Advertising Campaign among the United Kingdom and Italy - Essay Example

1. How important is the culture to have a successful Shock Advertising Campaign among the United Kingdom and Italy What is the role of culture in management and in advertising Cross-cultural management studies the behavior of people in organizations around the world and trains people to work in organizations with employee and client populations from several countries. Cross-cultural solutions in advertising to international business demands are increasingly being viewed as a valid and necessary method in enhancing communication and interaction in and between companies, between companies and customers. As pointed by De Mooij and Keegan (3), advertising culture includes personality, cognition, expression, and emotion, which are all influential in shaping consumer behavior. To be successful advertisers are required to know the similarities as well as the differences of consumers in diverse cultural (3). Cross cultural communication solutions are critical to effective cross cultural advertising for any country, including the United Kingdom and Italy. 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 shock advertising is convincing people that a product is meant for them and shock advertising are all about morality. They usually involve sniffing out, simply for the sake of provocation, the ripest cultural taboo. 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 cultural advertising campaign that an understanding of a particular culture is acquired. The problems of communicating to people in diverse culture are one of the great creative challenges in advertising. Communication is more difficult because cultural factors largely determine the way various phenomena are perceived. Its perceptual framework is different; perception of the message itself differs. So, there are some shock advertising features in adapting from culture to culture. In Italy and in the UK shock advertising feeds on the market's inclination to reward the unconventional and take advantage of the media's shifting stand on of public sensibilities. 2. The differences and similarities in the using of Shock advertising. Some brands use shock tactics in advertising to break through ad clutter and make people take notice. The question is whether these shock tactics work or whether they just upset people. Benetton and Barnardo, Calvin Klein and FCUK have all been challenged for being too shocking. Benetton (Italy), its first steps in shock advertising were connected with "multi-racial" theme, the idea of colors, they showed a group, made up of people with different colored skin.(Appendix 1) "It was fantastic, so exhilarating to show the products in such a new and simple way." (13) Then the company uses attitudinal and unconventional advertising to mix political and social issues with their ad messages in their campaigns. There was a genuine interest in human rights and other socially conscious causes: "The purpose of advertising is not to sell more. It's to do with institutional publicity, whose aim is to communicate the company's values. We need to convey a single strong image, which can be shared anywhere in the world."(13) So, Benetton's advertising draws public attention to universal themes. The shocking photographs of Benetton's immaterial advertising had no parallel whatsoever in its material offerings. Not in its brightly colored shirts, not in the atmosphere of its stores and not in its point-of-purchase materials. Sure this contrast was shocking too, but it was shock for the sake of shock (and an immediate cash flow). Sooner or later the initial rush was bound to wear off and consumers were left standing there in ordinary tennis shirts, in somewhat gauche coloring.Benetton's feelings toward advertising are as follows:"International, homogeneous, and characterized by universal themes, Benetton Group's advertising campaigns have been, since 1984, not only a means of communication but an expression of our time. Through their universal impact, they have succeeded in attracting the attention of the public and in standing out amid the current clutter of images. Benetton campaigns have gathered awards and acclaim in all the countries in which the Group is present; by the same token, they have aroused strong reactions - at times ferocious, at times simply curious, confirming once again that they are always a focal point of discussion and of confrontation of ideas. "(12) "The advertising campaign has made a major contribution towards moving Barnardo (the United Kingdom) into a position of considerable influence on policy matters in the domain of children, giving a strong platform to make real differences in the lives of the children now and in the future". (4) The key issues that effect children in modern society are stress, alcohol abuse and poverty and the key messages are that: "Although advertising images may shock but the real shock is that we have the worst child poverty rate in Europe with 1 in 3 children living in poverty in the UK. Barnardo's believes this is unacceptable and that it is horrifying that most people don't believe it and therefore take no personal responsibility to do anything about it". (5) So, the shock advertising policy of Barnardo is connected with global problems of children lives. (Appendix 2) The French Connection United Kingdom (FCUK) clothing line has come back fighting after their controversial advertising campaign. The first shock advertising of the company was in its name. But the Chief Executive Steve Marks has defined this as follows: "Shock tactics are a solution for the desperate. The FCUK brand is about attitude to life". (9) The company has always stuck to its policy of making controversial ads or campaigns, which they claim, are mostly seen in the wrong light. Their insistence is that these ads should be seen in a light hearted manner. In fact, their attitude to the same has been typically FCUK- when all their ads on television were banned and all the ASA (Advertising Standard Authority) decreed that all future ads had to be subject to approval, the company's response was short and what they hoped would be sweet - signs in their shop windows saying "Sorry, FCUK". 3. Differences between Collectivism vs Individualism. The cultural issues associated with the online environment revolve around the compatibility between culturally determined approaches to learning and perceptions of the online world and how the online environment is presented and learning styles that it requires or favours. This is a complex and challenging area with few guidelines. One useful work is by Marcus and Gould who present the dimensions of culture as analysed by Geet Hofstede and consider how they might affect user interface design. Hofstede's works can be used to begin to examine the cultural perceptions of the accessibility of online materials. They can also be related to literature that deals with adult learning styles and the approaches to learning that are being deemed appropriate for developing in online courses. Hofstede suggested that cultures varied in essential patterns of thinking, feeling and acting and that the patterns were established in childhood and relatively stable over time. Hofstede identified five cultural dimensions. Hofstede's cultural dimensions are as follows: Power - distance Collectivism versus individualism Femininity versus masculinity Uncertainty avoidance Long-term versus short-term time orientation Individualism is the opposite of collectivism; together they form on of the dimensions of national cultures. Collectivism is a collectivistic cultural dimension. People in these societies are tightly integrated and they belong to "in-groups" from which they can not detach themselves, they think "we" as oppose to individualistic societies where individuals make decisions motivate by the self interest and think of"me" terms. For example, improved quality of life includes obtaining satisfaction from the society as a whole or group to preserve harmony within the system. On the other side, some nations are characterized by an individualistic cultural dimension which looks primarily after their own best interests. Improve of society for the individualistic system means individual success and achievement, and individual freedoms.(1) Individualism refers to people regarding themselves as individuals, while collectivism refers to people regarding themselves as part of a group. The US, France, the UK, Italy have high individualism. Decisions in cultures of high individualism typically are made at the spot, people achieve high things alone, and they assume great deal of personal responsibility. In cultures with high collectivism, decisions are typically referred to committees, people ideally achieve things in groups, and jointly assume responsibilities. Individualism describes the attitude of independence of a person who fells a large degree of freedom in his /her personal life. Personal accomplishments and self expressions, freedom of personal pursuits, entrepreneurship, free enterprise freedom of occupation and the perception of what is her/his best interest. Any intrusion in the rights of individual by a group is unwarranted. Individualism is the maximization of some utility by a wide arrange of human limitations and how we make choices, attitudes, goals, and face the consequences. An individualistic culture is that which maximizes differences, confrontation, and compromises. Individual's interest take precedence over others and society. Schools emphasize the self-esteem of each child and encourage individual talents, respect for individual authority and responsibility; therefore, destinies lie in their own hand. Conversely, collectivism, like China, Japan, Israel's Kibitzes, children are thought that their role is to serve the groups, the families, and ties. The Chine success and failures is share by the family or clans and in Latin American you expect to put always family and relatives before anything else. So, as for these two countries, the United Kingdom and Italy, the UK has higher individualism than Italy. It also can be proved by features of their shock advertising policies: there are more shock tactics in the ads of Great Britain's companies which include more social aspect in human society. 4. Comparing and contrasting British culture vs Italian culture within the boundaries of advertising. Comparing and contrasting British and Italian cultures it is important to remember about two kinds of cultures' knowledge. One is factual knowledge about a culture; it is usually obvious and must be learned. Different meanings of color, different tastes, and other traits indigenous to a culture are facts that can be anticipated, studied, and absorbed. The other is interpretive knowledge - an ability to understand and to appreciate fully the nuances of different cultural traits and patterns. For example, the meaning of time, attitudes toward other people and certain objects, the understanding of one's role in society, and the meanings of life can differ considerably from one culture to another and may require more than factual knowledge to be fully appreciated. And now about the advertising cultures in the United Kingdom and Italy, the population of these two countries is multi-faith and multi-cultural. Italy and the UK have the same barriers to successful international advertising: Ethnocentrism, it is a tendency to view and value things through the cultures of these countries. Self-Reference Criterion (SRC), it implies an unconscious reference to culture values of the Great Britain and Italy, experiences, and knowledge to make decisions. Research also shows that many English and Italian people have no strong religious commitment. This can mean that certain religious groups are more sensitive and particular about their beliefs against a perceived background of 'secularity'. Correspondingly, an increasingly diverse society poses challenges to marketers wishing to avoid offending the public but themselves often unaware of what causes particular hurt to people of different backgrounds and depth of religious commitment. So, the religion is contestable category for both culture but any advertising policy needs to respect religious aspects of any culture. "There are some institutions we do not expect advertising to exploit. Churches, temples, court-houses and prisons are a few of them." (8) Well, all information in this topic about Shock Advertising shows that the UK's ads include almost all social aspects of culture and society: anti-smoking and anti-alcohol campaigns, charity campaign, and such children's problems as poverty and drug abuse. (Appendix 2-3) Appendix 1 Benetton's multi-racial theme "Publicity played on the theme of confrontation between black and white this year, through a series of posters, but did not present the clothes at all. A white wolf and a black sheep, nose to nose, a black child sleeping among a pile of white teddy-bears, a little black hand on a big white hand, a piano duo showing little white hands being helped by big black hands, two children facing each other (one black, the other white) sitting on their potties, tubes of personality tests, several young couples of chimney sweeps, miners and bakers... united by the black of the soot or coal" Appendix 2 Barnardo's Shock Advertising campaign "Barnardo's is about trying to prevent children from being worthless adults whether they are alive or dead." According to the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), this campaign is "too shocking" to be shown. But Barnardo's said it was highly effective in highlighting the plight of abused or disadvantaged children. Children's charity Barnardo's shocking new series of anti-child abuse advertisements has prompted concern from the advertising industry's own advisory body. Appendix 3 Shock "smoking" babies ads warn against cigarettes This advert shows a baby sitting in a car seat and exhaling smoke. References 1. Hofstede, G. (1994). Cultures and organisations: Intercultural Co-operation and its Importance for Survival. London: Harper Collins Business. 2. Giruox, H.A. (1994). Disturbing Pleasures - Learning Popular Culture. London, Routledge. 3. Lass, P. & Hart, S. (2004). National Cultures, Values and Lifestyles Influencing Consumers' Perception towards Sexual Imagery in Alcohol Advertising: An Explanatory Study in the UK, Germany and Italy. Journal of Marketing Management. Advertising Campaign in 2003 - Silver spoon. http://www.barnardos.org.uk/resources/student/advertising/objectives.jsp 4. Committee of Advertising Practice. http://www.cap.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/00633A1C-DFCF-4F6E-A954-FBF26D9C384A/0/religious_offence.pdf 5. Cozens, C. Shock "smoking" babies ads warn against cigarettes. http://society.guardian.co.uk/publichealth/story/0,11098,991646,00.html 6. Culture shock. http://www.aef.com/06/news/data/2000/1189 7. Does shock sells brand Benetton tones down image and loses sells. http://www.brandchannel.com/view_comments.aspid=28 8. FCUK. http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asppf_id=84#more 9. Mazubder, A. Fancy FCUK http://www.iimcal.ac.in/imz/article.aspcode=sep03_entree 11. Time for some shock tactics http://www.principals.com.au/pp/2004_vol_01_jan/pp_2004_1.2.html 12. UK: Shock campaign aims to cut smoking among the young. http://www.globalink.org/28445.shtml 13. United colors of Benetton. Advertising history. http://www.museedelapub.org/pubgb/virt/mp/benetton/elle1996.html 14. WHAT'S SO SHOCKING ABOUT SHOCK ADVERTISING http://www.angelofernando.com/Shockvertising.htm 15. Why fcuk spells success. http://uk.geocities.com/balihar_sanghera/adshock.html Read More