Abstract:

This paper shows which similarities exist between consumers of the same type, even if these live in totally different countries e.g. Germany, France and in USA. The client's hypothesises about different brand images in various countries proved to be incorrect. The result is of general interest, even if the surveys which are described here in excerpts have been carried out branch-specifically in the area of high-priced writing implements, e.g. expensive fountain pens. The results show that different behaviours concerning the use of high-priced fountain pens have developed in the different countries, but the results also reveal that users of expensive fountain pens all over the world have demands of the same kind concerning functionality, design and brand-typical styling, if they belong to the same psychological target groups. In other words: People of the same type have - at least in this product area- independent of their national affiliation similar demands concerning the same kind of products.