Cross Cultural Advertising

"Culture is a like dropping an Alka-seltzer into a glass ? you don't see it, but somehow it does something," Hans Magnus Enzensberger.

Culture affects everything we do. This applies to all areas of human life from personal relationships to conducting business abroad. When interacting within our native cultures, culture acts as a framework of understanding. However, when interacting with different cultures this framework no longer applies due to cross cultural differences.

Cross cultural communication aims to help minimise the negative impact of cross cultural differences through building common frameworks for people of different cultures to interact within. In business, cross cultural solutions are applied in areas such as HR, team building, foreign trade, negotiations and website design.

Cross cultural communication solutions are also critical to effective cross cultural advertising. Services and products are usually designed and marketed at a domestic audience. When a product is then marketed at an international audience the same domestic advertising campaign abroad will in most cases be ineffective.

The essence of advertising is convincing people that a product is meant for them. By purchasing it, they will receive some benefit, whether it be lifestyle, status, convenience or financial. However, when an advertising campaign is taken abroad different values and perceptions as to what enhances status or gives convenience exist. These differences make the original advertising campaign defunct.

It is therefore critical to any cross cultural advertising campaign that an understanding of a particular culture is acquired. By way of highlighting areas of cross cultural differences in advertising a few examples shall be examined.

Language in Cross Cultural Advertising

It may seem somewhat obvious to state that language is key to effective cross cultural advertising. However, the fact that companies persistently fail to check linguistic implications of company or product names and slogans demonstrates that such issues are not being properly addressed.

The advertising world is littered with examples of linguistic cross cultural blunders. Of the more comical was Ford's introduction of the 'Pinto' in Brazil. After seeing sales fail, they soon realised that this was due to the fact that Brazilians did not want to be seen driving a car meaning 'tiny male genitals'.

Language must also be analysed for its cultural suitability. For example, the slogan employed by the computer games manufacturer, EA Sports, "Challenge Everything" raises grumbles of disapproval in religious or hierarchical societies where harmonious relationships are maintained through the values of respect and non-confrontation.

It is imperative therefore that language be examined carefully in any cross cultural advertising campaign

Communication Style in Cross Cultural Advertising

Understanding the way in which other cultures communicate allows the advertising campaign to speak to the potential customer in a way they understand and appreciate. For example, communication styles can be explicit or implicit. An explicit communicator (e.g. USA) assumes the listener is unaware of background information or related issues to the topic of discussion and therefore provides it themselves. Implicit communicators (e.g. Japan) assume the listener is well informed on the subject and minimises information relayed on the premise that the listener will understand from implication. An explicit communicator would find an implicit communication style vague, whereas an implicit communicator would find an explicit communication style exaggerated.

Colours, Numbers and Images in Cross Cultural Advertising

Even the simplest and most taken for granted aspects of advertising need to be inspected under a cross cultural microscope. Colours, numbers, symbols and images do not all translate well across cultures.

In some cultures there are lucky colours, such as red in China and unlucky colours, such as black in Japan. Some colours have certain significance; green is considered a special colour in Islam and some colours have tribal associations in parts of Africa.

Many hotels in the USA or UK do not have a room 13 or a 13th floor. Similarly, Nippon Airways in Japan do not have the seat numbers 4 or 9. If there are numbers with negative connotations abroad, presenting or packaging products in those numbers when advertising should be avoided.

Images are also culturally sensitive. Whereas it is common to see pictures of women in bikinis on advertising posters on the streets of London, such images would cause outrage in the Middle East.

Cultural Values in Cross Cultural Advertising

When advertising abroad, the cultural values underpinning the society must be analysed carefully. Is there a religion that is practised by the majority of the people? Is the society collectivist or individualist? Is it family orientated? Is it hierarchical? Is there a dominant political or economic ideology? All of these will impact an advertising campaign if left unexamined.

For example, advertising that focuses on individual success, independence and stressing the word "I" would be received negatively in countries where teamwork is considered a positive quality. Rebelliousness or lack of respect for authority should always be avoided in family orientated or hierarchical societies.

By way of conclusion, we can see that the principles of advertising run through to cross cultural advertising too. That is ? know your market, what is attractive to them and what their aspirations are. Cross cultural advertising is simply about using common sense and analysing how the different elements of an advertising campaign are impacted by culture and modifying them to best speak to the target audience.

Neil Payne is Managing Director of Kwintessential. Visit their site at: http://www.kwint essential.co.uk/cross-cultural/cross-cultural-awareness.html

---

Crazy Ads? Maybe Youre Just Out of The Demo!

My father called me to complain, again. He's 82 and... Read More

Small Business Image

The single easiest way to increase sales is to look... Read More

Lamination of Signs

I suspect that everyone has an idea of what lamination... Read More

Raising Funds For Your Nonprofit Using An Annual Direct Mail Program

A good annual direct mail solicitation program can produce unrestrictive... Read More

Testing Headlines

A correspondent to AdBriefing, my monthly newsletter, has posed a... Read More

Become a Storyteller Not an Advertiser and Watch Your Traffic Increase

When you read the newspaper, do you read advertisements as... Read More

How To Create Instantly Compelling Ads Every Time

Use This Quick 3-Question Evaluation Process, So You Can Be... Read More

Create A Killer Brochure: 9 Steps to the Perfect Piece

If you are creating a brochure, make sure you follow... Read More

Do I Need Raised Letter or Full Color Business Cards?

If you've been searching around for business cards that will... Read More

CD Business Cards- Why Use Them?

CD Business cards are the electronic version of the now... Read More

Constructing Business Advertisements

What many may consider the most important part of advertising... Read More

Do Your Adverts Get You More Sales?

Philadelphia retailer and US Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, once said,... Read More

Yellow Page Advertisers: Your Calls are Going to Decrease - Heres the Remedy

Response rates to Yellow Page advertising are decliningThere's no getting... Read More

Mortgage Marketing - Broadcast Advertising vs Direct Advertising

Do you know how to design and deploy a marketing... Read More

Marketing Tips For Small Business ? Advertising That Works, Part I

Have you ever seen an ad on television that was... Read More

Double Your Sales Potential With Double-sided Business Cards

Swapping business cards is one of the most basic and... Read More

Can I Write and Print My Own Business Brochures and Business Cards?

If you have a computer and a printer, preferably one... Read More

How Well Do Postcards Work?

The humble little postcard has been getting a... Read More

A $40 Million Dollar Little Known Referral Strategy

Would you like to know how a car wash chain... Read More

Radio Advertising - Is it for Your Business? - More Small Business Power Tools

If you're a typical small business, you've probably been approached... Read More

How to Create Ads that Sell with Little Effort

One of the main problems people find with marketing, is... Read More

Creating a Winning Logo

Creating a logo to get you noticed.When you're branding a... Read More

Science of Advertising and How to Benefit From It

It is very important to realize that persons buy from... Read More

Wheres Me Pot of Gold and Lucky Charms?

We already know this from our history books. If you... Read More

Heard A Good Radio Ad Lately? Neither Have We

To many ad agencies, radio is considered advertising's ugly stepchild.... Read More

3 Elements To A Deal-Sealing Classified Ad

Have you ever wondered why your perfectly fine classified ad... Read More

Why Your Ad Failed

So you spent good money on an ad, put it... Read More

How To Get Big Sponsorship Money for Your Band, Tour, Event or Production

Touring is a bands greatest opportunity for success. But, touring... Read More

Predictions for 2010

2005 puts us at the mid-point of the first decade... Read More

Five Characteristics of Highly Successful Advertising

Have you ever spent a small fortune on advertising that... Read More

Advertise Where Its Forbidden To

The most common way to drive people to your business... Read More

Advertising Headlines and How to Write Them

1. Attract prospects with your headline Use your headline as... Read More

Brand Young and You Brand for Life; Why Cinema Advertising is an Effective Tools for Marketers

In the world of advertising there are many forms of... Read More