COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, ANIMOSITY AND BRAND PERCEPTION

The consumers’ perception regarding a product’s country of origin, which may sometimes include negative feelings towards that country, may influence their decision to choose or reject that product. The current research aims to identify the extent to which the country of origin affects the purchasing behaviour of the fuels distributed by the various foreign networks present on the local market in Iasi, Romania. We chose to look at this issue because no research has been done on this topic locally, although this issue of perceiving the brand in terms of a possible animosity towards its home country is of utmost importance. The research method is a quantitative one, conducted by online survey based on a questionnaire. The sample targeted for research is represented by Romanian persons located in Iasi who own a motor vehicle fuelled on a regular basis by themselves

Online Buyer's Perspective of E-Shops Credibility: Measurement Dimensions

Addressing the debated topic of credibility in online sales, the present study analyses buyer's perspective. The study develops from the literature to test and refine a multi-dimensional measurement of e-shops credibility. Consumer's criteria for assessing e-shops credibility are empirically examined with 817 Romanian student participants. Detailed approach and methodology, as well as the results obtained, research conclusions, limitations, and implications, are presented. The study advances an instrument which reveals new dimensions of establishing credibility although most aspects were found to be similar to results previously presented in other studies. The proposed instrument offers a new multidimensional measurement and knowledge resources for business committed to using Internet advantages, and it might be viewed as a strategic tool which enables e-shops owners to strengthen their market presence, e-sales and customer base through an adequate management of the knowledge regarding online credibility

MIXING SOCIAL INTO SOCIAL MEDIA: ON-LINE NETWORKING IS TRANSFORMING THE WAY OF BUSINESS ALL OVER THE GLOBE

In last three years, we are witnessing an explosion on social media scene: more and more actors, spectacular growth. So, the social media phenomena cannot be ignored and it is global. Now, in 2011, Facebook is bigger than ever - the most visited site on the Internet. The popularity of social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, together with the growth of social technologies like blogs and wikis, presents a huge opportunity for marketers. This paper aims to present some facts about social-media users and about its incidence in Romania

GLOBALISATION – ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE MANUFACTURER

Years ago, at the beginning of the nuclear age, Einstein asserted that the atomic bomb would completely change the world. Currently, the same can be said about globalization. Globalization, thephenomenon which especially affects economy and life, is now one of the most debated topics in history: lectures, articles, books. Worldwide specialists in economics, politics, and sociology have analyzed in thousands of pages the phenomenon of globalization, its forms, evolution, impact and trends, but the views are so diverse and contradictory that it still is not reached even a universally accepted definition. Perhaps it is the so controversial topic that makes him so attractive. If some persons believe that the phenomenon of globalization ends before reaching its peak, others consider that the current situation is just the beginning of an era in which there are no boundaries

The country of origin: a brake or an accelerator when buying a car

This research aims to analyse the perception of the country of origin effect on the choice of a future car by the holders of a driving license, which are already possessing a car at the present moment. To solve the research problem, we can say that the results of this study would aim to answer the following questions: To what extent is the car’s brand country of origin and manufacturing country known by its owners? Is there a relationship between the perceived car’s brand country of origin image and its perceived quality? Are the brand’s country of origin and the country of manufacture factors influencing the decision to purchase a car? Is there a connection between the perceived reliability of a car and the perception related to the country of its origin? To respond to these questions, a street survey on 100 subjects (50 men and 50 women) from Iasi, aged between 18 and 65, having a driving license and a personal car was conceived. The sampling method is random, the study being exploratory. The results can be used to issue a series of assumptions about the country of origin effect on the decision to purchase new cars and other goods

Profile of Green Consumers in Romania in Light of Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities

Sustainability and responsible consumption are now the policies of companies interested in preserving a good reputation. If in the past, sustainability was an issue present only in the corporate social responsibility campaigns developed by companies; nowadays, this aspect has become a key element that has been proven to influence the purchasing behavior of consumers. The existence of policies and strategies in the area of sustainability does not necessarily mean their being put into practice as long as people, who make these objectives attainable, are not aware of them. The present paper aims to explore the green consumption of Romanian consumers, which would indicate whether the concern for environmental problems is then translated into an appropriate behavior; in other words, whether “words become facts”. At the same time, this paper analyzes the extent to which the “green trend” has gained popularity in Romania, how involved the Romanian consumers are with environmental issues and the behaviors they adopt in order to mitigate the impact on the ecosystem. However, there are differences between individual opinions on green consumption and the actual behavior adopted in trying to ameliorate this issue