A PILOT STUDY FOR THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN EFFECT ON BUYING BEHAVIOUR OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The buying behaviour of consumers is one of the most commonly researched subjects in marketing. ‘Country of origin effect’ (COO) is one of the key concepts casting light on the purchasing process of consumers. Many studies have shown that COO effect is vital for the buying process, persuasion and product evaluation. Consumer ethnocentrism is another important factor in the domain of COO effect studies. In light of this information, this study intends to find out COO effect awareness in the buying behavior of university students in Turkey. The purpose of this research is to show how a country’s products affect the buying behavior of young consumers in Turkey. Students of Istanbul University Faculty of Communication Public Relations and Advertising Department were employed as a sample because they are considered to be a more conscious group. Though the current sample does not represent all Turkish youth, further research can be conducted concerning Turkish products and the purchasing prejudices of different social shareholders. Such research would be important for understanding the behavior of Turkish consumers towards both Turkish and foreign brands since there is limited research on the COO effect in current Turkish literature.