Cross-Cultural Marketing

Introduction

         The world is full of cultural diversity.  Each culture has its own unique values and norms, as well as social, political, and economical system, history, religion, language, business etiquette, and laws and regulations.  The very nature of a culture’s people is quite different from the next, as well as its particular marketplace.  Thus, global marketing is not a “one for all,” and just like the very people of each culture is different, then, each marketing communication must vary to suit the individual marketplace and cultural contexts of each particular culture.  Hence, global marketing is a sea of wide-open spaces that must be narrowed through a miniscule scope of cultural classification.  Moreover, global marketing is a discipline that must be viewed and practiced through a milieu of cultural individualism. 

An Anthropological Perspective in Global Marketing

         An anthropological perspective, in particular, cultural anthropology, is foundational in global marketing, not only awareness of human behavior, as it relates to social system, culture, and personality, but understanding fully a culture’s traditions and communication praxis, or in other words, examining cultural settings, especially as it relates to marketing on a global scale, and consumer cross-cultural behaviorism. 

Therefore, when a marketer markets a product/service in unique cultural settings they must look through the lens of cultural anthropology to magnify the appropriate marketing schematic for the cultural setting in which the product/service is intended.  Moreover, one must grasp the relationship of cultural norms and values in advertising message strategies, hence the intended message, as it relates to the cultural meaning, implanted in advertising, could lead to a miscommunication of a firm’s message, if the cultural meaning is ignored.  Each consumer within a culture responds to images, metaphors, symbols, graphics, text, and myths, which define their cultural and personal identities, as concerning benefits of a product.  Therefore, anthropology in marketing strategies is a periscopic way to track trends and cultural symbols, and global change, as it relates to consumer perceptions of a product’s image.

         Along with cultural anthropology in marketing are Geert Hofstede’s four dimensions of culture:  power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, femininity and masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance.  These four dimensions help to clarify cultural differences, which in turn provide adaptation of the advertising and branding among unique cultures, as well as explain differences of personality, identity, and self, thus, deciphering contrasting communications and branding strategies. 

Differences in Marketing Strategy Amongst Cultures:  Domestic vs. International

          Consumer behaviorism varies among cultural settings; therefore, one must tailor a marketing strategy to fit within the confines of each, unique culture.  For example, in Indonesia, a developing country has a unique set of cultural idiosyncrasies, than the United States, a developed country, thus, through the anthropological lens, must be thoroughly examined in order to create and design a marketing strategy that fits and relates to its particular norms and values, as well as other socio-economic and political variables, and cultural characteristics. Thus, marketing domestically and internationally is eminently distinctive.  Using the Hofstede model a comparison of how distinctive the dichotomy is can be explored:

Cultural Dimension	Indonesia- Index Score	United States- Index Score
Power Distance Individualism/ Collectivism Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance	78 14 46 48	40 91 62 46

Figure 1.0 Indonesia and United States UAI scores for each cultural dimension.  (UAI scores zero being the lowest and 100 being the highest)  

           

       The scores above indicate how each culture is different when comparing index scores of the cultural dimensions.  For example, Indonesia has a high power distance score of 78, which means that less powerful constituents of a culture or organization, accepts that the power is appropriated unequally, which in turn, could dictate a consumer’s purchasing behavior, such as viewing their own identity through the scope of their cultural context.  Thus, they do not want to veer away from societal norms, even behind closed doors.  However, low power distance societies, such as the United States, are quite the opposite.

         Indonesia is considered a collectivist culture, having a low score of 14, whereas the United States is considered an individualist society, with a high score of 91.  Collectivism is considered as members of a society belonging in groups, a social framework that individuals conform to, such as ideals.  On the other hand, in individualist societies people look out for themselves and immediate family.  The implications of a collectivist and individualist societies in marketing or in cross-cultural marketing are as follows, in collectivist society believability may rank higher than an individualist society, such as opinions of a product gathered from friends or family.  Product trials may be an exceptional tool in a collectivist society, which could gather opinions and create a buzz, especially on social networks. 

          Masculinity ranks low in Indonesia, with a score of 46, and the United States is ranked high, with a score of 62.  Masculinity refers to a society that is motivated by success, achievement, and competition, whereas feminine cultures have dominant indicators of quality of life and caring for others.  The implications in marketing for a society that ranks high in masculinity versus low masculinity is as follows, a femininity culture could be affected more by advertisements that may stir a consumer’s emotions, whereas advertisements in a high masculine society are affected more by performance or excitement. 

           Uncertainty avoidance is defined as a society’s way of dealing with the unforeseen future.  Both the United States and Indonesia score low in uncertainty avoidance, with the United States scoring 46 and Indonesia scoring 48.  The implications, for global marketing, are as follows.  In low uncertainty avoidance societies, consumers are more open to new products, ideas, and innovation, whereas high uncertainty avoidance societies are not, they are happy consumers with the familiar, thus may need an expert or a celebrity to sell a product.  Hofstede’s four dimensions of culture is a great tool for global marketers because it is a bridge between cultural divides, a way to understand cultural norms, values, and characteristics, in which a marketer can establish a successful cross-cultural marketing strategy.  Moreover, based on the comparison of the two cultures’, one can give a definitive answer that marketing is different in each culture, and therefore, has to incur cultural tailoring in all cross-cultural marketing ventures. 

Conclusion

          Cross- cultural marketing must consider a thorough analysis of a culture’s identity, such as values and norms, as well as social, political, and economical system, history, religion, language, business etiquette, and laws and regulations, in order to implement a successful marketing strategy.