Does brand market value affect consumer perception of brand origin in the purchasing process? The case of Tuscan wines

A plethora of studies have demonstrated that brand of origin is a significant factor in the purchasing process. It is not clear however how the various components of quality perception can affect the level of importance that a consumer might associate with a brand of origin. This paper aims to bridge this gap by investigating the buying behaviour of a luxury wine compared to that of a super-premium wine. We believe that the components driving consumer quality perception play an important role in reducing or reinforcing the brand of origin effect, but this role can vary in intensity according to the wine market price segment. The analysis was conducted on a sample of 5,173 consumers from the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, UK, Sweden, Belgium and Italy. The results reflect that “brand knowledge” and “brand attitude” act differently on the brand of origin effect depending on the market price segment. On the other hand, results regarding “brand image” showed an overall reinforcing role of the brand of origin effect not affected by wine price. Some managerial implications arise from the strategic use of the brand of origin.