Modeling Cultural Mindsets with Endorser Origins to Predict Brand Attitudes

Summary

An endorser’s native origin can trigger brand reactions in consumers due to their cultural predispositions. New research in this area has revisited ethnocentrism and xenocentrism, not as diametrically opposed mindsets but as ones coexisting in dynamic configurations, with each mindset expressed or suppressed as a result of origin cues from brands and endorsers. The resulting models provide blueprints for predicting favorable attitudes, by aligning targeting and messaging strategies with appropriate mindsets and origin cues.