MEC) analysis revealed a close link between consumers' liking for foreign products connected with how they valued those products both psychologically and physiologically. The findings have implications for attaining a competitive advantage by using marketing strategies to target elite customers. As a pioneering study, this paper advances the theoretical knowledge, providing a framework as well as specific guidelines for practitioners to conceptualise the COO construct. The paper also suggests a strategic direction that successfully targets the elite consumer segment in Pakistan
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1190-1216
Number of pages27
JournalJournal of Marketing Management
Volume28
Issue number9-10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

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