Country of origin" as Brand Element one of the facts of life in global marketing is that perceptions about and attitudes toward par- ticular countries often extend to products and brands known to originate in those countries. Such perceptions contribute to the country-of origin effect: they become part of a brand's image and contribute to brand equity. This is particularly true for automobiles, electronics. fashion. beer, recorded music, and certain other product categories.
Perceptions and attitudes about a product's origins can be positive or negative. On the posi-tive side, marketing expert pointed out in the mid-1990s. "German is synonymous with as one