Cross-Cultural Dissimilarities in the Perception of Brand Personality of Select Smart phones: Evidence from West Bengal, India and Bangladesh

Abstract: The study has been conducted in the adjoining regions of West Bengal and Bangladesh (erstwhile East Bengal) among various respondent groups. Both the regions have been archetypally known to share multiple cultural commonalities. Notwithstanding, there exists divergences in the culture, which have been tested using Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Framework.   Further, the study investigates whether there exist any divergences in how the personalities of the two smart phone brands, namely, Samsung and Xiaomi, are perceived in the two regions. An aggregate sample of 295 and 287 respondents have been selected conveniently from West Bengal, India and Bangladesh, respectively. The current study primarily aims to probe into the cultural dissimilarities between the two contiguous regions of West Bengal (in India) and Bangladesh. Subsequently, the study investigates the probable impact of such cross-cultural dissimilarities on consumers’ perception concerning the personality of select smart phone brands, specifically Samsung and Xiaomi.   The study provides good empirical insight into the fact that despite the uniform positioning of the two smart phone brands in the two West Bengal and Bangladesh regions, their personality traits are perceived differently by consumers dwelling in these cultures. The analysis yields that respondents from West Bengal and Bangladesh demonstrated notable congruencies in perceiving Xiaomi as a ‘responsible’ and ”aggressive’ brand. However, Samsung is perceived as an ‘aggressive’ brand in Bangladesh and ‘stable’ in West Bengal. The perceptual deviations of the smart phone brands’ personalities exist due to the cultural divergences between the two regions. Read more