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.
by Neil Payne
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/cross-cultural-communication.html | 
