Abstract:

Living in a glo-cal culture isn't easy: major trends and local particularities converge, collide and finally merge in a sort of cultural mash, which has both to be dissected into its particularities and understood as a whole in the quest for consumer insights. Market categories play a key role in this dynamic. They became cultural spaces where consumers negotiate their personal and collective identities and deal with transcendental issues. We present a methodological attempt at understanding the "how" instead of the "what" consumers think within the boundaries of each category, as a vital step towards building a solid connection between brands and consumers.