Abstract

This study builds from LeClerc et al.’s (1989, 1994) work on foreign branding effects, but it does so in the
context of a developing East European country; as in the case of Turkey. The purpose of this exploratory
research is to examine consumers’ attitudes towards products with foreign brand names and also to assess the
impact of foreign brand names on the purchasing decision making. In the data collection phase of the study an
in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 participants in the city of Ankara, Turkey. The results show that
products with foreign brand names elicit more positive consumer attitude than products with national brands.
Overall, the findings suggest that consumers prefer to purchase products with foreign brand names for a variety
of reasons which including quality, reliability, functionality and prestige. The results have important implications
for domestic and foreign manufacturers with regards to the consumer-side effects of their decisions on branding
strategies and on their competitive foreign branding decisions.

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