Cross-Cultural Marketing -2-
Credit AT&T Hands Ads campaign
In the first part we discussed the basics of cross-cultural marketing.
Companies need to evaluate the way they market and operate their business. If the clients and customers feel they are different from what you represent or feel estranged where they feel unrecognized, you will begin to lose them, plain and simple.
People gravitate towards others that look like them, talk like them and think like them so clients and customers will go where they feel they are valued, understood, and well served. They will not stay where they are made to feel unimportant or uncomfortable.
You may have noticed that huge brands have shifted their marketing campaigns to communicate in different languages and cultures based on targeted customer market segments either inside or outside the United States.
So we have seen brands like Home Depot have welcome signs in different languages; not to alienate anyone in the contrary to include different cultures, sending the message that though we know what “Welcome” in English means we took an extra step and we care and respect you so we have it in your own language; so they would feel welcome and valued so they will spend their money at Home Depot instead of another store that doesn’t care to cater to them.
We have others examples as “McDonalds” where the brand is consistent all over the world with the golden arches but they have "Welcome "in different languages as Arabic, Russian, Hebrew, French, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Armenian, Urdu, German and many more depending on the country they are located in, to make the clients feel at home.
Same with "AT&T" and their hands campaigns a beautiful artistic campaign with painted hands mimicking postures that mean something to each country like Pharaohs queens for Egypt, Chili for Mexico, Geisha girls for Japan, Tropical scene for Brazil and so on.
Why? Because of two reasons:
1) Diverse organizations do a better job at marketing and selling to diverse target markets. Clients and customers of different backgrounds and cultures will often flock to businesses that make them feel cared for
2) The marketing mix moved from the 4 Ps (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) to the 4Cs (Consumer, Cost, Convenience and Communication) so it is all about the client and customer and not the organization anymore. Companies should never try to adapt the market to your products it would simply not work, in the contrary you must adapt your services to the market and I can’t stress strong enough how this is crucial.
Continued on the next page
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