• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.7-16
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• 2014

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to target Chinese consumers of Korean agri-food through the analysis of agri-food brand identity images to set future directions for proposed agri-food exports to China. Since negotiations began for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Korea and China, some Koreans have worried about the Korean agriculture sector. The world trading system has undergone many changes in recent years. Since the start of FTA negotiations on agriculture, China and Korea have faced a heightened sense of crisis. China is trying to export agricultural products so actively that its agricultural exports could increase by more than 7% annually. China exported about one-tenth of its agricultural products to Korea in the period 2002-2010. Recently, the importance of brand identity has tended to increase, as the world becomes one unified market. In this situation, we should try to promote agri-food exports to China. It is very important to understand consumers' recognition of Korean food and the image of the Korean agri-food industry, to establish an export strategy. Research design, data, and methodology - This study targeted 2,800 adult men and women aged 25-59 years living in four major cities in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Qingdao) with a household income within the top 10% level in the China, using the one-to-one interview survey method. In addition, four groups by region (eight people per group) for a total of 32 groups were surveyed by using the focus group interview (FGI) research method, and impressions of imported agri-food were surveyed using 17 questions about fresh agri-food and 22 questions on processed agri-food. Factor analysis, brand positioning, biplot analysis, and so on, were carried out based on the results of these surveys. This research presents the brand identity of Korean food; according to the analyses, the brand identity is based on trust, safety, and attractiveness. Result - Factor analysis results showed that Chinese consumers expect four major qualities in imported fresh agri-food: freshness/safety, attractive appearance, premium branding, and excellent taste/quality. In the case of processed agri-food, it turned out that Chinese consumers are focused on safety/hygiene/freshness, health, and taste. In addition, in the fresh agri-food analysis by country, American foods had the upper hand; the image of American foods was also recognized as the most positive for processed agri-food. Meanwhile, according to the biplot analysis, Korean agri-food is strongly preferred for its appearance, but no country is strongly preferred as regards the level of freshness/safety that is expected by Chinese consumers. Conclusions - In this study, we analyzed the image of imported agri-food expected by Chinese consumers by reconstructing agri-food characteristics from the brand perspective. The research result shows that a Korean brand identity must be the ultimate goal for activities undertaken to enhance the image of Korean agri-food in the future. Additional research is needed because brand image can be formed through various channels.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.29 no.5 s.142
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• pp.692-702
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to explore global consumer behavior with fashion products, Korean fashion products, and Korean traditional fashion products (i.e., Han-Bok). Clothing selection criteria for fashion products and Korean fashion products were included as major constructs far the comparison among global consumers based on their nationality. Other consumer behavior variables were shopping place, buying frequency, purchase experience/plan, preferred brand, purchase items, information source, purchasing usage, and the product evaluation of Hanbok. A convenience sample of 236 global consumers was selected for this study. A questionnaire was pilot tested, and the revised questionnaire was used for the interview survey. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were used for data analysis. Various nationality were existed such as Europe, North America, Japan, China, South East Asia. The results indicated that the most important criteria for fashion buying were design, fit, and size in order. Fit, size, and color item from buying criteria were significantly different among global consumers by nationality. Country of origin was found as less important factor among global consumers. Department store was most favorable shopping place, and once a month is the most mentioned category in buying frequency. Preferred brands were Levi's, Polo, Gucci, and Prada, etc. Secondly, regarding the evaluation of Korean fashion products, textile quality was highly evaluated. Significant difference except design/style category were existed among global consumers by nationality. Thirdly, regarding the evaluation of Hanbok, the product evaluation of Hanbok highly represented as special event clothing, unique image, beautiful details and oriental beauty in order. Significant difference in good quality of textiles, oriental beauty, coordination with good colors and fabrics, beautiful details and unique style and design were existed among global consumers by nationality. Managerial implications were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.31 no.6 s.165
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• pp.974-984
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to find differences in evaluation criteria and to find differences in preferred images based on benefits segmented groups of jeans products consumers. Male and female Korean university students participated in the study. Quota sampling method was used to collect the data based on gender and a residential area of the respondents. Data from 492 questionnaires were used in the analysis. Factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc test were conducted. As a result, respondents who seek multi-benefits considered aesthetic criteria(e.g., color, style, design, fit) and quality performance criteria(e.g., durability, ease of care, contractibility, flexibility) more importantly when evaluating and purchasing jeans products. Respondents who seek brand name considered extrinsic criteria(e.g., brand reputation, status symbol, country of origin, fashionability) more importantly than respondents who seek economic efciency. Respondents who seek multi-benefits such as attractiveness, fashion, individuality, and utility tend to prefer all the images: individual image, active image, sexual image, sophisticated image, and simple image when wearing jeans products. Respondents who seek fashion are likely to prefer individual image, and respondents who seek brand name more prefer both individual image and polished image. Mean while, respondents who seek economical efficiency less prefer sexual image and polished image.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.340-348
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• 2016

This study, through a review of advanced research, first, examined the attitudes to products traded in import agency shopping malls and the characteristic variables(product characteristic, customer characteristic) that influence the purchasing intention to understand influencing relationship. Second, the role of adjustment in the relationship between the attitude to the products and the purchasing intention was examined by putting the perceived risk to the moderating variables. Third, efficient controllable basic data in the characteristic variables capable of influencing the management of and import agency shopping mall based on the implications was obtained from the above research result. The 126 responses collected from a questionnaire were analyzed using the SPSS 23.0 statistics package, and the analysis result can be summarized as follows. First, the main cause that influences the attitude of treated products in an import agency shopping mall is the country of origin, national image, innovativeness and price perception, not the brand image. Second, the attitude of the products influences the purchasing intention of the import agency shopping mall. Third, the perceived risk partially plays a role as a moderating variable in the relationship between the attitude of products and the purchasing intention.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.19-40
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• 2002

According to the secondary data, private brand(PB)'s share of retail sales is 25-30% in the USA, but about 45 in Korea. In Korea PB's average price is 23.3% less than manufacturer brand. It is very interest that PB's price advantage doesn't have a good effect on it's share of retail sales. This research's objective is to study why Korean consumers don't purchase private brand cheaper than manufacturer brand. A theoretical reasoning depends on information cue theory and means-ends model of perceived value. A unit of analysis is consumers who purchase private brand at E-mart in Pusan city, one of largest discount store in Korea. Hypothesis tested by Lisrel's structural equation model and interesting results as follows: First, favorable brand image among extrinsic cues is most positively correlated with perceived quality/sacrifice and intrinsic cues is also statistically significant. This fact imply that intrinsic cues; package, logo, country of origin are very important in the adoption of private brand in Korea. Second, compared with manufacturer's brand, PB's perceived price is positively correlated with perceived quality/sacrifice. This fact imply a assimilation effect between manufacturer's brand and private brand. Finally, a correlation between perceived sacrifice and PB proneness is satistically insignificant, but perceived quality has a significant effect on its proneness. this fact imply that innovators(about 4% of potential consumer) are risk-taker.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.157-176
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• 2012

Brand switching data frequently used in market structure analysis is adequate to analyze non- durable goods, because it can capture competition between specific two brands. But brand switching data sometimes can not be used to analyze goods like automobiles having long term duration because one of main assumptions that consumer preference toward brand attributes is not changed against time can be violated. Therefore a new type of data which can precisely capture competition among durable goods is needed. Another problem of using brand switching data collected from actual purchase behavior is short of explanation why consumers consider different set of brands. Considering above problems, main purpose of this study is to analyze market structure for durable goods with consideration set. The author uses exploratory approach and latent class clustering to identify market structure based on heterogeneous consideration set among consumers. Then the relationship between some factors and consideration set formation is analyzed. Some benefits and two demographic variables - age and income - are selected as factors based on consumer behavior theory. The author analyzed USA automotive market with top 11 brands using exploratory approach and latent class clustering. 2,500 respondents are randomly selected from the total sample and used for analysis. Six models concerning market structure are established to test. Model 1 means non-structured market and model 6 means market structure composed of six sub-markets. It is exploratory approach because any hypothetical market structure is not defined. The result showed that model 1 is insufficient to fit data. It implies that USA automotive market is a structured market. Model 3 with three market structures is significant and identified as the optimal market structure in USA automotive market. Three sub markets are named as USA brands, Asian Brands, and European Brands. And it implies that country of origin effect may exist in USA automotive market. Comparison between modal classification by derived market structures and probabilistic classification by research model was conducted to test how model 3 can correctly classify respondents. The model classify 97% of respondents exactly. The result of this study is different from those of previous research. Previous research used confirmatory approach. Car type and price were chosen as criteria for market structuring and car type-price structure was revealed as the optimal structure for USA automotive market. But this research used exploratory approach without hypothetical market structures. It is not concluded yet which approach is superior. For confirmatory approach, hypothetical market structures should be established exhaustively, because the optimal market structure is selected among hypothetical structures. On the other hand, exploratory approach has a potential problem that validity for derived optimal market structure is somewhat difficult to verify. There also exist market boundary difference between this research and previous research. While previous research analyzed seven car brands, this research analyzed eleven car brands. Both researches seemed to represent entire car market, because cumulative market shares for analyzed brands exceeds 50%. But market boundary difference might affect the different results. Though both researches showed different results, it is obvious that country of origin effect among brands should be considered as important criteria to analyze USA automotive market structure. This research tried to explain heterogeneity of consideration sets among consumers using benefits and two demographic factors, sex and income. Benefit works as a key variable for consumer decision process, and also works as an important criterion in market segmentation. Three factors - trust/safety, image/fun to drive, and economy - are identified among nine benefit related measure. Then the relationship between market structures and independent variables is analyzed using multinomial regression. Independent variables are three benefit factors and two demographic factors. The result showed that all independent variables can be used to explain why there exist different market structures in USA automotive market. For example, a male consumer who perceives all benefits important and has lower income tends to consider domestic brands more than European brands. And the result also showed benefits, sex, and income have an effect to consideration set formation. Though it is generally perceived that a consumer who has higher income is likely to purchase a high priced car, it is notable that American consumers perceived benefits of domestic brands much positive regardless of income. Male consumers especially showed higher loyalty for domestic brands. Managerial implications of this research are as follow. Though implication may be confined to the USA automotive market, the effect of sex on automotive buying behavior should be analyzed. The automotive market is traditionally conceived as male consumers oriented market. But the proportion of female consumers has grown over the years in the automotive market. It is natural outcome that Volvo and Hyundai motors recently developed new cars which are targeted for women market. Secondly, the model used in this research can be applied easier than that of previous researches. Exploratory approach has many advantages except difficulty to apply for practice, because it tends to accompany with complicated model and to require various types of data. The data needed for the model in this research are a few items such as purchased brands, consideration set, some benefits, and some demographic factors and easy to collect from consumers.