Friedrich Hegel and the structure of consumer response

Friedrich Hegel, building upon the foundation of Immanuel Kant, focused upon the “cultural tradition” as a structured entity that operates according to its own rules and priorities. In doing so he crafted the concept that has come down to us as “national character”, an idea that has immense value to much marketing research, especially in the international realm. Beyond this circumscribed accomplishment, Hegel’s view of society was ultimately transformed into the social structural model that has long been a dominant paradigm of social thought. Whenever marketing researchers seek to discover the recurring patterns of social life, they work in Hegel’s shadow. By being more aware of Hegel’s accomplishments and how they intersect with the priorities of marketing, we can more effectively conduct research in ways that are relevant and appropriate.