THE CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT  Overview Developing marketing activities in harmony with the local culture can mean the difference between success and failure in a market Developing marketing activities in harmony with the local culture can mean the difference between success and failure in a market

Characteristics of Culture - What They All Have in Common  Culture Is Prescriptive -Defines What Is Acceptable  Culture Is Learned - not Genetic  Culture is Dynamic - An Interactive Relationship Between Behavior and Culture  Culture Is Subjective - Meanings Vary by Culture

Low-Context and High-Context Cultures - Verbal And Nonverbal Messages Determine meaning  Low-Context Cultures - What Is Said Is More Important Than How or Where It Is Said 1. U.S. 2. Germany  High-Context cultures - What Is Said and How or Where It is Said Are Significant 1. Asia 2. Latin America 3. Middle East

Monochronic and Polychronc Cultures - Hall and Hall  Monochronic 1. Linear information processing 2. Focus on one thing at a time 3. Hold to rigid schedules  Polychronic 1. Work on several tasks at a time 2. Human transactions are important

Culture and Verbal Communications - Understanding Through language  One Language - English -Meaning can Vary by Country  Using Language to Interpret the World  What Works Here May Not Work There

Culture and Nonverbal Communication - Can Actions Speak Louder Than Words?  Perception of Time Affects the Quality of Marketing Interactions 1. For some, time is linear and fixed 2. For others, time is on a continuum  Perception of Space Influences Business Decisions 1. Product size 2. Retail store layout 3. Office design 4. Feng Shui

Culture and Nonverbal Communication - Can Actions Speak Louder Than Words ?  Symbols Are Communication Shorthand 1. Colors convey symbolic meaning 2. Numbers - lucky or unlucky 3. Products - luxury or necessary  Negotiations - Sometimes a Handshake Seals the Deal  Gift Giving

Self-Reference Criterion - Unconscious Reference to One’s Own Cultural Values  Lee’s Four-Step Process to Avoid Self- Reference Mistakes 1. Define goal in terms of own cultural traits 2. Define goal in terms of foreign cultural traits 3. Isolate SRC influence and anticipate the complications 4. Redefine problem without SRC influence and find solution  Multicultural Training Programs to Improve Cross-Cultural Interactions

Understanding Cultural Universals Can Help Marketers Develop effective Product Strategies

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