What kind of reasons or bases could lead to strong and positive brand attitudes? This study aims to identify the factors that have strong relationships with positive brand attitudes and to test whether the findings can be generalized and applied across cultural contexts.
Historically, attitude research has assumed that attitudes are based on cognition (i.e. beliefs) and affect (Bodur, Brinberg, & Coupey, 2000; Crano & Prislin, 2006). This study suggests a new schema comprised of ‘self-based’ and ‘public-based’ evaluations as the foundation of brand attitudes. ‘Self-based’ evaluations refer to brand evaluations based on consumers’ personal judgments and feelings. These evaluations mainly derive from consumers’ experiences with products. In contrast, ‘public-based’ evaluations are influenced by others’ opinions and brands’ public reputations. Consumers are frequently exposed to word-of-mouth messages about brands and related products, and they can assess them even when they have not personally used the product.
Based on previous brand management literature, two hypotheses below were developed.
Hypothesis 1: Self-based evaluations predict positive brand attitudes, but public-based evaluations do not predict positive brand attitudes.
Hypothesis 2: Self-based evaluations predict the purchase intentions of consumers with independent self-construal, but public-based evaluations predict the purchase intentions of consumers with interdependent self-construal.
The data were collected in a Western and an East Asian country and analysed for authenticity as well as by country, which should be important to global brand building. The results supported the hypotheses and this study made three important discoveries. First, it demonstrated that self-based evaluation was a broadly important factor to building positive brand attitudes. Second, public-based evaluation was marginally effective for branding and is important only in the East Asian context. Third, it was found that authenticity had ‘double-edged’ effects on branding.
Finally, the contributions and implications of this study were discussed.

• Yoko Sugitani(Sophia University, Japan)