2ad n Culture

8/3/2019 2ad n Culture

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In developing countries, advertising displays theorientation of a society, that the culture is progressing towards; that is advertising acts as a cultural indicator of progress.

Culture is defined as the sum total of learned beliefs, values and custom that serve to direct the behavior of consumers of members of a particular society.

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The belief and value components of the definition refer to theaccumulated feelings and priorities that individuals have about

“things” and possessions.

Beliefs consist of the very large number of mental or verbalstatements that reflects a person‟s particular knowledge andassessment of something (another person, a store, a product, a

brand etc.).

Values also are beliefs. Values differ from other beliefs, however,because they meet the following criteria:

They are relatively few in number

They serve as a guide for culturally appropriate behavior

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They are enduring or difficult to change.

They are not tied to specific objects or situations. They are widely accepted by the members of a society.

Both values and beliefs are in a broad sense, mental

images that affect a wide range of specific attitudes andthis, influences the way a person is likely to respond in a

specific situation. E.g. the criteria a person uses to

evaluate alternative brands in a product category, or his

or her eventual preference for one of these brands over

the other, are influenced by both a person‟s general

values and specific beliefs.

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Customs are overt modes of behavior that constitute

culturally approved or acceptable ways of behaving in specific

situations.

Customs consist of everyday or routine behavior. For

example, a consumer‟s routine behavior, such as adding sugarand milk to coffee, having a salad after a meal rather than

before the meal etc., are customs.

When we are exposed to people with different cultural valuesor customs, we become aware of how culture has molded our

own behavior.

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Thus, a true appreciation of the influence that culture has on our daily life

requires some knowledge of at least one other society with differentcultural characteristics. For e.g., to understand that brushing our teeth twice

a day with toothpaste is a cultural phenomenon requires some awareness

that members of another society do not brush their teeth twice daily.

Culture exists to satisfy the needs of the people within a society. It offers

order, direction and guidance in all phases of human problem solving by

providing, „tried and true‟ methods of satisfying physiological, personal and

social needs. For example, culture provides „standards and rules‟ about

when to eat(not between meals), where to eat(in a popular restaurant where

the quality of food is good), what is appropriate to eat for breakfast etc.

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Culture is also associated with what a society‟s membersconsider to be a necessity and what they view as a luxury.

Culture also provides insights as to suitable dress for specificoccasions. Dress codes have shifted dramatically.

Cultural beliefs, values and customs continue to be followed as

long as they yield satisfaction.

When a specific standard no longer satisfies the members of the society, however it is modified or replaced, so that theresulting standard with current needs and desires.

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Culture is gradually but continually evolving to meet theneeds of the society.

There are three distinct forms of cultural learning:

Formal learning, in which adults and oldersiblings teach a young family member „how to behave‟

Informal learning, in which a child learnsprimarily by imitating the behavior of selectedothers, such as family, friends etc.

Technical learning, in which teachers instruct the

child in a educational environment about whatshould be done, how it should be done, and why it should be done.

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Although a firm‟s advertising can influence all three types of cultural learning, it is likely that many product advertisementsenhance informal cultural learning by providing the audience

with a model of behavior to imitate. This is especially true for visible or conspicuous products, where peer influence is likely toplay an important role.

The repetition of advertising messages creates and reinforces

cultural beliefs and values. For example, many advertiserscontinually stress the same selected benefits of their products orservices. Ads for cellular services often stress on the clarity of their connection, or the nationwide coverage of their service as well as the flexibility of their pricing plans.

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It becomes difficult to say if the cellular service subscribersinherently desire these benefits from their service providersor after years of exposure to advertising appeals stressing these

benefits, they have been taught by marketers to desire them.

Culture is frequently viewed as group customs that link together the members of the society.

Common language becomes a critical component that enablespeople to share values, experiences and customs.

The „f amily ‟ serves as the primary agent to pass along basiccultural beliefs, values and customs to the newest members.

The two other places for transfer of selected aspects of cultureare educational institutions and places of worship.

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A fourth place that plays a major role in transferring culturethroughout society is the mass media.

Consumers receive important cultural information throughadvertising.

In a cultural context, advertising has the expanded mission of reinforcing established cultural values and aiding in thedissemination of new tastes, habits and customs. E.g. new FMCG products, new tastes in food, celebration of mother‟s day, father‟s day etc, eating out.

In planning their advertising, marketers should recognize

advertising to be an important agent for social change in oursociety.

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Culture is continually evolving and requires to evolve to functionin the best interests of a society.

The marketer must carefully monitor the socio-culturalenvironment in order to market an existing product moreeffectively or to develop promising new products.

Many factors are likely to produce cultural changes within agiven society such as new technology, population shifts, resourceshortages, wars, changing values and customs borrowed fromother cultures.

For example, today with more nuclear families and more

working women lot of changes have occurred. Many working women are in careers that were once considered to be exclusively male oriented. Late marriages of women who are self sufficient isa trait that visibly exists today.

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The changing nature of culture means that marketers have toconsistently reconsider why consumers are doing what they do, who the purchasers and the users of their products are ( male,

female, or both), when do they shop, how and where they can bereached by the media and what new product and service needsare emerging.

Marketers who monitor cultural changes often find new

opportunities to increase corporate profitability. For example,marketers of products & services as life insurance, financial,clothing who have attempted to take advantage of their targetsegments.

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ADVERTISING & POPULAR CULTURE

Advertising shapes popular culture and has a great impact. A conspiracy. A scam. A nuisance. Advertising is practically everywhere, and its been called just about everything.

When we look through a magazine or watch television we'resurrounded by it. It contributes to the loss of distinct cultures

and the formation of a mainstream one, a culture of pop musicand Gap clothing.

The worst part: many big corporations with good advertisingattract consumers who are often willing to pay big money for a brand-name.

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Advertising is present in almost all forms of communication;

the Internet, the telephone, the print media, the postal system,

television, radio. People can even advertise by talking face toface with others.

On the Internet, businesses, companies and corporations havetheir own Web pages advertising their products, their ways of doing business, their employees, or their services. There areads placed all over various Web pages. Everywhere you go onthe Internet, somebody (or something -- another computermaybe?) is trying to sell you something.

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On the telephone, telemarketing brings advertising down to oneperson trying to persuade the other into buying a product or aservice by word of mouth.

The print media is probably the most widespread form of

advertising; books, newspapers, magazines, flyers, catalogues.Newspapers hold classifieds, personal ads (tall, lanky maleenjoys country music and walking in nature), ads for local businesses (car dealers, clothing stores), notices for upcomingevents such as plays or festivals, and movie listings.

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Magazines have pages and pages of advertisements, whetherthey're for musical instruments, sports equipment, clothes,

food, make-up. Flip through the first 75 pages of a lifestylemagazine and you will find most pages carry ads balanced witha few pages of „useful' information. We actually enjoy looking atthe ads. The advertisements in fashion magazines are catch your eye because of the photography and design, interestingpictures and beautiful people.

Popular culture refers to beliefs and practices and the objectsthrough which they are organized that are widely shared

amongst a population.

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Popular culture is what we make out of the productsand practices of mass produced culture. It is the

expressive content that is produced and consumed. Itis light entertainment that is delivered through thechannels of mass media and finally, absorbed voluntarily, to be interpreted by the individual who

receives it.

Information then goes back in the form of ratings orsales figures that will influence the subsequent round

of offerings.

„Popular culture‟ is everything from „commonculture to folk culture to mass culture‟.

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Popular culture consists of symbols. Instances of popularculture are television serials, films, comic books, music, slang

and so on. Popular culture gives pleasurable sensations uponreception. This „pleasure giving‟ feature is a central aspect of the popular culture experience.

Advertising, on the other hand refers to „paid for messages‟

that attempts to transfer symbols into commodities to increasethe possibilities of its purchase. Hence, advertising may belooked at warily. Though advt. comes in many forms; TV,

Radio and magazines are normally focused more.

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Advertising is seen as a subset of first order intentions. It isdeveloped with both first order & second order intentions.

The first order is when communication occurs. The secondorder intentions are of purchasing the goods advertised.

Advertising aims at changing behavior while popular cultureaims to give pleasure & not to change viewers.

Advertising is almost briefer than instances of popularculture- 30 seconds of a commercial against 30 minutes of popular culture. This is due to the expensive cost for mediaspace & time & budget constraints.

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However, advertising & popular culture share much incommon. Both are products of culture industries. Both are

understood as artistic & creative products. Both pay greatattention to style. Both share the use of same mass mediamethod.

Popular culture is more welcome than advertising.

Advertising & popular culture have come to occupy centralpositions with a global economic growth. Both are approachedas economic entities as well as symbolic entities.

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Popular culture offers a lavish store to advertisers who try tocreate attractive messages for consumers. Advertisers will use

appropriate popular culture material as celebrities, music,comedy, styles and anything else that can be used as acceptedand enhanced symbol for their products.

To communicate with consumers, advertisers thus have a fertileand ample mixture of symbolic material to draw upon.

The lore of popular culture that advertisers find usable arecomedies, music, films and celebrities.

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Music has the ability to stimulate extraordinary emotionalfeelings. Adult consumers derive emotional benefit from

popular music. It is this appeal that advertisers try to exploitto stimulate consumer‟s interest in their products.

An advertiser‟s choice of leading entertainers asspokespeople, as opposed to lesser known individuals,carries with it valuable contextual inferences when thetransfer of meanings from the endorser to the product andfrom the performance of the ad works well, it becomes asuccess.

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The utility of music is acknowledged within the advertisingindustry. Background music can set up a mood with targetedconsumers & lend an emotional dimension to a brand.

Although much of the music in advertising is original, anincreasing proportion of it consists of reused popular culturalhits.

Advertising is not depleting or obliterating popular culture. Theinterpenetration of advertising & popular culture is recognized.Highlights from one adds lustre to the other. The target audienceare always on the lookout for symbols & meanings which

reverberate back & forth between the two domains. Popularculture can even aid in the creation of new norms.

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To communicate with consumers, advertisers have an amplestock of purchasable symbolic material to draw upon. Advertisers turn to popular culture that is pleasurable,

emotional and non-coercive.

Popular culture is the main link of the stars who cancommand general recognition from a diverse population. Thepopular song “Dhoom machale” became a part of the everyday

lingo of the youngsters. It increased the sales for advertisers.

Although cultures meet most „newness‟ (Kellogs, McDonalds) with some resistance, that can be overcome. Cultures aredynamic & change occurs gradually when resistance slowly yields to acceptance.

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The awareness of the need for change comes gradually.Ideas that were once too complex becomes less complex

because of the cultural gains in understanding. Once theneed is recognized, the acceptance cannot be prevented.

Possible methods & insights are offered by social scientiststhat are concerned with concepts of planned social change.

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Cross Cultural Advertising

How does culture impact

advertising campaigns in

foreign countries?

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Language in Cross Cultural Advertising

It may seem somewhat obvious to state that language is key toeffective cross cultural advertising. However, the fact thatcompanies persistently fail to check linguistic implications of company or product names and slogans demonstrates thatsuch issues are not being properly addressed.

The advertising world is littered with examples of linguisticcross cultural blunders. Of the more comical was Ford‟sintroduction of the „Pinto‟ in Brazil. After seeing sales fail,they soon realised that this was due to the fact that Braziliansdid not want to be seen driving a car meaning „tiny male

genitals‟.

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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

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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.

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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 relayedon 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.

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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 andunlucky colours, such as black in Japan. Some colours have certainsignificance; 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 or9. If there are numbers with negative connotations abroad, presentingor packaging products in those numbers when advertising should beavoided.

Images are also culturally sensitive. Whereas it is common to seepictures of women in bikinis on advertising posters on the streets of London, such images would cause outrage in the Middle East .

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When advertising abroad, the cultural values underpinning

the society must be analysed carefully. Is there a religionthat is practised by the majority of the people? Is the society collectivist or individualist? Is it family orientated? Is ithierarchical? Is there a dominant political or economic

ideology? All of these will impact an advertising campaign if left unexamined.

Cultural Values in Cross Cultural Advertising

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For example, advertising that focuses onindividual 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 orhierarchical societies.

By way of conclusion, we can see that theprinciples of advertising run through to crosscultural advertising too. That is – know yourmarket, what is attractive to them and what theiraspirations are. Cross cultural advertising is

simply about using common sense and analysinghow the different elements of an advertisingcampaign are impacted by culture and modifyingthem to best speak to the target audience.

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Creating Cross Cultural Advertising

Cross cultural advertising means more than

translation. The language, style, colors,

numbers and symbols of advertising are all

important factors to be considered. To

outsource cross cultural marketing to a

professional located in the intended target

market is an effective way to broaden your

global business.

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Language Different language, different words, and different

accents all contribute to the success or failure of your marketing campaigns. How can your targetmarket appreciate your business and products andservices if they cannot understand what you’re trying

to say in the first place?

Most people fail to realize how language can affect amarketing campaign. This is apparent in various taglines and slogans in marketing material and otherprint ads. Therefore, one must be conscious thatotherwise regular and harmless words can easily bemisinterpreted from one culture to the next.

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Style Generally communication should be straight forward

and to the point. But when attempting to relate to

different cultural markets each respond to a different

style and understanding the style that is appropriate

is vital in creating an effective marketing campaignfor any business.

This difference can be seen when comparing US

search engine homepages like msn.com to those of

China such as sohu.com. While one has a simplistic

straightforward layout, the other utilizes every inch

of the webpage.

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Colors, Numbers and Symbols These elements play significant roles for marketing. In

several cultures for example, even the most ordinaryshade of red can translate a different message, red maymean luck in China, but can mean death in anothercountry. Likewise the numbers 13 and 4, for example mean

different things in the US and Japan. The number 13 is avery unlucky while the number 4 means death. Symbolsjust like images can also convey a variety of meanings andit is advisable to do thorough research before using them.

The bottom line is that to create ads that appeal to

different cultures, remember to be aware of the principlesand traditions observed in each culture. The best way toaccomplish this is identify your target markets needs,wants and desires. Once you are able to do that, crosscultural advertising will become a breeze.

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The Hazards of Cross-Cultural

Advertising

Advertising copy, in any language, usually isdesigned to catch the public eye and earwith appealing printed or spoken messages,sometimes together with attractive imagery.

But American advertisers sometimes losesight of the fact that sales of a product willsuffer if advertising copy intended for useabroad is improperly translated. The sort of advertising disasters just cited should makeadvertisers aware that the most effectivetranslation for advertising purposes will oftennot be the most literal one.

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Translating cannot, except in the most mundane of

technical texts, be reduced to a task of mere word,

phrase, or sentence replacement between languages.

Frequently, conceptual, not lexical, obstacles

frustrate the search for equivalence betweenlanguages. Concepts may not be equivalent in two

languages because the languages are welded

intimately to the culture in which they are spoken.

Moreover, a particular concept within one culture

may not exist at all in another culture--thusrendering the construction of translated materials

much more complex matter than initially imagined.

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Throughout history, myths have helped form cultures'communications behavior. On a superficial level of analysis they may remain unapprehended or, in thecase of cross-cultural communication, bemisunderstood. The possibilities for suchmisinterpretation multiply for advertising via mediasuch as television, radio, or print, since theycontinually draw upon and perpetuate cultural valuesand meanings. An advertiser should not assume thatmembers of different cultural groups will respond toa particular advertisement in the same way.Consequently, when two cultures differ widely inbasic values, socialization, and ways of life, achievingequivalence in a translation may be difficult --perhaps impossible--even if care has been taken fromthe standpoint of language.

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For instance, a print advertisement for a

men's cologne, picturing a man and his dog in

an American rural setting, failed to attract

the male market in North Africa. The

advertiser was unaware that dogs, the

American "man's best friend,' were alleged to

have eaten one of Mohammed's regiments

centuries ago and therefore are considered

either signs of bad luck or uncleanliness in

parts of Moslem North Africa and elsewhere

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Cross-cultural advertisers also have to

evaluate the products they introduce into a

culture in the context of that culture's

preexisting habits and practices in order to

determine their compatibility with cultural

norms. For example, a toothpaste claiming

to give users white teeth was especially

inappropriate in many areas of Southeast

Asia where betel-nut chewing is a habit

among the well-to-do, and black teeth are

viewed as a sign of higher social status.

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Yet, despite the importance of culture in explainingconsumer behavior, this factor appears to bemisunderstood and undervalued by many advertisersas they enter the international market. While marketresearch is often desirable in home-market

advertising, it is likely that an advertiser will use onlyhis own personal experience to guide him. Thismethod is not a valid tool for entry into cross-culturalmarkets. For instance, whether a bicycle is viewed asa mode of transportation or as a leisure equipment

item should have a tremendous effect on how onewould attempt to market and advertise bicycles.Indeed, in different countries bicycles are used incompletely different ways, and an advertiser must befully aware of those differences.

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