Translating country-of-origin effects into prices

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of country stereotyping, bad press, and consumer ethnocentrism on the prices a country can command and be competitive. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 767 consumers were given prices for products in 11 different categories, then told each product was made in China. They were then asked how much more (if anything) they would be willing to pay if the product was made in Germany, the USA, or India. Findings - Price premiums were significant for all categories, and increased for those scoring higher on a Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CET Scale). However, completing the CET Scale before answering price questions caused respondents to have a lower price premium for US products. The size of the price premium was also positively correlated with the amount of exposure to negative news concerning Chinese products. Research limitations/implications - It is unknown how consumers would respond to categories not studied. Practical implications - The cost of setting up government controls and industry oversight is expensive. However, the cost of negative news with product recalls is also expensive. Countries who avoid such negative news may be able to price their products 14 percent to 100 percent higher. Originality/value - This study quantifies price premiums available to countries with a positive COO image. It also allows a manager to determine the feasibility of developing domestically produced products in specific categories, by identifying categories where consumers would pay a premium for domestically produced products.