Country of Origin Effect and Perception of Romanian Consumers

In the context of globalization, international trade has become more intense between nations. This exploratory research aims to identify the Romanian consumers' perception of the country of origin (COO). In the present research, we analyze two perspectives of the effect of the country of origin: that of the political economy and marketing. The positive impact of campaigns to encourage the purchase of domestic products has not yet been confirmed for the decision-makers. On the other hand, in order to achieve a successful marketing strategy, it is essential to know the consumer’s perception of the COO effect. The research data was collected through a survey conducted on a sample of 250 respondents from the North-East Region of Romania. The results confirm that the effect of the home country has a moderate impact on purchases and the COO effect is more associated with certain product categories. The average COO effect on quality perception is greater than the COO's average effect on purchasing intent.