ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the constructs of nation brands, product-country images, and country rankings. We suggest that businesses often do not realize the importance of these country-level constructs until they compete internationally, either by selling products overseas or when foreign firms enter their home markets. We also emphasize how these higher-level concepts potentially influence parallel firm-level constructs. These constructs may be particularly important for emerging market firms, which tend to be less known, causing stakeholders to rely more on country-level signals when evaluating them. We conclude with future research suggestions, several of which stress the importance of interdisciplinary studies.
