Purpose

This research investigates the role of marketing channel selection in influencing brand authenticity and purchase likelihood in the international marketing domain. Further, perceived firm size is identified as a mediator in this regard. The moderating role of consumer skepticism is also considered.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experimental studies were carried out across three different markets (India, the US and the UK) in the context of South Korean brands.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that firms utilizing (only) online channels are perceived to be smaller than those that utilize hybrid channels (i.e. both online and physical stores) or offline channels (i.e. physical stores). When consumers perceive firms to be smaller, they also report higher levels of brand authenticity, which in turn increases their purchase likelihood. Further, this effect is weaker among consumers with high levels of skepticism.

Originality/value

The findings of the present research contribute to the international marketing literature by demonstrating how consumers perceive online marketing channels, the role of marketing channel selection in driving brand authenticity, as well as providing managerial implications on how to promote products in the international market.

中文翻译：

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在线渠道在影响国际营销中感知的公司规模和品牌真实性方面的作用

目的

本研究调查了营销渠道选择在影响国际营销领域的品牌真实性和购买可能性方面的作用。此外，感知的公司规模被确定为这方面的中介。还考虑了消费者怀疑的调节作用。

设计/方法/途径

在韩国品牌的背景下，在三个不同的市场（印度、美国和英国）进行了三项实验研究。

发现

调查结果表明，与那些利用混合渠道（即在线和实体店）或线下渠道（即实体店）的公司相比，使用（仅）在线渠道的公司被认为规模较小。当消费者认为公司规模较小时，他们也会报告更高水平的品牌真实性，这反过来又增加了他们购买的可能性。此外，这种影响在高度怀疑的消费者中较弱。

原创性/价值

本研究的结果通过展示消费者如何看待在线营销渠道、营销渠道选择在推动品牌真实性方面的作用以及对如何在国际市场上推广产品提供管理启示，为国际营销文献做出了贡献。