Power Point 4 - A Global Marketer’s Social and Cultural Environments Flashcards
The Task of Global Marketers
Research the cultures of countries (whose most important characteristics are hidden from view) and learn how people from different cultures prefer to do business.
Understand how their own cultural values might influence your research material.
Interpret the research material from the perspective of the target culture.
Modify your marketing plan to accommodate the target culture’s preferences/expectations.
Culture:
“Culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one category of people from those of another.”
- A nation, an ethic group, a gender group, an organization, or a ‘family business’ may be considered as a category.
Physical Culture:
Clothing and Art
Music and Dancing
Education and Sports
Social Status and Etiquette
Ethics and Language
Religion
Social Institutions
Family
Education
Religion
Government
Business
–> These institutions function to reinforce cultural norms.
Abstract Culture (cont’d):
Religious Rituals
Perceptions
Attitudes
Beliefs
Values
Identifying Global Segments
An interconnected world has found similar market segments that are geographically dispersed. These people share a common desire.
Examples:
1. An Irish pub in North America.
2. Starbucks (a coffee shop with global recognition).
3. Fast food.
4. Debt/credit cards.
5. Sports (World Cup).
Attitudes, Beliefs, and Values
The attitude (a response), belief (the output of cultural training) and values (the measurement of one belief when compared to another) can be generalized for the study of a national culture.
However, be aware of …
Subcultures: defined as smaller groups of people who have modified the basic national value.
Example: Japan:
Classic view: (i) strive to achieve cooperation, consensus, and harmony, (ii) believe that you are unique in the world.
Contemporary view: a favourable attitude toward American brands.
Subcultures:
defined as smaller groups of people who have modified the basic national value.
Japan Classic view:
(i) strive to achieve cooperation, consensus, and harmony, (ii) believe that you are unique in the world.
Japan Contemporary view:
a favourable attitude toward American brands.
Aesthetics
Subject to a cultural preference, aesthetics represent an opinion of what is attractive, pleasing or acceptable.
–>. It defines what is tasteful or tasteless, flattering or insulting.
The ‘signals’ (the 4P’s) sent from one culture to another could be:
–> Understood but have no impact, or
–> Confusing, or
–> Insulting.
The primary emotional trigger is ‘Visual’. For example:
The product’s package; a global business may use one standard (emotionally-neutral, but noticeable) colour as part of their global branding signal. Example: Caterpillar’s bright yellow. But others will need to be adapted to suit local cultural preferences.
The advertising; famous people used in commercials. The intent is to create an emotional bond between the product and your admiration of the person.
–> Some common secondary triggers include sound (music) and motion (body language).
Aesthetics and Colour
Red: represents (subject to cultural preferences):
–> Energy, excitement, active, vibrant.
–> Good luck.
–> Danger, death.
Blue: the most popular colour in the world.
–> Typically, the safest colour to use in business communication (emotional connection to sky and water).
–> Long-term exposure has a calming effect.
White: clean (the West) or death (some parts of Asia).
Gray: a low-quality signal in many Asian countries; a high-quality signal in America and some European countries.
Purple: high value. It emotionally signals: wealth, royalty, richness.
Music
Music is part of all cultures.
Regarding cultural preferences; the correct selection will support your advertisement; the wrong selection will irritate or insult the target audience.
Demographics (age, urban, rural) play a significant role for music selection within a culture.
Language and Communication
Unspoken language includes gestures, touching, body language. In a one-on-one business meeting, the unspoken language often tells more (to an experienced negotiator) than the spoken words.
Consider the following ‘Communication’ observations:
-> The ‘richness’ of a meeting room.
-> The shape of a meeting table.
-> The maintained physical distance after formal introductions.
-> The amount of eye contact.
-> The perceived stress level.
Spoken language has four areas:
Rules of sentence formation (the order of words).
System of meaning.
System of sound patterns.
Word formation.
Syntax:
Syntax: the order of words
Example:
English: a fixed word order
Russian: a free work order