International Marketing in Germany – From a cultural perspective

5.3.3
 
Promotion 
The Absolut Company uses many different types of promotion to communicate the 
message
in Germany as well as in the entire world. The company applies a global concept but wit local 
adaptations or executions. Each event or communication message has to fit within “The 
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The Absolut Company 
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Ibid 
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Ibid 

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Absolut World” concept but adjustments for local taste and preferences are made for the 
German market.
A typical adaptation would be an event recently carried out in Germany when launching the 
Absolut Disco. The Absolut Company rented some Porches, which are loved in Germany and 
wrote Taxi signs on them with the message: “This would be possible in an Absolut world”.
A typical execution would be “Absolut Brazil”, where different artists have designed their 
own skin for the Absolut bottle. Another example is the exhibition of Helmut Lang “Alles 
Gleich Schwer“.
The executions are created according to local taste and preferences with an event to increase 
the attention. The 
communicator
is standardized and is always the bottle or the brand Absolut, 
but the Absolut Company doesn’t make use of any spokesperson.
The Absolut Company has a global definition of the 
target group, 
with adaptations towards 
every country, but this information is confidential. The company performs local research to 
gain knowledge about its customers since the consumer behavior differs widely between for 
example Berlin and Sao Paulo. There are differences within consumption patterns, where the 
people see the advertisements, how they perceive the product, the brand and so on, which is 
why The Absolut Company has an adapted target group.
The Absolut Company uses every kind of 
media 
for its promotion and it is also locally 
adapted to the different markets. In Germany it uses TV and print as above the line media. 
The company also uses the Internet, its own website with blogs and information. The Absolut 
Company is also seen in other companies’ websites in different cooperation’s. 
Personal sales
are adapted to each market but the main concept is the same. In Germany there 
is one brand ambassador who educates the sales force (200 persons), takes care of prestige 
customers and works as a first contact to The Absolut Company. The 
sales promotion
is 
adapted and consists of the different editions: Absolut Disco, Absolut Masquerade, Absolut 
Fashion but also of “buy a bottle and get a glass for free” campaigns. The Absolut Company 
is trying to build up the brand in all channels. It uses a lot of adapted 
public relations
, and a 
good example is the event in Germany with the Porches as taxis. Public relations, events, 
different cooperation’s and campaigns in stores are often used as below the line media.
The Absolut Company doesn’t use traditional 
direct marketing
like post, but it does so 
through newsletter inviting to the website, emails and through other creative co operations. 
All direct marketing actions done in Germany by the Absolut Company are adapted and 
influenced by the German culture, by its preferences, how Germans shop and what they 
shop.
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