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Cultural dynamics and international marketing
Cultural influence on consumer behavior
Cross cultural variation in consumer behavior
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Cultural Context & It’s Impact on Promotions for Marketing Campaigns & Strategies
It goes without saying, that the influence of cultural on marketing strategies and campaigns is significant. If a company does not or cannot understand fundamental aspects of culture in a market they are launching or operating a promotional campaign, there is the possibility that the objectives of the promotion may not be realized.
Aspects of Culture
The significance of cultural context on marketing campaigns and related promotions only intensifies when those programs are expanded to other local markets, regional markets, or foreign markets. While the undertaking would likely be formidable, committing resources to commence cultural reconnaissance is essential if any company or organization wants to achieve positive results in a promotional campaign that spans multiple cultures. When looking at the scope of culture and then the context to which it could be applied, there are a number of key aspects that should first be outlined.
It is absolutely critical that when a company or organization is looking to launch a promotional campaign in a specific market i.e. foreign market, culturally unique domestic market not just common/well known cultural traits & traditions are recognized; subtle nuances must also be identified and incorporated into the promotion. A good example of when this did not happen was the 1999 Holiday campaign for Gap; while all collateral used “everybody in color”, when the campaign was launched in English Canada, the reaction by consumers was virtually instantaneous “another American company not recognizing that Canada is, in fact, not the 51st state”. This oversight by the company cost the company both in re-doing all...
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...ting [Online] Los Angeles: University of Southern California. Available from: http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/ (accessed 3 Sep 11)
Jones, V. (2010) ‘It’s Not Black and White: Advertising and Race in Cultural Context”, Journal of Global Marketing, 2010, Vol. 23 Issue 1, p45-64
Craig, C. S., Douglas, S. P. (2011) ‘Assessing Cross Cultural Marketing Theory & Research: A Commentary Essay’, Journal of Business Research, Vol 64(6), Jun, 2011. pp. 625-627
Stevenson, M. (2007) Taco Bell’s Fare Baffles Mexicans [Online] Seattle: The Seattle Times. Available from: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003937804_tacobell100.html. (accessed 3 Sep 11)
Public Information (2011) L’Oreal International [Online] Paris: L’Oreal Group. Available from: http://www.loreal.com/_en/_ww/index.aspx?FROM=WW-Dispatch-LOREAL-CORPORATE. (accessed 3 Sep 11)
The first chapter on ‘Account Planning’ deals with issues of racialization and biopolitics that have historically informed representations of Asian Americans in advertisements. With changing social and economic conditions, it navigates the emergence of ‘Asian American’ from being a census category to cultural and linguistic representations that are iterated through multicultural advertising. The category of Asian American is presented through historical examples and textual analysis of advertisements. Further, this chapter not only reflects on the historical naturalization of race for the community when projected as excellent consumers but also for such a broad term enveloping several nationalities and differing ethnicities, it underscores how Asian American advertising attempts to construct such representations separately from other racial and ethnic communities, like African American and Latino consumers, within the United
Sociocultural factors embody the various culture aspects in which a business functions. It is of great significance that a firm has the ability to appeal to the culture that they are working within as it reflects their customer knowledge, determining their performance (David & Fahey 2000, pg. 113). One central issue in regards to sociocultural factors playing an important role in a business’ marketing mix is firm’s ability to adapt marketing strategies in regards to demographics. The universal aging population is a clear indicator of marketing strategies for airlines companies to evolve so that it caters to the needs of the population as a whole. In addition, with Qantas operating as a global company and multiculturalism as a universal force, it is crucial to cultivate innovative marketing plans to accommodate the diverse preferences and needs of other cultures (Teo 1994). As cultures differ in their forms of attitudes and behaviours, consumers coming from these diverse cultures, backgrounds and countries are susceptible to dissimilar intensities of service anticipations (Donthu & Yoo 1998).
A company will want to know the power and effectiveness of their ads and about the society it is marketing to. This is why companies need to know about the cultural role of advertising, not the marketing role. The cultural role tells an organization not only about the values but also the notions of good and evil, and mortality and immortality. This information is important as it helps them to formulate their advertisements in a way that deeply affects the emotions of their consumers.
Henderson, Jennifer Jacobs; Baldasty, Gerald J. 2003 “Race, advertising, and prime-time television” Howard Journal of Communications 2(14): 97-112.
In 1962, Glen Bell created Taco Bell, with 6,500 restaurants in the U.S. and with annual revenue in the billions. Glen Bell “became rich not through technological improvements but rather by franchising ethnic exoticism for consumers outside the Mexican community.” Therefore, he globalized the taco by catering it to Anglo-Americans that were curious about Mexican food, but did not want to enter Mexican communities. For this reason, he advertised “Mexican food” to non-Mexicans that were unaware of the cuisine and created a false image of Mexican food by presenting hard shell tacos as “Mexican food” to assimilate it into the Anglo-American diet. As a matter of fact, as these images of authentic Mexican food are invented so are the stereotypes that surround Mexicans. According to Pilcher, the image of the taco as “cheap, hot and dangerous reinforces racist images of Mexico” and “corporate advertisements are using demeaning images like Mexicans as outlaws or animals.” These stereotypes are denigrating the status of Mexican food and its people, and shows how a single food like tacos can incite these stereotypes and create a label for Mexicans. On the other hand, scholars show how Mexicans view the fast-food taco as a distortion of their cuisine presenting
However, entering into a market as different as Japan is not without its risks, and must be ensured to be successful, with the help of market research, marketing, and operational theories, lest the new venture become a very costly mistake. Target Consumer Market When moving to a market with a consumer culture so different from the home market, a company must be careful to analyse its target audience in detail, to avoid costly cultural faux pas. To get a good feel for the Japanese culture, a good place to start would be the experts in the cultural studies field. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, created during his in-depth GLOBE study of the cultures of the world, gives a good comparison between the priority differences between Japanese and English culture. A detailed analysis of the cultural differences will be given in the ‘Marketing Issues’ section of the report.
Based on the information provided in the L’Oreal case, Yue Sai struggled to grow and capture additional sales in the high-end Chinese cosmetics sector. In the past, L’Oreal attempted to position Yue Sai in several different ways which can be viewed as detrimental to the company image, showing uncertainty as the company struggles to see which positioning strategy will stick. The most recent positioning presented in the case, which desires to “deliver Yue Sai’s longstanding brand promise that ‘Nobody knows Chinese skin better than Yue Sai’”, allows the highest probability of success for the company capitalizing on countless fresh trends in Chinese cosmetics (6). The positioning statement would reflect this new strategy: “For the modern Chinese woman Yue Sai offers a line of high-end cosmetics. Unlike other high-end cosmetics Yue Sai combines traditional Chinese medicine and sophisticated technology adapted to the unique skin type of Chinese women.” Yue Sai saw reasonable success and hope in the new Vital Essential line which utilized traditional Chinese medicine and, therefore, resulted in above average repeat purchases. Continuing to focus the strategy around traditional Chinese medicine should benefit Yue Sai considerably. Another suggested strategy would be to wholly reposition Yue Sai, however this is ill advised. As stated in the case, Yue Sai tried numerous different positioning strategies, which ultimately provided no clear path strategy. Repositioning would show uncertainty in the company, lowering brand value in the eyes of the consumer.
Racism is a repulsive issue that is becoming more and more evident to the people living in America. It is not something that is taken lightly in society today, and it can be extremely offensive to many. Even though everyone reacts differently to it, it is important for all people to make an honest effort to respect others regardless of their racial and ethnic backgrounds. People must change their stereotypical thoughts about others and help decrease or end racism by addressing any issues in which racism is concerned. Results in response to different approaches to confront the situation have occurred, but it still remains very real within our world today. Although some changes have been seen, racism in advertising is still tremendously evident due to very weak, offensive comical attempts, the unawareness of advertisers, and the depiction of society’s ideal person.
Mooij, M.de. (2004). Consumer Behavior and Culture, Sage Publications, Page 102, Page 119, Page 274, Page 275
O’Sullivan, Geremiah. “The Social and Cultural Effects of Advertising.” N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
L’Oreal S.A., having its headquarters in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine is one of the strongest players in the personal care industry. The company has invested lump-sum amount in the field of cosmetics so as to enhance its value proposition in the consumer market segment. L’Oreal is known as the biggest cosmetics company in global context. The company is presently active in certain product areas, such as make-up, hair color, sun protection, skin care, perfumes, etc. Brand categorization is usually based on the needs and wants of target market segment. L’Oreal has categorized its brands as per mass, active cosmetics, luxury and professional markets. There are also other areas of interests witnessed in the case of L’Oreal, such as insurance,
Advertisements by foreign firms may conflict with a regional or global value. The billboard advertisement in Amsterdam, “PlayStation Portable White is coming” by Sony, has caused global outcry about its racial implications. Evidently, a Japanese person born into a more homogenous society without the cultural background of today’s anti-racists western world will not consider the advertisement for its potentially racist features; however, an American citizen, who has been living in a society that defies the act of being racists, will more readily interpret the advertisement for its potentially racists elements. The visual of the two women, the placement and syntax of the text, and the use of shock all give reason for two different readers, Japanese and American, to interpret the advertisement differently.
Sonderberg, A-M & N Holden. (2002), Rethinking cross cultural management in a globalizing business world' International Journal of Cross Culture Management 2(1): 103-121
Using these cultural specific keywords allows a marketer to connect to a target market by understanding the perception of the community. According to The Culturally Customized Web Site “perception envelops the broad area of human processes ranging from sensation to concept formation” (Singh). These perceptions are heavily impacted by culture through the values and ideals of the community. Using the community perceptions on the environment, language, and color within the design layout of a company website will allow for greater conversions and better understanding of the community culture at large.
Advertisements is a part of today’s culture because they cause and influence our thoughts, ideas, and actions through multiple techniques and persuasion. As a reminder Geertz interpretation of culture stated something that can alter people’s views are considered as a part culture. The brand loyalty that some people have is similar to the loyalty that some groups had towards their culture. For example, the Hmong denied the doctor’s views about diseases because they based illness on social and cultural dimensions. In addition, these advertisements causes an individual’s to gain a sense of reality or realness because it challenges the person to know what is actually true and