Letter from Berlin: Be rational to reach the emotional German

Germans are often seen by foreigners as quite stiff, even rude, lacking emotional warmth, reserved and rational.

Letter from Berlin: Be rational to reach the emotional German

Daniel PlettenbergValor Research

German consumers are characterised by a marked public-private split. To win over the private person, you must satisfy the public one first.

"Germans don't like big and flashy" is the prompt response from Ceven, a media artist who moved from New York to Berlin 10 years ago, when I asked him what cultural differences struck him when he arrived in Germany.

This is supported by the research I have carried out. The simple question, "Why are Germans so different?" ended up turning into a long historical...

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