1. Cultural Dynamics

2. Take off the shoes to win
I was meeting with a group of Japanese businessmen in Tokyo, and our morning
discussions had not gone well. For lunch my hosts rented a private room in a
restaurant. As is the custom, they took off their shoes. I was wearing my dress
cowboy boots and removed them. No sooner had we sat cross-legged on the dining mats than I began to receive the first smiles and laughter of the day. I was puzzled until one man said, "Mickey Mouse," pointing to my socks. My children had packed this footwear, which they had given me for my birthday. Not realizing I would be taking off my boots, I wore the socks. That moment in the restaurant was the turning point of the trip, and before I left Japan we had an agreement.

3. National Differences in Culture
What is CULTURE?
shared system of values and norms that offer a design for living
Values: abstract ideas about what is good, right and desirable
Norms: social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate behavior in particular situations

4. Culture Quiz

5. Determinants of Culture
Social Structure
Group and individual
Social classes and mobility
Religion
Political
Philosophy
Norms/ Values
Economic
Philosophy
Language
Spoken and silent
Education

6. Cultural Issues Technological and Material Culture
Communication and Language
Aesthetics
Education
Religion
Attitudes and Values
Social Organization

7. Technological and Material Culture
Material Culture - tools and artifacts (physical things) in a society, excluding those physical things found in nature unless they undergo some technological change e.g. tree to Christmas tree or orchard
Technology - Techniques to make and use those things.

8. Technological and Material Culture
Effect on consumption
Car - Suburbs
Television - Advertising, Home Shopping etc.
Microwave oven - Food preparation and nature of the food consumed.
Sony Walkman, Cellular phone

9. Communication and Language
Language as a Communication Tool
Verbal or Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal
Verbal - Language is a mirror of culture; 3000 languages

10. Gestures American - ok Southern France - sale is worthless
Brazil - **&

11. International Marketing Blunders
Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea."

12. International Marketing Blunders
Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign:
è Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.

13. International Marketing Blunders
The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem-Feeling Free", was translated into the Japanese market as
è "When smoking Salem, you will feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."

14. International Marketing Blunders
Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.

15. International Marketing Blunders
An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa),
è the shirts read "I saw the potato" (la papa).

16. International Marketing Blunders
In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into "Schweppes Toilet Water.”

17. International Marketing Blunders
Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into
è "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave," in Chinese.

18. International Marketing Blunders
Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "it takes a strong man to make a tender chicken" was translated into Spanish as
è "it takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate.”

19. International Marketing Blunders
When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to have read, "it won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you".
è Instead, the company thought that the word "embarazar" (to impregnate) meant to embarrass, so the ad read: "It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant".

20. Religion Holidays Taboos and Consumption Patterns
Economic Development and Materialism

21. Religion Muslims and Ramadan Tunisia - market slumps
Saudi Arabia - pilgrimage to Mecca
Swedish co. for transportation system

22. Religion Christians and Christmas Dutch - St. Nicholas Day (Dec 6th)
Russians - Frost Man’s day (January 1)

23. Taboos Never touch the head of a Thai or Pass an object over it
The head is considered sacred in Thailand.

24. Some Cultural Facts Germans prefer salad dressing in a tube.
An American firm lost floor wax sales in Brazil because a change in the formula made the product less effective as a lighter fluid to ignite Sunday Barbecues.
Germans prefer salad dressing in a tube.
Kellogg’s Pop Tart failed in Europe, as many homes do not have toasters.
Mountain Dew soft drink in difficult to pronounce in Portuguese, and sales have been slow in these markets.
Two-liter pop bottle failed in Spain because of small refrigerators
Although 89% of Americans agree that everyone should use deodorant, only 53% of Australians agree with this statement

25. Values and Attitudes Marketing Activities
Wealth, Material Gain, and Acquisition
Work Ethic
Change
Risk Taking
Competitiveness
Status Symbols
Nationalism

26. Values and Attitudes Colac Laxative in Japan - Richardson-Vicks
Psychological dimensions of constipation
discuss only in group - no westerners present
dissatisfied with slow-acting herbal remedies
wary western laxatives too strong

27. Colac Laxative in Japan
Two little pills with natural qualities
“Three things to consider for stubborn constipation - salad, beauty exercise, and Colac before bedtime”

28. Education Levels of Participation Literacy Rates
Emphasis on Specific Subjects

29. Who’s top? World Education League
Some countries seem to educate their children much better than others? Why? No comprehensive answer has emerged yet but plenty of lessons are being learned
Economist 3/29/97

30. Aesthetics
Design
Color
Music
Choice of brand names, packaging etc.

31. Aesthetics - Cultural differences
SHAPES
Avoid using triangular shapes in Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan.
The triangle is considered a negative shape

32. Aesthetics - Cultural differences
NUMBERS
The number 7 is considered bad luck in Kenya and good luck in the Czech Republic and Magical connotation in Benin, Africa
The number 10 is bad luck in Korea.
The number 4 means death in Japan

33. Aesthetics - Cultural differences
COLORS
Red represents witchcraft and death in many African countries
Red is a positive color in Denmark

34. Social Organization
Family Unit
Peer Groups
Role models