Differences in Consumer Culture that can affect Product Strategy

Here is a list of things to consider that might affect how you decide to design or market a
product in a foreign country. This list is not meant to include legal differences, but instead
reflects potential differences in consumer behavior in different countries.
Amount of space in a home – For consumer products, space for appliances and storage is
limited in many parts of the world. This not only impacts the size of appliances and furnishings,
but also can lead to more frequent trips to the store, buying smaller quantities at a time

Where consumers expect to buy things – For example, in the USA, most people go to a big
box store to buy their over-the counter drugs, but in many parts of the world, those sections do
not exist in supermarkets. Instead they must go to a pharmacy.

Hofsetede’s Dimensions and Consumer Behavior – Don’t forget what we learned in week 2
about Hofstede’s dimensions. We mostly analyzed how differences can affect cross-cultural
management and leadership. But be sure to think about how differences in these dimensions
could affect product design or marketing messages, and include some in your reflection for this
lesson

 Highly collectivist cultures

 Highly feminine (caring. Nurturing) or masculine (achievement, assertiveness) values
 Strong short term or long-term orientation
 High uncertainty avoidance cultures
 High power distance cultures
 Highly indulgent or highly restrained cultures.

Sociocultural trends in the country – What issues seem to be getting a lot of press in the
country? Is health awareness a major trend? How about environmental issues? Does society
seem to be moving toward more materialism or toward a simpler lifestyle? As the middle class
grows, things that are common in the major developed nations of the world, products that you
might not think are that innovative, can be successful in this environment.