The Influence of Culture on Marketing - Research Paper Example

The Influence of Culture on Marketing By + Introduction Advertising refers to a form of communication intended to make users know more about a given product and as a result use the particular product. The core intention of any advertisement is to influence consumer patterns in a particular direction. This communication is usually done through various channels of communication that are popular with the masses such as television, radio or through the internet (Aaker, 2006). Advertising is usually paid for by particular sponsors who expect positive feedback from their investments. Culture refers to the particular characteristics, languages, religions, social habits and the way of life of a particular group of people. The culture of most individuals is determined at their place of birth whereby they pick up the behaviors and mannerisms of those around them. This influences their general outlook towards life and the way in which they perform certain actions in their day to day activities. Culture differs in various elements; the most common is due to the location. Individuals in various continents have various distinct differences and these can be easily noticed. A clear example is the popularity of sports in various continents. In the United States, the most popular sports are American Football and Baseball, in India, the most popular sport is cricket while in Europe soccer is the major attraction. This therefore means that children born in these regions will find that their sporting culture is inclined to these particular sports and therefore they are most likely to follow these sports. The environment we are in is a major determinant of the culture that we will adopt. Culture influences the languages that we speak and the religious beliefs that we are subscribed to. There is therefore a direct impact on the products that any given individual will use by the culture in which they belong. Some religious sects restrict the use of modern technology by their members and as such it would be pointless to try and them electronic. This therefore implies that advertisers should take keen note of the various cultures around the world so that they know exactly which type of people use certain products. They can then target these people selectively with advertisements that cater to their exact needs. The end result is that there will be positive response from the market since their needs will be catered for (Mueller 2004). Discourse The goal of this essay is to find out how the advertisements differ from each other on basis of cultural values, are there any similarities also between TV advertisements of various countries. The essay is expected to contribute in providing some new and useful information as it aims to represent the relevance of values and characteristics reflected in the advertisements. Consumer behaviors and Cultures The process involved in consumer behavior is defined by De Mooij as “the study of process involved when people use, purchase and dispose services, products, ideas and experiences so as to satisfy needs and desires” (DeMooij, 2010, P . 93). Everyone in society holds the concept of “self”, which is image about our current personality and the personality that each person wants to be associated with The idea of identity, image and self is linked to the concept of an individual. Cultural values have a very important duty in the conception of the individual. Individualistic cultures perceive the concept of self as an “autonomous entity” and each person holds a distinctive set of attributes, behaviors and qualities that are developed on the basis of configuration of these specific attributes. An example is that youngsters in such societies developed their identity to function independently from their family whereas in collectivist cultures, the identity is developed by encouraging dependency and complex relationships in society (Cheng & Schweitzer, 2006). The culture of a particular place will directly influence the types of products that are used by the people in that particular area. This means that these products have a direct cultural endorsement and they are more likely to be preferred by consumers. Advertisers should therefore analyze the various cultures separately and package their products in a manner that ensures they get the appropriate cultural endorsements. There are various symbols that are used in various communities around the world and these are adopted by the advertisers to target these groups of individuals. In a collective culture, the concept of self is considered as “interdependent entity” developed and encompassed by social relations. As a result, in these cultures, there is bound to be more reference to group terminology rather than individual references. In a masculine-promoted culture, this concept of the self is enhanced as “self-esteem” whereas in a feminine culture the concept of self is modesty (De Mooii. 2010).These symbols have various influences on the people and they might represent luxury or a common feeling. Advertisements make use of these symbols to target the community since they reflect certain needs of the population. Advertising relies on the use of various themes such as status, fashion or success to convey messages. They show that all human problems can be solved by embracing various types of consumptions. Each of these themes can therefore be associated with a certain symbol and this is displayed to the target group for reference. Personality can be defined as the cumulative characteristics and qualities of a specific person (De Mooij, 2010). The personality of each person is unique in its own way. Having traits like autonomy and sociability; different people behave differently in different situations. In individualistic cultures persons have individualistic autonomous and independent characteristics combined with internal attributes (motives, abilities, traits and values) let them to behave in certain way. However, in most cases, a person’s consumption is influenced by the symbols that they have been exposed to. In collectivist cultures, these factors are varied by the impact of social roles, which in turn drive them to behave in their own unique way. People who belong to various cultures have different personalities. The model that is currently used to study the variation in traits in different cultures is the Four factor Model called ‘Big Four’ to which these variations relate personality traits with the Hofstede’s Cultural Model. The four personality traits are; agreeability, extraversion, neuroticism and openness to experience (Hofstede, 2001). Language is an important factor of the culture that should be closely monitored. The words that are chosen international advertisements have to be carefully chosen so that they are not misunderstood by the target audience. Advertisers should take note that the meanings of words change when they are translated from English into various languages. An example of a language malfunction was when Ford was introducing its ‘Pinto” model in Brazil. Their advertising clause was ‘Put a Pinto under your tree.’ Unexpectedly, there was a drop in sales of the vehicle after this campaign was started. Upon further investigation it was found that the Brazilian translation to the intended catch phrase was a direct reference to the male genitalia and nobody wanted to buy a car that was associated to the male genitalia. Discussing asocial process steering consumer behaviors draws emotions and motivations and is bounded by cultures and variations in motives that espouse the development of advertisement appeals across cultures (Lin 2011). Psychologists argue that emotions (anger, fear, sadness, and joy) are universal; however, the use of these emotions, meanings and the intensity of the emotions vary according to specific types of cultures. According to a study, Asian-based cultures tend to display positive emotions only, for instance joy and happiness (Hofstede, 2001). Various cultures also relate differently to certain images. In the western countries and in Europe the use of females wearing bikinis has been used for years to promote certain products ranging from electronics to fashion wear. In this culture, such an image is tolerated and consumers have been shown to be attracted to such brands. However, in the Middle East the use of such an image will result to wide spread condemnation. This is because these two cultures are very different and the Arabs are a reserved culture. They believe in decency and this is displayed in their clothing which covers all parts of their body. Any product that is associated with an image of a naked woman will generate outrage and this negative publicity will impact the company. The mental process also has a great impact on branding and communication. How people think, learn or communicate are mental /cognitive processes. Three kinds of processes are involved in cross cultural studies i.e. categorization, information processing and abstract versus concrete thinking (Hall, 2014). The collectivist culture members are inclined towards concrete features of product because they are not much used of conceptual thinking; however members of individualistic cultures are more inclined towards abstract brand features. The second process; categorization, is about categorization of people and objects by people on basis of individualism and mass reasoning. On the other hand individualistic cultures distinguish on basis of rules and regulations whereas collectivist cultures categorize on basis of relationships among objects. Information processing varies along with individualism/collectivism and power distance. In high power distant and collectivist cultures people tend to gain information through implicit communication and prefer to buy product on basis of trust on company and feelings whereas people in low power distant and individualistic culture tend to gain information via friends and media for purchasing. Information flow automatically and frequently caused by social interaction and knowledge is acquired unconsciously “well informed” is co related with low power distant , low context and individualism (Geregowski, 2010). Everyone in society holds the concept of “self”, which is an image about their current personality and the personality we want to portray. The main notion of identity, self and image is linked to the concept of self. Cultural values have a huge influence in the conception of consumer self. Individualistic cultures perceive the concept of self as “autonomous entity” and each person holds distinctive set of processes, attributes, behaviors and qualities are developed on basis of configuration of these traits. For example, the young people who live in individualistic societies developed their identity to function independently in society apart from their family whereas in collectivist cultures the identity is developed by encouraging dependency and the complex relationships in the society exist which are very complex. Due to the disparity in customs around the world, there has to be a certain marketing mix that enables advertisers to meet their goals. They should first engage in research in regards to the consumption patterns, media habits and also the response of the particular consumers to promotion campaigns. Personality has a huge influence in consumption patterns of an individual. It is important to note that research has shown that personality is affected by the environment in which the individual is aligned to (De Mooij, 2010). A person will, therefore, have a positive response to advertisements that appear to promote their personality as it helps boost their ego and sense of well-being. This shows that in most cultures, consumption is varied due to the impact of social roles, which in turn drives individuals to behave in a certain manner. Individuals from various cultures have different personality characteristics and this is reflected in the type of goods they consume. Some communities openly take tobacco, and, as such, it is possible to advertise tobacco in these areas. The uptake of tobacco can be seen as a status symbol and can be encouraged while in another culture such as an activity may be restricted and considered evil. Cultural symbols refer to the various representations that are acceptable in various cultures. These can be in the form of an icon, picture, a popular face or simply a face. This symbol has a special influence on a given cultural use and so van be used to influence their decisions. Advertisers have to pay special attention to these symbols if they have to succeed in marketing their products in various regions. The names act as endorsements to the various goods and consumers feel obligated to buy these products. In India, the cow is regarded as a holy animal. It is a religious symbol and its status is divine. It would therefore be very inappropriate for a company to run an advertisement that tends to make fun of cows. This is likely to offend the people and will result to low sales and in some cases expulsion from a given market. It is critical that any company uses the symbols to get a competitive advantage as this will mean they understand the beliefs and the values of their target market (De Mooij, 2008). There is a wide difference in the values that are upheld by various cultures. The advertisements that are run in the different cultures should be sensitive to the different cultural values. Some cultures promote the spirit of teamwork and the importance of the family setup. As such, advertisements that focus on the individual aspects of a person with references to ‘I’ may be received negatively. This is because they are seen to promote rebelliousness within the community and products associated with them do not circulate easily. Various cultures have different perceptions in which they view the men and the women in the society. In Arab cultures women are expected to be submissive and are not even allowed to drive vehicles. In the western world however there is the spread of gender equality and women can do anything that a male member of the society can do without any difficulty (Aaker, 2006). This is an acceptable form of behavior and an advertisement that includes a woman driving a car will raise the interest of the women towards a particular car model. When this similar advertisement is run in Arab countries it can be severely rebuked because it goes against the core values of the culture (Hall, 2014). It is seen as a promotion of rebellious behavior among the women and this will affect the sale of the product. A more probable advertisement may be that of a woman seating in the back seat of a car while being driven by a chauffeur. This type of advertisement will be more preferable and raise the interest of the ladies. It should be noted that women in these cultures are not allowed to drive but they can own motor vehicles and as such can choose which model to purchase for their day to day use. Conclusion Any given product can be sold across various cultures, what is crucial is the manner in which the product is marketed. Advertisers should analyze each and every community so as to know the factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions in various cultures. Only then can advertisers expect to penetrate the markets with their goods and make returns. What is essential is for advertisers to know what captures the attention of people in different areas of the world. If they can figure this out then they are more likely to record success in their campaigns. This is because cultural influence cannot be ignored and they affect the consumption of the individuals within that region. The advertisements on display should therefore be shaped around a certain culture so that it gets the appropriate cultural endorsement that is vital for the success of the products Bibliography Aaker, D. (2006). Warmth in advertising: Measurement, impact, and sequence effects. 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