Consumer Affinity Construct

Sentiments toward foreign countries have potential power in explaining consumption behavior and are therefore, of importance to marketers. While negative sentiments toward foreign countries in general (e.g., due to ethnocentric tendencies), as well as toward a specific foreign country (e.g., due to feelings of animosity) have received considerable attention in the literature, research efforts on positive sentiments toward foreign countries, their sources, and their consequences on consumption behavior, such as intentions to consume products or brands, are still limited. The consumer affinity construct addresses the behavioral consequences of favorable, affectively based sentiments toward a specific foreign country. Specifically, research reveals that consumers indeed have affinities for certain countries. These affinities are based on so-called affinity drivers, which capture direct and/or indirect experiences with the affinity country. Overall, the consumer affinity segment shows a heightened willingness to buy products from the affinity country and thus represents a potentially interesting segment for international marketing activities. Keywords: consumer affinity; country affect; international segmentation