CHAPTER V CONCLUSION 5.1 Discussion This study attempted to identify how companies in the food and beverage industry leverage country-of-origin (CoO) to gain competitive advantage. In particular, the current study employed a single case study and aimed to examine company X's take on taking advantage of the CoO effect while also applying the resource based view. Overall, results from the study uncovered that, to address previously encountered local market challenges company X combined : strategic insights, balancing CoO and localization, relying on marketing tools, and brand differentiation. Firstly, In line with the CoO theory, company X manages to gain strategic insight to adapt a concept in line with a positively perceived CoO. This strengthens Agrawal & Kamakura (1999) findings that associating a brand with a CoO advantage can create a strong competitive advantage. Company X continues to leverage its CoO through country-specific branding, incorporating the country name into its menus, company name, and aligning the overall dining atmosphere. The company also emphasizes the authenticity of its offerings, as perceptions of authenticity are often influenced by the nation of origin (Verlegh, 2001). For instance, Company X uses mainly imported Korean beverages, as the product's country of origin strongly impacts customer evaluations (Chattalas, Kramer, & Takada, 2007). At the same time, the restaurant adapts to local tastes by offering diverse menu options, such as fusion dishes and adjusted spice levels, exemplifying glocalization as defined by Kwon (2017). This balance between authenticity and localization ensures the restaurant appeals to a broader demographic while still applying the CoO based cultural identity. Next, social media and content marketing is used as a tool to enhance its CoO. By leveraging engaging visuals and viral TikTok videos to attract the target market (Nguyen et al., 2024), Company X Introduced unique elements like service robots, new K-bbq concept, and innovative asian-inspired beverages, successfully increasing brand awareness and engagement. Last but not least, knowing that there is still limited competition, there is an external opportunity for company X to use their internal strengths to create a brand differentiation, one of which is the majority of the Asian workforce enhancing the restaurant's CoO-appeal. Another 25 focus is providing customer experience. The integration of interactive dining setups, exclusive services, and celebratory features further supports findings that consumers value experiences (Onem & Hasirci, 2020; Fransen & Lodder, 2010).​However, as consumer preferences and market trends can shift (Lim et al., 2022) it is essential to consider the nature of the firm and the dynamic factors that evolve over time when examining the challenges associated with leveraging CoO as a competitive advantage. To conclude, the primary contribution of this research is the finding that leveraging a positively perceived Country of Origin (CoO) can be highly beneficial for a company in certain contexts. Additionally, it is essential for firms to possess unique capabilities (Buckley, 2017) to effectively align and integrate CoO within their brand strategy. This case study demonstrated that, for this particular company, emphasizing Korea as its CoO proved effective when combined with the strategic use of firm resources and capabilities. However, one should also consider the nature of the firm and dynamic factors that change over time before studying the problem associated with leveraging CoO as a competitive advantage . 5.2 Implication for theory This study examines acase study of a Korean BBQ restaurant in the Netherlands, although it is chinese owned the company manages to leverage their Korean CoO thus this study adds to the existing literature of research on the strategic application of CoO as a branding tool.