Conclusion

After reading this book it will become quite obvious that the Anglo-Saxon roots of marketing, market research, and marketing planning are both a strength and a weakness. The strength lies in the fact that thinking about a "market out there" is typically an invention by the British and Americans, if only because they have an enormous need to codify their experiences. The weakness of the Anglo-Saxon approach is that cultural complexities are often ignored. What works in New York or London will obviously not work everywhere. But we hope you now know both why and what you can do about it.

In fact the problem is now for the consumer, rather than marketer. A new trauma has been identified for consumers, which has been labeled "choice fatigue." Too much bombardment, too many suppliers, and it takes time to make sure you check out all the alternatives to ensure that you got the best bargain. So perhaps we need to write the next book to bear in mind the dilemmas faced by consumers! Already, around the corner, we can begin to see new constructs for purchasers that are being called BTO (buy to order) and OTB (order to buy), which will become the reconciliation between buying "off the peg" and "bespoke."

Watch this space!