ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to embed European marketing in a general framework, discusses aspects of convergence and divergence, which are especially reflected in European Union (EU) consumer behaviour, and evaluates the status of pan-European marketing strategies. European marketing may be positioned as either international or regional marketing, as business is done in two or more countries. While the practical implications of unified marketing approaches across the EU are huge, research and particularly robust answers to standardisation vs. adaptation requirements for marketing strategies grounded in solid research remain limited. Europe is considered a 'pivotal player in the global economic system as a market, a producer, an exporter and an investor. The diverse findings raise more general questions, such as how consumers deal with the opposing forces of homogenisation vs. the persistence of localness in their consumption. Past empirical research highlights convergent as well as divergent tendencies across regions: greater integration into the EU provides the possibility for more standardised marketing strategies.
