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Introduction
Given the massive influence of country image on consumers’ purchase intentions (e.g. Roth and Diamantopoulos, 2009), products from developed countries can be effectively marketed by leveraging these countries’ robust and distinctive image. Consumers’ perceptions of a country’s image, however, may not be accurate or stable, especially in the case of a country that has recently gained developed country status, such as South Korea (henceforth known as Korea) or Singapore, which were considered newly industrialized economies from the 1970s to 1990s.
For example, the country image of Korea as a developed country may not have been clearly formed among global consumers; thus, its image as a developed country may not be accurately transferred to the evaluation of the country’s various product (Magnusson et al., 2014).
To extend our understanding to a country whose image is less distinctive and determine its impact on product evaluation, this study chose Korea and explored antecedents that contribute to shaping Korea’s country image. Among the factors contributing to forming a country’s image (Martin and Eroglu, 1993), this study chose two salient antecedents, one from the economic perspective and the other from the cultural perspective. For the economic antecedent, this study examines the influence of the prototypical brand. A prototypical brand is a corporate brand that most consumers associate with a country, such as Samsung, Hyundai and LG, which have been key to shaping Korea’s image by serving as ambassadors for the country (Anholt, 2000). Despite the increasing influence of corporate branding on country image (e.g. Anholt, 2005; Lopez et al., 2011), empirical testing of this relationship is still underexplored.
The other antecedent of country image this study proposes is when a representative cultural influence is substantial enough to create a country’s image – such as the Samba dance in Brazil, tea ceremony in Japan, etc. For Korea’s representative cultural influence, this study focuses on the growing popularity of Korean pop culture called K-pop, or the Korean Wave, that has shaped Korea’s image. Originating in soap operas, pop music and movies in the 1990s, the Korean Wave is known for its significant impact on Korea’s image and marketing strategies (Kuwahara, 2014). K-pop is considered the country’s second best-known export after Samsung, which was valued at US$5.7bn in 2015 (Korea...