Conceptualising the influence of corporate image on country image

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of corporate image on shaping the image of its country of origin (hereafter country image). Design/methodology/approach – The authors develop a conceptual framework and a series of propositions, grounded on previous studies on country of origin (COO), image transfer, corporate and place branding. Findings – The framework proposes that the influence of corporate image on country image can be moderated by four individual (country familiarity, corporate familiarity, brand image fit and corporate brand category-country brand image fit) and two corporate level variables (international visibility and market visibility). Research limitations/implications – A series of propositions is offered that aims to stimulate empirical research in this topical subject. Originality/value – Despite increasing acknowledgement of the influence that the image of corporations may exert on the image of their COO, this relationship has been under-researched. This paper draws insights from theoretical and empirical studies to shed some light on this area. A framework is presented which transcends previous corporate image formation models by looking at the other way of the relationship between corporate image and country image