Perceived Local Iconness and Purchase Intention of Culturally Mixed Products from Global Brands: The Moderating Role of Consumer Perceived Value

This study investigates the influence of local iconness on consumers' purchase intentions for culturally mixed products and examines the boundary conditions that shape this effect. Drawing on signaling theory and the multidimensional framework of perceived value, the research explores how consumer perceived social value and epistemic value moderate the relationship between local iconness and consumer purchasing intention for culturally mixed products offered by global brands. The study collected 471 responses from Chinese consumers through an online survey and employed PLS-SEM to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that the local iconness of a culturally mixed product exerts a direct and positive influence on consumer purchase intention. Moreover, this effect is significantly strengthened by consumers’ perceived social value and epistemic value, both of which serve as effective moderating factors. Specifically, consumers who perceive higher social and epistemic values from a culturally mixed product are more likely to respond favorably to its local iconness, thereby increasing their purchase intentions. The study makes theoretical contributions by extending signaling theory to the context of culturally mixed products and by identifying the moderating role of perceived social and epistemic values in shaping consumers' positive responses to local iconness. Additionally, it offers practical implications for global brands seeking to enhance market relevance and consumer purchase intention by strategically integrating local cultural elements into their product offerings.