It is well established that differences in manufacturing location can
affect consumer preferences through lay inferences about production
quality. In this article, the authors take a different approach to this
topic by demonstrating how beliefs in contagion (the notion that objects
may acquire a special aura or "essence" from their past) influence
perceptions of authenticity for everyday consumer products and brands.
Specifically, they find that due to a belief in contagion, products from
a company's original manufacturing location are viewed as containing
the essence of the brand. In turn, this belief in transferred essence
leads consumers to view products from the original factory as more
authentic and valuable than identical products made elsewhere. The
authors further reveal that consumers who are higher in sensitivity to
contagion are more likely to exhibit this effect and that activating the
concept of contagion enhances preferences for products made in the
brand's original factory. The authors close by discussing theoretical
and practical implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]