Effects of Culture on International Marketing.

 

Effects of Culture on International Marketing.

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Language has notable roles when it comes to global business.  It is crucial in information gathering and evaluation. The manager of a company can communicate directly to his subordinates and gain feedback and intelligence. It’s more comfortable for people to speak their language and this should be taken as an advantage when it comes to business and marketing. Becoming a part of the market is the best strategy in marketing rather than observing it from outside (Berthon, Pitt, Plangge & Shapiro, 2012). Managers should be a firm’s source of first information and evaluate potential risks. The language also provides excellent access to local societies. Language is crucial in company’s communications either between the stakeholders or the employees. It could be so difficult in a situation where a manager requires an interpreter to communicate to his employees.  Language extends beyond interpretation context. It is not entirely interpretable.

Under the language, one should consider whether a nation’s culture is a high or low context culture that shows the relationship between verbal and non-verbal communication. For instance, in Netherlands and Australia, they use low context language (Berthon, Pitt, Plangge & Shapiro, 2012). What is said is what is meant, the emphasis is made on the communication. In Japan and Arabic nations, they speak high context language; it has some hidden meaning. What is said may not indicate what is meant. Culture hidden meaning needs to be considered and also the body language. If a brand name or aa product is to be made, care should be taken to make a proper fit. Countries have different pronunciation, different body language, and signs and these should be considered when making a local advertisement and marketing

Religion is diverse in many nations of the world. An international marketer encounters various faiths. An organization should ensure that their products are not offensive, unlawful or disrespectful to the local country (Bradley, 2005). All marketing and advertising of brands should follow the same rules. For example, in 2007, the Muslim religion banned the advertisement of any products containing pigs, pictures of pigs, sausages, pork, animated pictures of pig and so on. In 2005, the France Catholic religion banned the clothing designed by Marithe and Francois Girl bound because they were believed to be worn by Leonardo da Vinci’s Christ’s Last Supper.

The manner in which certain people of a nation behave or dress also influences marketing of the global business. It is the culture, traditions, beliefs and the norms of a particular group of people. Nations have different customs, perceptions, attitudes, and values. As a marketer, ensure that you have a good grasp of these aspects before selling your products internationally. You could alter some promotional material or some branding messages to achieve a secure fit (Bradley, 2005). In 2004, China banned an advertisement that was showing Lebron James fighting with animated cartoon kung fu masters and two dragons, because it was believed that the ad violated the Chinese national dignity.

Aesthetics is the way you sense something like smell or taste and give an appreciation of its artistic nature (Bradley, 2005). For instance, is the brand’s color beautiful? Does it smell good? Is it fashionable? Does it taste good? Is the music relating to the advertisement pleasing? Is everything relating to the brand advertisement aesthetically pleasing? For example, sex is used to advertise so many products in different countries but it is forbidden in Japan as a sign of protecting womanhood. Therefore, an international marketer should consider these aspects and questions before marketing a product. They change in many countries and have different meanings and pictures.

 

References

Berthon, P. R., Pitt, L. F., Plangger, K., & Shapiro, D. (2012). Marketing meets Web 2.0, social media, and creative consumers: Implications for international marketing strategy. Business horizons, 55(3), 261-271.

Bradley, F. (2005). International marketing strategy. Pearson Education.