marketing to different culture

8/6/2019 Marketing to Different Culture

1/5

MARKETING TO DIFFERENT CULTURES

In todays global marketplace, local companies have become more exposed to

the global market and contact with foreign actors is perceived as inevitable. The

business around the world, large and small, cannot ignore the impact that the global

economy is having on their performance. As a result, more and more organisations

are choosing to adopt a marketing-led philosophy to enable them to win market

share and capture and retain the hearts and minds of current and prospective

customers. Marketing is becoming more important as organisations around the

world try to develop products and services that appeal to their customers and aim to

differentiate their offering in the global marketplace. Therefore, nowaday, a good

marketer is not only know how to marketing but also know how to marketing to

different cultures.

This essay will discuss about multicultural marketing and answer the questions

relevant to What, Why, and How what multicultural marketing is, why the

companies have to have different marketing stratergies in different cultures and how

to do that. Furthermore, it will give some real examples for us to know more the

importance of multiculture marketing in successful brands.

First of all, to have a clear understanding of multicultural marketing, it is

necessary to study the concept of marketing and culture. The American Marketing

Association defines marketing as the activity set of instuations and processes for

creating, communicating, delivering and exchange offerings that have value for

customers, clients, partners and society. It is influenced by many of the social

sciences, particularly psychology, socialogy and economics. Moreover, cuture is to

set of values, beliefs, rules and institutionss help by a specific group or people. All

the value, attiudes and opinions are specific to different countries. Therefore,

multicultural marketing could be defined as applying marketing principles,

strategies and programs to segments of the market that possess more than one

cultural identity.

As mentioned above, multicultural marketing has a significant role in a

successful brand. Culture is not simply another factor to be put in the marketing


2/5

mix, it must be considered as the context within which all transaction take place

because it change the entire landscape that pervades all relationships and

behaviours. People from diverse cultures present a tremendous opportunity for

companies to sell more products and services. As a result, understanding diverse

culures in different countries and having suitable marketing stratergies help a

company approach different consumer in the world. The company can extend its

maket share, have a sustainable development, and get bigger amounts of profit.

Marketing to different cultures is important. It, however, can be frustrating

because sometimes the response you expect just does not come. Therefore, it is

indispensable to study the main componants in culture such as aesthetics, values andattitudes, languages, maners and customswhen marketing to different cultures.

First, it is important to make market research in aesthetics that is what a

culture considers to be in good taste in the arts, the imagery evoked by certain

expressions and even the symbolism of certain colors. A smart marketer must

understand this factor clearly to make a marketing strategy. For instance, the colour

Red used to indicate danger in western culture can send different messages about

a product to Chinese for which Red can also represent success. Similarly, Yellow as

a colour in marketing promotions may be offensive to Arabs, yet convey freshness

and summer to western culture.

Second, studying values and attitudes in different cultures. The values are

ideas, beliefs and customs to which people are emotionally attached, understanding

what attract consumer and supply that they need. Moreover, attitudes are positive or

negative evaluations, feelings and tendencies that individuals harbor toward objects

or concepts, from these points to satisfy customer need. The product may be

technically identical, but the purchasing motive is diffferent, because of the

different meanings and priorities given to oneself and others privacy. Protor and

Gamble have successfully developed a new generation of highly absorbent Pampers

with the unique selling point that they can be changed less frequently. This appoach

failed in Japan where frequent changing of diapers is perceived as fundamental tokeeping baby clean.


3/5

Thirdly, it is language. There are so many misunderstanding can come into

play with language, the most basic level of cultural differences. It is best to

concentrate on developing a dialogue and a relationship with people in your target

market. This will give you the feedback to ensure the language you are using is

suited to your market. For instance, when GM introduced the Chevy Nova, it had

not checked that no va means no go in Spanish. As a resulte, GM had failed in

Spain. In contract, Coca-cola has specially become successfully in China when

tranfering its name to Ke Kou Ke Le, which roughly translates to happiness in

your mouth.

Finally, maners and customs, manners are appropriate ways of behaving,

speaking, and dressing in a culture, and customs are habits or ways of behaving in

specific circumstances that are passed down through generations in a culture.

Consumer habits are influenced by many things. Getting to know your market better

will give you further insight as to why people have the habits they do. There are

often very logical reasons, difficult and even impossible to understand if you are

looking in from a different cultural standpoint. The most successful brand in this

field is Barbie doll. With each culture, Barbie dolls have different characteristics

suited for that culture. Consumers can buy darker haired, darker skinned Barbie

with the ethnic features that distinguish the women of the world. Furthemore,

Barbie, no matter what her colour, continues to be clothed in different lifestyle. For

instance, in Europe, the Barbie dolls wear T shirts and jeans. In Filipina, however,

she is dark haird with darker skin tones and dressed in form fitting gowns with

the Maria Clara butterfly sleeves.

If a maketer keeps these factors in mind when marketing to markets with

cultural differences and he will get to know his market well. He will then be able to

create an effective global marketing strategy that is suited to different cultures.


4/5

FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY

ECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

------------------------------

ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES I

ASSIGNMENT

TOPIC

MARKETING TO DIFFERENT CULTURES

STUDENT : NGUYEN THI HUYEN

( ID ) 851010105

CLASS : TAN302.CN.3

LECTURER : NGUYEN THU HUONG

Ha Noi, 29th March, 2011


5/5

marketing to different culture

Documents