Research projects (co)funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovatian Agency
Research project
Member of University of Ljubljana
School of Economics and Business
Code
N5-0084
Project
Navigating Brand Preference through Consumers Stereotypes
Period
1.3.2018 - 28.2.2018
Range on year
0,91 FTE
Head
Research Organisation
Social sciences/Economics
Research Organisation
Abstract
Stereotypes capture the cognitive dimension of social perception and stereotyping involves an act of categorization whereby people assign characteristics to an individual belonging to a stereotyped group. A substantial body of social psychology research shows that stereotyping impacts perceptions, evaluations and behavior. In a marketing context, three distinct kinds of stereotypes are expected to influence consumer behavior. These involve socially shared and oversimplified sets of beliefs about the characteristics of (a) typical users of a certain brand (brand user stereotype), (b) different countries and their people (country-of-origin stereotype), and (c) different brands (brand stereotype). There are previous studies showing the impact of stereotypes on consumer perceptions and behavior. However, a fundamental shortcoming of extant consumer research on stereotyping is that the roles of different kinds of stereotypes in impacting brand evaluation and choice are invariably investigated in isolation of each other, which is problematic. Against this background and drawing from the rich body of literature on stereotyping, social psychology and consumer research, this project pursues four main research objectives, which will be realized across five studies:
- To answer the question how the brand user stereotype, the country-of-origin stereotype, and the brand stereotype are related and influence perceived risk and perceived value as key intervening variables that (partially or fully) mediate the effects of the different stereotypes on consumer decision-making and behavior.
- To investigate a range of brand- and consumer-level moderators imposing potential boundary conditions on the aforementioned effects
- To assess the cross-national stability of the interplay and content of the different consumer stereotypes and their impact on consumer behavior.
- To generate in-depth insights into whether the different stereotypes influence consumer perceptions, information processing, and behavior in concert or whether one stereotype dominates while the others are less salient or even inhibited.
Researchers
The phases of the project and their realization
| Phase | Realization |
| 1st phase: Development of conceptual framework and methods | In progress |
| 2nd phase: Interrelationships between and relative predictive ability of different stereotypes | In progress |
| 3rd phase: Moderating influences | |
| 4th phase: Replication in a developing/emerging market setting | |
| 5th phase: Activation and inhibition of stereotypes | |
| 6th phase: Attention to alternative stereotypes | |
| 7th phase: Publication and dissemination |
