That alone would be enough to bring on derisive laughter in most advertising agencies. Despite reunification the Germans remain to a striking extent two distinct peoples. And nowhere is that clearer than in the overlapping worlds of retailing and advertising. Lichtenauer mineral water is sold exclusively in eastern Germany. But when you do that you undermine people, because you play down the things that give them their personality and confidence.
Statistics show that consumption patterns are converging rapidly.
But that, says Mr Makat, is only part of the story. But then you find that the easterner buys only eastern beer and the westerner only western beer. From Radeberger beer to Florena cosmetics by way of Super-Illu magazine, there is a long list of products bought overwhelmingly by easterners. Sometimes brand preferences belie deep seated differences in outlook. In the west, for example, people with enough money to buy an expensive car tend to plump for a Mercedes Benz.