People buy products or services based on emotional needs or wants, and then justify their purchase logically. Therefore, it is essential for brands to utilize the right and effective marketing strategies, with them being one of the most decisive elements when people are considering whether to buy a product. Furthermore, culture is thought to be a major factor to consider when planning marketing strategies. A great example of this is Lidl, a German international discount supermarket chain. The advertisements of Lidl in the UK mainly focused on the quality of their products while those in Germany were always about the price and the value. The strategy was so significant that it won the UK IPA Effectiveness Award in 2018. This ignites my curiosity and passion to explore the cultural differences between Taiwan and the Netherlands, and their impacts on marketing strategies. Both Taiwan and the Netherlands have an area of around 40,000 square kilometers, a population of around 20 million people and a democratic, diverse, multicultural society. However, with one located in East Asia and the other in Western Europe, the cultural differences between the two nations can be huge. Taiwan’s culture is relatively conservative. This is greatly influenced by China and Japan during the colonial period. On the other hand, the Netherlands has a more open and innovative culture due to recent decades of immigration and the history of fighting flooding problems.

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This research begins with the comparison of the cultural characteristics of Taiwan and the Netherlands. It then analyses the marketing strategies of the two nations in terms of the 4Ps of marketing. Subsequently, it explores the connection between cultural differences and marketing strategies. I hope you enjoy it!