Work

How Does the CEO’s Influence Affect Consumer Brand Trust? The Mediating Effects of Symbolic and Environmental Product Perceptions

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: With the growing ubiquity of internet social-media venues, chief executive officers’ (CEO) exposure to consumers has increased dramatically. This article explores the mechanism of CEO influence on brand trust examining 420 Japanese and U.S. consumer data. The findings reveal how CEO influence can change brand trust. In particular, this article finds that the indirect positive effect of CEO influence on brand trust is mediated by symbolic and environmental product perception in the U.S. and Japan. However, the direct effect of CEO influence on brand trust is not confirmed. This study discovered the country differences in the effect of CEO influence on consumer product perceptions. In the U.S., symbolic product perception is more affected by CEO influence than environmental perception, which is more influential in Japan.

Source: Journal of International Consumer Marketing

DOI: 10.1080/08961530.2021.1890299

Author: Hiroyasu Furukawa

Institution: Nihon University

Language: English

Topic: Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification

Subfield: Marketing

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Award: Effects of materialism on the preference for environmentally and socially conscious products.