Brand Origin Research: A Retrospective

This essay examines developments in brand origin (BO) and BO-related research since the publication of our study on the topic (i.e., Samiee, Shimp, & Sharma, 2005). Although the BO concept was first introduced a decade earlier, it did not gain much traction from researchers in international marketing (IM). Judging by its 245 Web of Science (WOS) citations, it is evident that our 2005 publication, in which we studied consumers’ knowledge of correct origins of a large number of brands, has motivated IM scholars to pursue much research activity involving BO. The postscript offers an overview of growth in BO-related publications overtime, specific areas examined, and noteworthy contributions to this topic. In addition, it provides leading journals in which BO articles have appeared, as well as the leading authors of BO-related publications based on WOS citation scores. It is clear from the published research on the topic that brand origin and its derivatives will continue to be considered and, as appropriate, included in future origin-related research projects. To this end, this retrospective offers some guidelines for future studies.