“Will a global marketing strategy work? An energy conservation perspective”

To what extent, and under what conditions, a marketing strategy can and should be standardized across national boundaries is an issue still to be resolved in the marketing literature. Proponents of standardization point to economies of scale whereas opponents stand firm on segmentation. This study is an attempt to gain insight to the issue of standardization through cross-cultural research in four nations. The results of this study of energy conservation suggest that market segments, similar on attitudes and behavior, do exist across countries. Within such a specific segment, a global strategy may be appropriate, but a single global strategy, aimed at all segments and countries, would not be effective.