Consumer metaphoria: Uncovering the automaticity of animal, product/brand, and country meanings. Issue 2 (May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Martin, Drew; Palakshappa, Nitha; Woodside, Arch
• Is Part Of: Australasian marketing journal. Volume 27:Issue 2(2019)
• Page Start: 113
• Page End: 125
• Publication Date: 2019-05
• Subjects: Country-of-origin -- Brand -- FMET -- India -- Metaphor; Marketing -- Australasia -- Periodicals; Marketing -- Periodicals; 658.8480905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ausmj.2018.08.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1441-3582

Abstract

Highlights: Employs zoomorphic forced metaphor elicitation to country-of-origin. Collects data using multiple methods as stored by consumers. Shows how country-of-origin remains central when examined from an ecological perspective. Introduces Gephi software as a method to aggregate results for data interpretation. Abstract: Consumers automatically associate animals and experiences with certain brands and products. The capability of surfacing the "automaticity of being" (Bargh & Chartrand, 2000) using metaphoric research tools provides a paradox—consumers tell researchers deeply held beliefs about the consequences of associating brands and products with scant editing of their thoughts; consumers may tell more about themselves through metaphors than they would otherwise be willing to share. The study here is a primer on this indirect approach for collecting consumers' conscious and nonconscious thoughts about countries, brands, and industries. Using zoomorphic forced metaphor-elicitation, long interviews of eight Indian consumers uncover insights about their feelings about products from China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The findings demonstrate collecting rich data using metaphors offers new perspectives on how consumers view foreign products. Findings show mental processes in which consumers trust brands even if they are manufactured abroad. When brands are not identified, well-known industries associated with individual countries influence product choices. These findings suggest gestalt brand and country images explain aspects of consumer attitudes about foreign products. Chinese Abstract: 消费者会自动地将动物和体验与某些品牌和产品联系起来.使用隐喻性研究工具来揭示"存在的自动性" (Bargh & Chartrand, 2000) 的能力产生了一个悖论——消费者将他们根深蒂固的想法告诉研究人员, 而这些想法是关于将品牌与产品与他们未经编辑的想法联系起来的后果;消费者可能会通过隐喻来透露更多关于他们的信息, 而这些信息通常情况下消费者是不愿意分享的.这篇文章是关于通过运用这个间接方法来收集消费者对于国家, 品牌和行业的有意识和无意识的想法的入门读物.通过运用拟物隐喻提取 (zoomorphic forced metaphor-elicitation) 的方法, 本研究对8名印度消费者进行长时间的访问, 进而揭示他们对于分别来自中国, 新西兰, 英国和美国产品的感受的见解.研究结果表明, 使用隐喻收集的丰富的数据为消费者如何看待外国产品提供了新的视角.调查结果揭示了消费者信任品牌的心理过程, 即使这些品牌是在国外生产的.当品牌本身没有被识别时, 与个别国家相关的知名行业会影响产品的选择.这些发现表明, 格式塔品牌 (gestalt brand) 和国家形象可以解释消费者对外国产品的态度.