Brand Foreignness

What it measures

A four-item semantic differential scale measuring the degree to which a consumer perceives a brand as foreign rather than domestic. Items assess whether the brand is used by consumers in other countries, whether it represents something foreign or domestic to the respondent, cultural associations with the brand's appeal, and the respondent's overall associations with the brand's origin. Blanks in items 2 and 3 require insertion of the respondent's domestic country or culture label, enabling the scale to be adapted across national contexts.

Response format

7-point semantic differential (fill-in-the-blank)

Scale items

• I don't think consumers in other countries buy this brand / I do think consumers in other countries buy this brand.
• To me, this brand represents something foreign / To me, this brand represents something [domestic]. (r)
• I associate this brand with things that are [domestic] / I do not associate this brand with things that are [domestic]. (r)
• The appeal of this brand is a very good symbol of foreign culture / The appeal of this brand is not a very good symbol of foreign culture.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK FORMAT: The blank in items 2 and 3 should be replaced with the domestic country or culture label relevant to the respondent's nationality (e.g., 'Chinese', 'Australian', 'American'). Single reliability estimate: α = .83 — Zhou, Yang & Hui (2010, n = 210 undergraduates). VALIDITY: Convergent and discriminant validity supported. NOTE: Scale was developed and validated in China; items 2 and 3 are reverse-scored (the domestic pole is scored higher to make all items consistent in direction). Adapted from measures by Batra et al. (2000) and Steenkamp, Batra & Alden (2003). Companion scales: Brand Bias (BBDF) and Brand Familiarity (BRFM) from the same study.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Zhou, Lianxi, Zhiyong Yang, and Michael K. Hui (2010). Non-local or local brands? A multi-level investigation into confidence in brand origin identification and its strategic implications. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 38(2), 202–218.

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