MKT 420 Contemporary Issues in Marketing

Chapter 8

Marketing across Cultures

What is Culture?

Link between individuals and societies: Learned behavior and results of behavior

shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society. (Linton, 1945)

Useful to, but not a characteristic of, individuals: Culture is a set of beliefs or standards

(control mechanisms), shared by a group of people, which help the individual decide what is, what can be, how to feel, what to do and how to go about doing it. (Goodenough, 1971)

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Sources of Culture

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Elements of Culture

1. Language and communication2. Organization of people based on

Institutions 3. Material productions4. Symbolic and sacred productions

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1. Language and Communication Primary mechanism to convey and share

information Includes both explicit and implicit

elements Approximately 6000 languages.

389 are spoken by more than 1 million people.

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2. Organization of people based on Institutions Territoriality (e.g. neighborhoods) Physiological (e.g. gender, age) Spontaneous (e.g. common interests/goals) Occupational (e.g. expertise) Hierarchy (e.g. status and rank) Totality (e.g. political processes).

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4. Symbolic and Sacred Productions Religious beliefs Life after death Symbol conveys more than the object

(e.g., road signs, wedding rings, skull and crossbones)

Symbolic meaning in many things (e.g., color, shape, labels, brands, numbers)

Quick understanding

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An example of diverging symbolic interpretations

Interpreting Symbols

7 is bad luck in Kenya. 7 is good luck in the Czech Republic. 7 is magical in Africa. 10 is bad luck in Korea. 4 is related to death in Japan. Red represents witchcraft and death in

many African countries, but is a positive in Denmark.

Avoid triangular shapes in Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. It is a negative shape.

12Source: Business America, July 12, 1993

Source: Copeland and Griggs, 1986, p. 63

Symbolism: In every culture, things, numbers, even smells have meanings Black is not universal for

mourning In many Asian countries it is

white Brazil it is purple Mexico yellow Ivory Coast dark red

Red suggests good fortune in China Death in Turkey

Blue is the most masculine in USA Red is in the United Kingdom

or France

Pink is the most feminine in USA Yellow is more feminine in many

other parts of the world A candy wrapped in blue or green

is probably a mint in the USA In Africa it would be wrapped in

red, in west it is for cinnamon. Lemon scent suggests freshness

in the USA It is associated with illness in the

Philippines An owl is bad luck in India, like

a black cat in West In Japan a fox is associated

with witches

McDonald’s in Israel: an example of key nothing

Ad showed a slice of cheese that was in direct contact with meat Contrary to Jewish religious

prescriptions • milk-based products should be

separated from meat-based food Following massive consumer

complaints, McDonald’s withdrew the ad and to change the campaign.

Summary and Discussions

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