New media marketing as a driver of enterprise country of origin (COO) offer in international markets

Abstract

PurposeThe paper aims to highlight the role of Web 2.0 in international marketing, shedding light on the relationships existing between the country of origin effect and consumer behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe current study, drawn on the country of the origin (COO)W literature and Web 2.0 diffusion data, investigates the relationships between country of origin – seen as an idiosyncratic entrepreneurial offer – and the consumer, within an international marketing framework. Specifically, the paper focuses on the increasing role of Web 2.0 and social media as tools enabling enterprises to create and maintain adaptive and networking capabilities and to implement international marketing strategies.FindingsThe findings presented here reveal that international marketing is becoming increasingly similar to domestic marketing because of social media development. In other words, it is becoming more and more difficult for international products to contain themselves within single markets as local issues seldom remain local.Originality/valueThis paper fills a gap in the international marketing literature focusing on how social media, particularly in a pandemic era, can improve and enhance relationships between the product of origin and consumer behavior both in the assessment and in the actual purchase of products.