Effect of CEO Recognition on Brand Sympathy through Consumer Product Perception: A Comparative Analysis of Japanese and U.S. Consumers

This study investigated how consumers' chief executive officer (CEO) recognition relates to brand sympathy. CEOs influence their own organizations and individual consumers' perceptions. However, their influence on consumer behavior remains unclear. The first step of the consumer behavior change comes from CEO recognition and brand sympathy, which can be mediated by environmental, price, and functional product perceptions. In this study, 420 respondents from Japan and the United States participated in a questionnaire survey on digital devices. The direct effect of CEO recognition on brand sympathy was found only in the United States; an indirect effect through environmental product perception was confirmed in both countries.