Power Point 3 - 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
Semantics:
Semantics: the meaning of words
Example:
Japanese: emotions can be tied to words, but only the word translates
Many countries: basic terms such as ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are interpreted differently
Phonology:
Phonology: the abstract value of sound patterns
Example:
Japanese does not distinguish between the sounds ‘I’ and ‘r’; English and Russian both have ‘I’ and ‘r’ sounds.
Morphology:
Morphology: word formation
Example:
Russian: a highly inflected language; six different case endings for nouns and adjectives; English has fewer inflections
Nonverbal Signals
In the Middle East, Westerners should not: (i) show the soles of shoes or (ii) pass documents with the left hand.
In Japan, the ‘depth’ of a bow sends different signals.
Collective cultures (most Asian countries) place greater value on nonverbal communication than individualistic cultures (America and many parts of Europe).
Government regulations: some governments must review the advertisement material before being allowed to be used in that country.
The ‘Language of Business’
More people in the world speak English as their second language than people who speak English as their first language.
Several global businesses require senior managers to be proficient in English if they wish to be considered for future promotions.
Learning a few basic words or phrases of the foreign language will add value to your initial reputation because you have ‘made an effort’.
Can Marketing Change a Culture’s Values? Opinion 1: Yes
Having standardized components (such as convenience foods and disposable products) for global marketing proves that one culture will adapt to another’s cultural product if they see something they want but don’t presently have it as part of their culture.
Increasing travel and exposure to different cultures results in new products being adapted by different cultures.
Examples:
Tobacco introduced to Europe.
South Pacific, 1942, ‘Crate Culture’.
A global marketer often discovers that much of world’s cultural diversity has some common preferences. Some obvious examples are the global acceptance of convenience foods, disposable products, popular music, and movies.
The ‘globalization’ of one country’s preferences has been leveraged by global companies that have seized these opportunities to find customers around the world.
Can Marketing Change a Culture’s Values? Opinion 2: No
Global marketing will expose different cultures to the products of other cultures and might even change some buying habits and preferences. But this exposure does not affect basic cultural values and beliefs.
Examples:
A multi-generational mistrust between two national cultures (countries) will not be overruled by a marketer’s advertisement.
A learned dislike of a product (example; ice cream, beer) at an early age will not be altered by advertising later in that person’s life.
Context: The ‘Unspoken’ Word: Low Context Cultures
Messages are explicit and specific.
Written words carry all information; verbal messages are meaningless.
There is a strong reliance on legal paperwork. An agreement exists only after those with authority have signed a contract; a handshake at the end of a meeting is meaningless.
There is no relationship between business representatives (other than being seen as negotiators who are striving for the ‘best deal’).
Deals are made with much less information about the character or values of the participants. More reliance is placed on the contract.
Negotiations are fast because there is minimal time committed to getting familiar with the other party.
The negotiating assignment is given to the person who has the proven ability to ‘close a deal fast’.
