International Marketing in Germany – From a cultural perspective

5.1.2
 
Product 
The 
core product
is standardized, since it is seen as most rational within production. The 
actual product is standardized in the matters of 
package,
size, 
quality, features
, 
brand name
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Wasa Bröd AB 
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Ibid 

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54 
and recipes. The only part not being standardized is the language of the text on the 
label
, 
which differs from country to country.
The advantage of standardization according to Wasa Bröd is economies of scales and the 
disadvantage is that the product is less flexible. A more optimized mix would be to have 
bigger packages in Sweden and smaller in Germany due to the differences in consumption 
patterns.
The augmented product is limited, since Wasa Bröd doesn’t offer installation service, 
warranty service or delivery service to its end-customers. 
After sales service 
exists, but only 
in the matter of reclamations in stores and the procedure is standardized.
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5.1.3
 
Promotion 
The 
advertising message
is locally adapted to the German market since the Germans have a 
different type of consumption and a different relation to the product compared to the Swedes. 
In Germany Wasa Bröd build its promotion on “Swedishness” using metaphors like 
“Healthiness and pureness” but it does not use any kind of 
communicator. 
Wasa Bröd’s 
target group
of the advertising is the active German women between 30-40 
years old. This is an adaptation since its target group in Sweden is broader and consists of 
men and women (25-50 years). The company only uses the 
media:
TV, since it is seen as the 
most cost effective and gives it local presumptions to affect its target group and market in the 
best way. The company’s choice of media is adapted to the German market. 
Personal sales
is adapted and is used for the stores and chain stores, however, it is not used 
for the end customers. Wasa Bröd’s German sales office works to find successful concepts 
and cooperation’s with department stores. It uses 
sales promotion
adapted to the German 
market containing information in German about its coming products, different types of price 
promotion as well as sales promotion on the package. Price promotion can be exemplified by 
different types of discounts.
The reason for the adapted personal sales and sales promotion is mainly due to the fact that 
the products are still in a more initial phase than in Sweden. Hence, Wasa Bröd needs to assist 
the German market with as much services as possible such as a German sales office with 
native German speakers and different kind of sales promotions to get higher sales and higher 
brand awareness. 
Public relations
are locally adapted. In Germany Wasa Bröd uses it within product promotion, 
to promote new products to inform about how healthy the products are and to work the 
magazines and newspapers. The company focuses especially on the fact that it is founded in 
Sweden and it wants Germans to connect the brand with Sweden and “Swedishness”.
Since crisp bread in Germany is in a growth phase and in Sweden it is in a mature phase, there 
is also a difference in the overall type of promotion. In Germany Wasa Bröd works to increase 
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Wasa Bröd AB 

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55 
the knowledge of its product whereas is Sweden it tries to strengthen its position and 
introduces new products. No 
direct marketing
is done.
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