engleski

Exploring the Appeal of Socialist Era Brands in Post-Socialist Central and Eastern Europe

12 focus groups (n=101 participants), cutting across two countries (Croatia and Serbia) and three age groups (18-21, 35-45, pensioners), explored the contemporary appeal of confectionery brands originating from the socialist era. Socialist era brands from both countries were compared against those launched in the post-socialist era by local manufacturers, and transnational brands. In their home markets, there is high awareness of, and strongly favourable attitudes toward, the selected socialist era brands. However they are perceived principally as national brands rather than socialist per se with their consumption transcending age, class and gender boundaries. In the domestic market both personal nostalgia and ethnocentrism underpin the contemporary appeal of socialist era brands. Export prospects are much weaker as consumers indicate a strong preference for domestic brands vis-à-vis those from other ex-republics of the Socijalistička Federativna Republika Jugoslavija (SFRJ). This preference reflects both a normative, and of greater importance, cognitive dimension as country of origin is used as an extrinsic quality cue. However, the negativity toward brands from other ex-SFRJ republics, especially evident in Croatia, did not translate to transnational brands. This suggests that models that rely on a simple ‘domestic versus foreign brand’ dichotomy are inappropriate.

branding; nostalgia; ethnocentrism; Croatia; Serbia

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