Cultural factors in international marketing: are they more influential than social and personal factors?

Abstract

Understanding consumer behaviour is essential for effective marketing strategies, as it involves complex interactions between several agents. This paper examines the relative importance of cultural factors compared to social and personal factors, within the scope of international consumer behaviour’s external factors. Using primary and secondary data proceeding from a wide range of sources, such as interviews to field experts or a survey to the general public, we intend to find an answer to the above-mentioned research question. Through the rejection of the two auxiliary hypotheses, which pit against each other a proxy of each factor, it is eventually concluded that cultural factors do not exert a stronger influence than the remaining two. As the former act in more subtle and subconscious manners, they tend to be overlooked and be perceived as less influential. This provides marketers with further and additional information to better design any type of marketing campaign.