Effect of Country Image on Product Evaluation and Purchase Intention of Korean Products: Evidence from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia

This study examined the effects of the cognitive and affective country image of Korea on product evaluation and purchase intention for Korean products. The research model was developed from relevant literature based on the halo effect model and data was collected using a self-administered online survey of 772 Southeast Asian consumers from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The major findings are as follows. First, analysis of variance revealed that Vietnam consumers have a significantly positive perception compared to Indonesia and Malaysia, regarding the affective country image and purchase intention towards Korean products. Second, results from structural equation model showed that the affective country image has significantly positive effects on product evaluation and purchase intention, which means the affective country image is directly and indirectly connected to purchase intention towards Korean products. However, cognitive country image only has an indirect effect on purchase intention. Third, the results of comparing path coefficient among three countries showed that the direct effect is more effective for consumers in Indonesia and Malaysia, whereas indirect effect has a stronger effect on consumers in Vietnam. Academically, this study contributes to an expansion of understanding the effects of country image by empirically proving the different roles of cognitive and affective dimensions for country image. This study provides practical implications for developing marketing communication strategies for businesses that hope to penetrate Southeast Asian countries.