The Interplay Between Brand Globalness and Localness for Iconic Global and Local Brands in the Transitioning Chinese Market

Focusing on the transitioning Chinese market, this study examined the interplay between perceived brand globalness and localness for local and global brands. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were first conducted to explore Chinese consumers’ changing meaning-making of iconic global and Chinese brands. The qualitative findings illuminated consumers’ evolving understanding of global and local brands, and the complicated dynamics between perceived brand globalness and localness. An online survey was subsequently administered to empirically assess the connection between brand globalness and localness across different iconic local and global brand pairs. The impacts of these brand perceptions on brand prestige and quality were further evaluated.