Implication of international consumer behaviour on marketing strategy development

Question 1

Cultural influence

Answer 1

The broadest, deepest and most enduring influences on consumer behaviour

Question 2

Mental processes and the implication for branding and communication

Answer 2

Abstract versus concrete thinking
• for members of collectivistic cultures, the brand concept is too abstract to be
discussed in a comparable manner as in individualistic cultures

Information processing
• personal vs impersonal communication

Categorization
• based on product category or based on relationship

Question 3

Implications for branding

Answer 3

in collectivistic cultures brand can have different attributes and/or values in
different contexts while in individualistic it is consistent with respect to its
attribute and values

• the practices of Western branding and design are a reflection of the
uniqueness concept that is seen as a precondition to differentiation

• in Asian cultures the concept of originality does not exist as it does in the
West so the concept of branding is to abstract to be discussed in a comparable
manner as in individualistic countries

Question 4

Brand personality

Answer 4

can be defined in three ways:
• the unique characteristic of a brand that distinguish if from other
(competitive) brands (UK, Germany)
• the brand as a “human being” with human characteristics that are
associated with the brand (France)
• the reflection of a brand in its environment, their family and work (Spain)

Question 5

Brand personality – Aaker’s model (Svarbu)

Answer 5

• sincerity (down-to-earth, real, sincere, honest)
• excitement (daring, exciting, imaginative, contemporary)
• competence (intelligent, reliable, secure, confident)
• sophistication (glamorous, upper class, good looking, charming)
• ruggedness (tough, outdoorsy, masculine, and Western)

Question 6

Hig/low context communication

Answer 6

High context communication culture: 
• most of the information is either
part of the context or internalized in
the person
• economic, fast and efficient but
difficult to understand to
„outsiders”

Low context culture:
• characterized by explicit verbal
messages that are direct and
unambiguous
• high value and positive attitudes
towards words

Question 7

Implication for marketing mix development –

promotion

Answer 7

the purpose of advertising in individualistic cultures is to persuade and in
collectivistic cultures to build trust between buyer and seller

• in collectivistic cultures, contextual cues are more relevant for predicting
attitudes than product-related claims