Ett varumärke kan inte välja sina föräldrar
Within the interconnected global markets of today; people, products, and information travel at a pace never met before. In light of the global retail markets recent integration, consumers are opened up to new products and are beginning to develop a vetted interest in the heritage of those products. Within literature this process has been coined "Country of Origin" COO, and its impacts on consumer attitudes, product value- assessment, and overall behaviors has been one of the most emphasized areas of "international business" studies, during the last three decades. Numerous studies have shown a correlation between positive or advantageous associations to a country of origin, and the actual products representing and coming out of that country. It is by this synergetic process that so-called positive COO-effects are brought forth.The goal of this thesis stems directly from the still unexplored potential for Swedish firms to differentiate their products and brands on new international markets, through a strategic and coherent communication of relevant Swedish COO-effects. Based on the research predominantly conducted in New York, the Swedish COO-phenomena was examined both in terms of qualitative and quantitative elements. Primary data was gathered through interviews with famous Swedish retailers of fashion and beauty products, and through an experimental study-based survey concerning the degree to which a certain product communicates different levels of Swedish COO. The findings & results confirm that Swedish COO-effects exists in New York, and that they have an overall positive effect on consumer attitude, quality-perception of and behavior towards Swedish products.