How Do Cultural Differences Impact Branding?
The term “culture” describes the particular way groups of people live, encompassing their accumulated stores of knowledge, their beliefs and customs, and the various other elements of human behavior they have in common. Since culture provides a type of framework for a society, it affects all aspects of people’s lives, including their consumer habits and patterns. The level of individual response that characterizes cultural differentiation can be a challenge when it comes to branding. Establishing a brand identity traditionally has relied on a certain degree of standardizing, but this conformity in messaging does not always cross cultural lines. An example can be found in the unsuccessful attempt to launch Euro Disney, in Paris. Aside from unfavorable climate factors, one of the main reasons for the failure was the mistaken assumption that the brand-experience of a Disney theme park would be embraced by the European culture. An American bias was evident in the language and the scenic imagery, as well as in the high ticket prices and their policy prohibiting alcohol, which went against local wine-drinking customs. (https://eurodisney.weebly.com). Although Disney remained true to the established branding principle of consistency, in this instance it proved counterproductive.
Cultural differences often determine whether a brand succeeds or fails in international markets. It is always a tricky proposition to figure out how to retain a sense of brand identity while appealing to cultures that embrace different values and aesthetics. Multicultural marketer, Mike Fromowitz once observed, “Our world’s diversity is what makes marketing so fascinating. When you take time to understand this diversity, you show respect for other people’s cultures. Remember, your audience is more than a collection of stereotypes…you need to understand how they speak and what they care about to reach them on a personal level. If you do, they won’t just remember you, they’ll reward your brand with lifelong loyalty.” (https://campaignlive.com). If a company wishes to extend its branding to reach consumers internationally, it would be a serious mistake to ignore cultural diversity. In order to establish the relevance of its brand, a company must put in the required effort to adapt its image and the content of its advertising to better align with cultural parameters.
What is Glocalization?
“Glocalization” is a term that can be traced back to the Japanese word “dochakuka,” originally used in reference to the concept of deriving local farming practices from more widespread ones, and was subsequently used by marketers in Japan. In 1980, Roland Robertson reported the term in a Harvard Business Review article, defining glocalization as, “the simultaneity—the co-presence—of both universalizing and particularizing tendencies.” (https://www.investopedia.com). Blending the ideas of globalization and localization, glocalization generally refers to the practice of adapting brands developed for global distribution by taking into consideration the preferences, customs and laws of a market’s local culture. It was once common practice to standardize global production to reach the greatest number of consumers possible. Glocalizing, however, can actually result in increased sales. By adapting their products, companies can more effectively target the needs of the local consumers. Glocalization is connected to localization, but goes further in scope. Content manager, Bernadine Racoma, explains the difference this way: “In localization, the cultural and linguistic barriers are addressed. In glocalization, it is the product that is being technically enabled to get it ready for localization, which is the way to reach globalization status.” (https://www.daytranslations.com).
McDonald’s provides a good model for how this concept can be successfully put into practice. By using glocalizing strategies, they have established a large number of international markets for their products. This success is due in large part to their willingness to adapt to local customs, which is reflected menus changes that honor specific dietary restrictions and practices. For example, McDonald’s sells Kosher Big Macs in Israel, with no cheese. In India, the menu focuses on non-beef offerings, and includes items such as Chicken Maharaja Mac and a Veg Maharaja Mac. And in Arab countries, people can order the McArabia Chicken, which is served on pita bread (https://www.businessinsider.com). McDonald’s glocalization efforts go further than adapting menus to cater to different cultures; they have also adapted the way their brand is represented. A case in point: in France, Ronald McDonald had to move over to make room for Asterix, a more culturally appealing character. In the words of business leader, Gabriel Fairman, “Glocalization inspires changes in every stage of the business life cycle. From product conception to development, implementation, and assessment, the global mindset calls us to reject the standard ‘one size fits all’ paradigm of globalization.” (https://www.bureauworks.com).
The Cross-cultural Marketplace
When companies embrace the principles involved with promoting their brands to people with ethnicities different from those prevalent in their home areas, they must then develop programs that include targeted marketing strategies. This often begins with a customization of the channels used for consumer messaging, identifying the best vehicles and adapting the content to be relevant and appropriate to the needs, interests and mores of different cultures. There are certain guidelines a company must consider. Multilingualism is key, of course, but more is required than a mere translation from one language to another. Cross-cultural promotion needs to focus on the development of content generated for specific markets, including such factors as the music, art, and entertainment enjoyed by the people in those markets. The accumulated data must be continually reviewed and kept up-to-date. At the same time, new marketing vehicles should be investigated and tried, on an ongoing basis.
It is also useful for companies to pay attention to the efforts of their competitors, learning from their marketing blunders. In 2013, Nike put out a line of women’s workout wear using a pattern found in traditional tattoos from the Southwest Pacific. Not only were the tattoo-patterns restricted to men in that culture, they were also considered by many to be sacred. A social media uproar promptly ensued. As a result, Nike was forced to retract the product, and to deal with the damage-control engendered by the brand’s cultural gaffe. Doing more comprehensive research would possibly have prevented such a mistake. Cross-cultural marketing is potentially lucrative for many companies, but before launching international campaigns it is crucial to explore the cultures involved in a thorough and sensitive manner. CEO, Chris Morley observes: “Embracing the cross-cultural marketplace isn’t about toeing some line of perceived political correctness. It is a matter of reconciling response with reality.”