Cross cultural marketing and consumer behaviour: a comparison between Italy and Germany in the make-up consumption.

Abstract

The main goal of the research is to compare the consumer behaviour in the make-up sector in Italy and Germany; in particular, the work will try to find similarities and differences in such patterns of behaviour and explain them through the main cultural variables individuated by the major cultural models. To accomplish this, the work provides a literature review about two main fields of study: consumer behaviour and culture. Regarding the former, it is provided a description of the main characteristics of the buying behaviour in the specific context of the cosmetics market, presented according to the various stages of the buying process: need perception, information search, alternatives evaluation, purchase, and post purchase experience. Then, concerning the latter, the culture of the two countries object of the study is analysed through some cultural models explaining consumer behaviour. The most relevant model is the one proposed by Hofstede, especially through the variables known as Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance and Individualism; while models provided by Lewis and Hall are extremely useful to comprehend time orientation and communication style in the two countries. Finally, also the country of origin effect has been considered in the review, since it has a particular influence in the consumer behaviour in the cosmetics industry. After this, an empirical study will be presented: it is conducted through an online survey to the Italian and German population, with questions regarding specifically the main consumer habits in the make-up market and linked to cultural variables. The data will be presented and elaborated to answer the research questions about the consumer behaviour in the make-up market, consequently making it possible to provide some insights about the strategy to adopt in Italy and Germany.