International Marketing in Germany – From a cultural perspective

Values and Attitudes 
Another important cultural dimension is according to Terpstra values and attitudes. A 
person’s behavior is often based on values and attitudes. Our values guide us in life and help 
us take decisions and to separate right from wrong. They also set our priorities of what we 
wish to achieve in life. When marketing new products a company has to understand its 
markets and the attitudes of the buyers in order to form proper advertisements. The attitudes 
towards a few subjects and how they affect us are presented here. 
The 
attitude towards
marketing activities
varies widely in the world. In societies with high 
disapproval against marketing, marketing tends to be an underdeveloped area and it is not 
seen as attractive to work within marketing. It is, however, well accepted in the United States 
and in Western countries to work within marketing. This has brought them to a leading 
marketing position and a comparative advantage within marketing for western products. 
Within the Hindu or Buddhist countries, the ideal is a wish for nirvana or “wantlessness” and 
the attitude towards wealth and material gain is relatively negative, whereas in Western 
countries materialism and a very positive 
attitude towards
wealth
and acquisition
exists. 
In tradition oriented societies, the 
attitudes towards change
are very conservative and they are 
revering their ancestors and their behavior. In those countries a new product would be 
marketed as an already known, but with modifications, but in western countries where change 
is favored and the word “new” is seen as positive, a launch of a product becomes an event and 
the new features are stressed.
The biggest cultural difference is the 
attitude
towards time
. In western countries (Europe and 
the United States), time is money and it should be spent carefully and efficiently. In eastern 
countries (Asia), time exists and will always exist. Their time perspective is longer and much 
more relaxed as they believe in reincarnation. Life after death does not end but start again. 
The attitudes discussed above are all influencing consumer behavior in different ways and 
knowledge about those areas is vital when developing marketing programs.
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