Global Marketing
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Culture
(The bubble we live in)
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Culture - Definition
•
•
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
The total community heritage of nonbiological, socially transmitted traits,
including technological, social,
ideological, religious, and artistic forms
of behavior and material objects.
- Lewis Binford
Evolution of Culture
•
Mankind does not inherently have the biological equipment to survive
•
•
Fangs, claws, fur, superior strength, superior eyesight, superior hearing,
etc.
In order to survive, our earliest direct evolutionary ancestors, the
hominids (≈1 - 3 million years ago), developed culture
•
Who were they and how did they do it?
Some of you may not believe in human evolution, and that’s OK
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Australopithecus
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
AVOID AT
ALL COSTS
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Normal Reactions When Exposed to Other Cultures
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
•
Culture shock
•
Reverse culture shock
Business Practice
•
Western business/ marketing
model has been adopted in most
countries
•
However, local cultural variants
occur
•
•
•
•
•
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Day-to-day operations
Conduct of meetings
Business hours (…the siesta)
Personal interactions, etc.
The marketing mix
Language
(Frames our world view)
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Written Language
Meaning versus
sound-based
language
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Spoken Language
•
Universe divided by gender
•
Grammar / specificity / importance
•
•
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Der in der ecke stehende stuhl
The chair in the corner
•
Volume / pitch / strength of voice /
amount of eye contact
•
Social status (accent, diction, wording, etc.)
Spoken Language
(Cont’d)
Winston Churchill
once said:
“The Americans and
English are two great
peoples divided by a
common language.”
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Spoken Language
(Cont’d)
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Spoken Language (Cont’d)
•
Fractured branding


University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Lonewdew Macewdonewdew
Can‘t be used in English-speaking
countries
Hall’s Silent Languages…Unspoken but known within the cu
 Language of Time

Mañana / Bokhara, inshallah
 Language of Space
 Office location, size, and type
 Language of Things

Gifts
 Language of Friendship
 Language of Agreements...“We will take it into consideration.“
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Religion
(Our moral compass)
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
It may not be ours…but…
•
As Marketers, we need not subscribe
to a particular religion or belief
system
 However, we need to know,
understand, and respect differences in
doctrine in order to be successful
 Holidays (holy days) / Friday / Saturday /
Sunday
 Business practices
 “Right” and “wrong” / Taboos
 Etc.
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
It may not be ours…but… (Cont’d)
•
Religiously conservative countries
 Poland, Hungary, most Islamic countries
•
Religiously liberal countries

Brazil, Japan, most of Western Europe
Yakushi-ji Temple in Nara, Japan
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Business Etiquette
(Normative behavior)
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Doing What Is “Proper”
• Title / social status / ethnicity / class /
clan / tribe / age
• Meeting conduct / how & when to
speak
• Office design ; layout
• Eye contact
• Door position
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
The Legal System
(Codified conduct)
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Importance of Different Systems
• British Common Law
• Le code de Napoleon
• Sharia Law
• Communist Law
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Takeaway
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Takeaway
• You don’t need to be an expert,
but your success will be based
in no small part by your:
 Knowledge of local culture
(and history)
 Empathy and understanding
despite of your “dislikes”
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Need for Appreciation and Flexibility







Cuisine / eating habits
Music
Visual arts
Sports
Dress code
Gender roles / behavior
Etc.
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
Knowledge Breeds Success
• Key to successful marketing:
 Learn about the local country /
region from:
 Ethnography /anthropology sources
 U.S. Chamber of Commerce country
guides (free or low cost)
 U.S. Military country guides
 Country publications (e.g., JETRO)
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
End
University of Illinois
At Chicago
Marketing 469
28