International Marketing in Germany – From a cultural perspective

2.4.1
 
The Marketing Mix 
The marketing mix is widely known and applied. However, there is more to the marketing 
mix than just the traditional four Ps, such as Kotler’s two Ps and Magrath’s three Ps. Yet, we 
chose to look on the impacts of culture on the traditional four P’s: price, product, place and 
promotion, since Magrath’s three P’s, personnel, physical facilities and process management, 
apply to the service sector and Kotler’s two P’s don’t seem to have had as high penetrating 
power.
We found price, product, place and promotion to be relevant components in the marketing 
mix in the manufacturing business. Regarding price, we have chosen to include pricing 
strategy, list price, discounts and allowances and payment period. Regarding product, we have 
chosen to focus on the core product, actual product and augmented product. In the matter of 
promotion we include advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, direct marketing and 
public relations. And finally, regarding place we include distribution channel, market 
coverage assortment, inventory and transport/delivery. 
2.4.2
 
Culture Theories 
After reviewing four significant models that describe culture, we have formed us a valuable 
picture of what culture is. This was significant for us in order to be able to form our own 
definition of culture.
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The models that we have examined have been of difference to each 
other in more than one aspect. Terpstra’s culture model is a very wide model including more 
than all other reviewed models, especially than Hall’s model of high and low context. 
Trompenaars’ and Hofstede’s models are similar to each other both describing culture in 
cultural value dimensions. Sweden and Germany are graded similar within Hall’s model of 
high and low context and within some dimensions within Trompenaars’ and Hofstede’s 
models implying that the similar aspects are of less importance when analyzing Germany out 
of a Swedish perspective.
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All models will be regarded within the pre-study about German culture whenever it is 
possible and relevant. However, we have chosen a modified version of the cultural model of 
Terpstra to lie as ground in the pre-study since it is a very wide model, covering almost all 
cultural aspects.
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Some dimensions within Trompenaars’ and Hofstede’s culture models are 
of particular interest such as masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and specific versus diffuse.