EXPRESS: Unconventional lettering or “made in” labels? The influence of implicit versus explicit country-of-origin cues on consumers’ willingness to pay

Empirical evidence shows that foreign languages (FLs) act as implicit country-of-origin (COO) cues and affect consumer responses toward a brand. However, it is unclear whether unconventional lettering – an implicit COO cue that uses an FL script distinct from the consumers’ mother tongue – affects consumers to a greater extent than the “made in” label (explicit COO cue). This study investigates the effect of unconventional lettering versus “made in” labels on consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP). Across three experiments, consumers exhibit higher WTP for brands featuring unconventional lettering than for those with a “made in” label on the packaging. The results further demonstrate that (a) this effect can also operate indirectly through enhanced perceptions of brand authenticity, and (b) it is strengthened when consumer cosmopolitanism is high. Implications for research and practice are discussed, and suggestions for future research are offered.