The Impacts of University Brand on Korean and US Consumers: Focusing on Brand Reputation and Brand Fit

Purpose This study examines the impacts of brand reputation and fit of university brand on brand evaluation, purchase intention, and willingness to pay price in a cross-cultural context. Design/Methodology/Approach An experiment with questionnaire survey method was used in Korea and the U.S. to compare the different brand effects of university brands. Findings This study identifies the cultural difference between Korean and U.S. consumers regarding university brands. Korean consumers prefer the reputation of a university brand, while, to the contrary, U.S. consumers prefer the fit of a university brand. Research Implications This study clarifies the advantages of a university brand in the corporate-university alliance. Particularly, it can help brand managers find an appropriate alliance partner using the information regarding appropriate characteristics of a university brand. In addition, this study investigates the cultural differences of consumers responding to university brand.