Amir Foroughi et al./ Elixir Marketing Mgmt. 51 (2012) 10771-10774 10771 Introduction According to previous studies such as Bian and Moutinho (2009) nowadays counterfeiting has become an important phenomenon in the modern economy. In many countries such as middlest countries, demand for counterfeit branded products increased and this event makes the study of determinants of consumers counterfeit branded products purchase behaviour more worthwhile than ever before. According to Clunas (1991), counterfeiting has existed for a long time. Charity and Blatt (1994, 1993) believe that between 1984 and 1994 the value of counterfeit goods in the global market has increased around 1,100 percent. Penz and Stöttinger (2005) states:” Counterfeiting, the production and sale of fake products, which seem identical to the original product, have been spreading across the globe at an alarming rate”. International Anticounterfeiting Coalition(2002) reports show preferred targets of counterfeiters are products which carry a high brand image and require a relatively simple production technology, such as cigarettes, wearing apparel, media, consumer electronics, media, cigarettes. Several researchers such as., (e.g. Green & Smith, 2002; Kay,1990) studied on counterfeiting and they state manufacturers of the original products are well aware of these developments and leave no opportunity untapped to limit damages to their company’s brand reputation and profits. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of perceived brand image on consumer purchase intention of counterfeits in the context of non-deceptive counterfeiting. Theoretical background and hypotheses Brand image According to definition of brand image by several researchers such as McEnally and De Chernatony (1999); Brand image inconsistencies, namely the difference between the identity of a brand and its image, embody the threat of brand dilution or might even change the values incorporated into the brand. Brand image consistency is crucial to the success of any brand (McEnally and De Chernatony, 1999; Phau, 2009). One of the definition of brand image that is widely accepted in the literature is the on contributed by Keller (1993), which defines this term as the “perceptions about a brand reflected as associations existing in the memory of the consumer”. According to Martnez and Pina (2003) studies to building the brand image is necessary to refer to both tangible and intangible aspects, intrinsic or extrinsic, and can be the result of both external and internal stimuli to each individual, depending on their own experience with the brand question. The extant literature shows that brand image is a multi-dimensional concept , but there is no consensus on how to empirically measure it, Keller (1993), when posing a theoretical method for measuring brand equity, observes that brand image included associations related to the product (attributes, benefits and attitudes), variety of brand associations , strength of brand associations, and uniqueness of brand associations. Several researcher such as Bian and Moutinho 2009; Martinez and Chartony , 2004; Plummer, 2000 argue that brand image has the three key components include the product attributes, the benefits/consequences of using a brand, and brand. The following provides conceptualization of these constructs as well as related hypotheses. Brand personality The brand personality concept focuses on providing a brand with a personality that provokes an emotional response (Park et al., 2008). Brand personality is defined as “the set of human characteristics associated with a brand” (Aaker, 1997, p. 347).The brand personality factor enables a consumer to express his/her own self or specific dimensions of the self (Kleine et al., 1993). It also creates an image of the brand’s typical user (de Chernatony and McDonald, 1998). The favourable brand personalities are a central driver of consumer preference and Elixir Marketing Mgmt. 51 (2012) 10771-10774 Exploring the role of brand image in explaining consumer shopping behavior of counterfeits Amir Foroughi 1 , Mehrdokht Sherilou 2 and Reihaneh Sadat Hajmirsadeghi 3 1 Faculty of Education, University Kebangsaan Malaysia. 2 University of IUST, Iran. 3 University of Technology Malaysia. ABSTRACT Nowadays in many countries, demand for counterfeit branded products increased and this event makes the study of determinants of consumers counterfeit branded products purchase behavior more worthwhile than ever before. The purpose of this paper was examining the impact of perceived brand image on consumer purchase intention of counterfeits such as clothes and shoes in the context of non-deceptive counterfeiting. The explanatory construct in this study include a brand image (Brand Personality, Perceived product attributes, Perceived benefits). This study conducted in Tehran, Iran. The sample size was 188 consumers in Tehran. The results indicated two of three dimensions of the brand image constructs appear to be significantly influential to consumers purchase intention of counterfeit branded products. The reliability of all adopted scales and validity of questions measured and discussed by conducted Cronbach Alpha coefficient and content validity. © 2012 Elixir All rights reserved. Marketing Management ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received: 14 August 2012; Received in revised form: 20 September 2012; Accepted: 3 October 2012; Keywords Brand image, Consumer behavior, Counterfeiting, Brand personality. Available online at www.elixirjournal.org Tele: E-mail addresses: foroughi.ukm@gmail.com © 2012 Elixir All rights reserved