The constructs of individualism-collectivism are examined as a basis for understanding Social Change and emergent Consumer Segmentations in Central Eastern Europe. These cultural values at a macro level drive the emergence of consumer segmentations, their needs, values and social behaviours at a micro, group level of influence. Differences in consumer social behaviours vary by context, emotional attachment to in-groups as role models, and the underlying meanings that are applied to them. Individualism-collectivism offers a deeper understanding of the psychology and needs of the Eastern European Consumer, which can be applied to marketing and advertising issues. Directions for further research are discussed.
The constructs of individualism-collectivism are examined as a basis for understanding Social Change and emergent Consumer Segmentations in Central Eastern Europe. These cultural values at a macro level drive the emergence of consumer segmentations, their needs, values and social behaviours at a micro, group level of influence. Differences in consumer social behaviours vary by context, emotional attachment to in-groups as role models, and the underlying meanings that are applied to them. Individualism-collectivism offers a deeper understanding of the psychology and needs of the Eastern European Consumer, which can be applied to marketing and advertising issues. Directions for further research are discussed.
Overall, the paper explores the extent to which consumers in Eastern Europe are similar to or different from consumers in the West, and presents some original data on consumer values which indicate that not only are values in Eastern Europe somewhat different from those in the West, but that these also vary from country to country, as might be expected from countries with different histories and at different stages of development. The paper starts with an analysis of the general marketing environment In Eastern Europe: underlying country differences, economic outlook, the business environment, the marketing infrastructure and social factors, It then examines consumer perceptions, with particular reference to a recent large qualitative study in the former East Germany, specifically examining responses to Western goods and advertising. The paper then examines aspects of consumer values. First, it explains the background to the measures chosen, which are based on the academic work of Milton Rokeach and Geert Hofstede. It then summarises very recent pilot survey work on young women in Poland, Hungary and former East Germany and shows outline results from these countries compared with data from West Germany, France and the UK. Results from Czechoslovakia are in preparation, and the presented paper will be able to show further data in more detail. The data represent a start in the slow process of building an understanding of consumers in Eastern Europe, as they move in transition towards market economies which may themselves prove to be different from Western forms.
This paper presents a synthesis of the BBC World Service's experience over the past two or three years in conducting quantitative research in Eastern Europe. The focus is not on any one of the dozen or so surveys which we have done in the region, but rather on the state of the industry in the area. Firstly, there is an overview of the standards and approach to research in the area from a cautionary perspective. The lack of a research tradition in the region has specific causes and has left the area as a research vacuum which is now being filled with much research of variable quality. This is followed by a summary of the main problems encountered in commissioning research in that part of the world. Individual problems are described and analysed with proposals for solutions, or strategies for maximising quality. The information is perhaps most useful to those commissioning survey research in the region, but it is also intended to generate debate among practitioners, for whom the issues are probably familiar.
Significant coverage of the dramatic events in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union has elevated the interest in doing business in these areas on the part of business people, government officials, and consumers alike. The importance of this activity to both the once controlled economies and the United States can not be overstated. One mechanism for achieving this business activity - joint ventures - is the focus of this article. All aspects of using research to examine U.S. joint venture activity in Hungary is discussed with particular respect to the resultant joint venture being a good mechanism for entering other markets in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, as well as the European Community.
Berlin wall demolition is such a historic act as the Fall of the Bastille was. Reforms in the East indicate the stalinist and dogmatic socialism breakdown, the birth of the market economy and radical change of the property relations. Bureaucratic resistance to the economic system changes is still great. Reformers in Yugoslavia and in the other socialist countries have not yet got clear vision of the new socialist and economic system. Starting with Marx's class teaching and Galbraith's new socialism, the authors of the paper points out to four points of support of every economic reform in countries in the East.
Cultural differences must be taken into account if marketers of culture-bound products and services want to be successful. Food is a good example of such products, where differences and novelty can be an advantage on one, and a shortcoming on the other hand. In any case thorough cultural analysis is needed to overcome obstacles that the introduction of a product into new environment usually represents. The second starting point of our paper was the introduction of a new ketchup brand to the Yugoslav market. In the past, ketchup has been not successful on the Yugoslav market, although in general our consumers quickly and willingly accept new products. It seems, that adopting of the whole fast-food trend by our consumers is a necessary condition for a successful marketing of ketchup. But, because of persisting cultural patterns, the fast-food trend and the whole range of supporting services that accompany these changes in western European countries, are developing very slowly in Yugoslavia. We turned to young generation for the solution of these problems. Our research identified a substantial segment of young fast-food users who had adopted the life-style, symbols and values of the western society. We believe that learning them to use ketchup as an integral part of the fast-food trend would be the best strategy to spread the adoption of this product among the Yugoslav consumers.
Rapid changes in economical and political surrounding of Yugoslavia recquires appropriate basic strategic and tactical philosophy reformulation within all industry sectors. Transition from mostly self-oriented towards market oriented corporation, understanding market complexities, risks and chances, asks for close cooperation between companyâs management, marketing researches and strategic planners. INA, the biggest group in Yugoslavia with diversified field of business activities spreads widely beyond national market. Strategic dilemmas emerging from changing conditions on domestic and international scale were and still are numerous but basic one was which general direction should be taken to generate further, longterm prospects. Internationalisation and rapid adapting to well-off economies market standards seemed to be the only answer. The first step in marketing research, organically linked with process of strategic changes in progress was to detect, on broad scale, inner situation, marketing climate in corporation and top management levels. First results are encouraging despite visible weaknesses. They enabled basis for : - verification of existing strategic ideas - directing further marketing research scopes - selection of priorities. Above all, process of strategic reforms in INA proved that marketing research could not stay in splendid isolation any more, but has to be integrated interactively in other activities and implementation.
The objective of this paper is to study the nature of the marketing research task in Eastern European countries. The need for this type of analysis steins from the fact that most research procedures, whether for domestic or for international marketing, have been developed in western industrialised markets and do not reflect the distinct needs and unique characteristics of marketing in, and for Eastern Socialist states. The paper consists of an introduction and four main sections. The first section establishes the importance of East-West trade. The second presents a systematic procedure for international marketing research, and highlights some of the main difficulties that are often encountered by researchers in foreign markets. The third section examines the similarities and differences between Eastern and Western marketing systems, points out that the two systems tend to converge in recent years, and discusses in detail the importance of the "shortage economy" concept for marketing in socialist countries. Finally, the fourth section suggests a specific research procedure for Eastern European markets, based on the findings of the preceding discussion.
Those development trends of the economies and direction systems are important signals for the strategies of Western companies having or planning business contacts with the COMECON countries and their enterprises. Finally the paper recommends some new views and attitudes to the strategy designers of Western companies to make profitable propositions in the long-run both for the Eastern and for the Western partners.
The case study summarizes the basic conceptions, advantages, risks and most important facts of the cooperation of ICI and a Hungarian company, TVM. After stressing the importance and sketching the types of international industrial cooperations, the Hungarian company is introduced and its main strategic aims are presented. New marketing methods have been used by the Hungarian company in the "selecting the partner" phase of the cooperation as well as in the phase of "detailed discussions with the potencial partner". Data about the contract and the realization are followed by the enumeration of experiences gained during the period 1974-78 and by the possibilities of the development of the ICI-TVM cooperation in the 80s. By this the efficiency of an east-west cooperation and of the used marketing methods are jointly proved too.