CULTURE

 What is culture?
 Culture and subculture
 How does culture manifest
itself?
 How does it impact
marketing tasks?

NOT a universal
practice!

MKTG 371 CULTURE Lars Perner, Instructor 1

 Definitions

 Culture: “That complex

whole which includes knowledge,
belief, art, morals, custom, and
any other capabilities and habits
acquired by man as a member of
society.”
Alternative definition: “Meanings that are
shared by most people in a group”
[at least to some extent]. (Adapted from Peter and
Olson, 1994)

MKTG 371 CULTURE Lars Perner, Instructor 2

 More Cultural Lessons...

 Cologne ad featuring a man “attacked” by

women failed in Africa
 Food demonstration did well in Chinese
stores but not in Korean ones--older women
were insulted by being “taught” by younger
representatives
 Pauses in negotiations
 Level of formality
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 Cultural Lessons

 Diet Coke is named Light Coke in Japan--dieting

was not well regarded
 Red circle trademark was unpopular in Asia due
to its resemblance of Japanese flag
 Packaging of products is more important in
some countries than in U.S.
 Advertisement featuring man and dog failed in
Africa--dogs were not seem as man’s best friend

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 Impact of Culture
Norms—ranges
of appropriate
behavior
Cultural
Values Consumption
Sanctions— Patterns
penalties
for violating
social norms
Text, p. 43

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 The Whole vs. Parts

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 Hofstede’s Cultural
Dimensions
 Individualism (vs.
collectivism) Based on interviews with
IBM executives throughout
 Power distance
the World--1980s
 Masculine vs. feminine
 Strong vs. weak
uncertainty avoidance
 Short vs. long term
orientation

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 Some Other Dimensions
 Affectivity vs. affect neutrality—extent
to which emotion is expected to be
shown
 Universalism vs. particularism
 Ascription (identity) vs. achievement
(accomplishments)
 Specificity (task orientation) vs.
diffuseness (relationship maintenance)
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 Characteristics of Culture

 Comprehensive
 Acquired (learned)
 Manifested in boundaries of
acceptable thought and behavior--
norms and sanctions
 Conscious awareness limited
(frequently taken for granted)
 Dynamic vs. static
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 A Comprehensive List of
Cultural Value Dimensions

 Other-oriented values  Environment-oriented

 Individual vs. collective values
(Hofstede)  Cleanliness
 Youth vs. age  Performance/status
 Extended vs. limited (Hofstede’s Power
family Distance)
 Gender roles/power  Tradition vs. change
 Competitive vs.  Risk taking vs. security
cooperative  Problem solving/fatalistic
 Diversity vs. uniformity  Nature

MKTG 371 CULTURE Lars Perner, Instructor 10

 More Value Dimensions
 Self-oriented
 Active vs. passive
 Sensual gratification/
abstinence
 Material vs. non-
material
 Instrumental
 Terminal
 Hard work vs. leisure
 Religious vs. secular
MKTG 371 CULTURE Lars Perner, Instructor 11
 Language: Be Careful!

 All Latin Americans (except

Brazilians) speak Spanish--don’t
they?
 Slang--e.g., “Daughter hanged
for crimes in youth...”
 Euphemisms
Is this guy
 Non-verbal communication-- playing real
what do gestures and tone “football?”
imply!
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 Geography--Surprisingly
Impactful
 U.S. and most Western European areas
are highly generally accessible
 Compare to areas in the developing World:
 China
 Russia
 Latin America (even Mexico), Africa
 Communication vs. shipping

MKTG 371 CULTURE Lars Perner, Instructor 13

 Climate and Topography:
The Case of Latin America
 4,500 by 3,000 miles (at widest)
 48% forests
 West coast dominated by mountain ranges
 5% of land arable
 Natural barriers inhibiting growth
 Large proportion of residents in cities; people
in rural areas often do not associate themselves
with countries

MKTG 371 CULTURE Lars Perner, Instructor 14

 China: Geography

 Very rapid progress

on Shanghai
infrastructure
 Rural villages are
difficult to access
 Strong regional
differences even
within the country

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 High vs. Low Context
Languages
 How precisely does
language delineate what is
being said?
 Language information
conveyors: Subjects,
objects, tense, gender, German

singularity Latin Great languages

for puns!
------- Spanish -------
 Language richness (words ------- French --------

with meanings of different English

Japanese
shades) Chinese

Low High
context context
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 Ambiguity: An Example
 Hai--meanings:
 Yes, I agree
 Yes, I hear what you
are saying
 (I hear you are saying
something)

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 Chinese Language Examples

 No “-ness” suffix to describe abstract

attributes (e.g., “coolness, gentleness”)
 No word for “size”—use “big-small” of
feet for shoe size
 No “whiteness” “white of swan”

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 Some Issues in Culture
 Time  Symbols
 monochronic vs.  colors
polychronic  historical associations
 meanings
 Friendship and
 Personal space
acquaintance
 preferred distance
 Agreements
 territoriality
 interaction  Etiquette
with/ignoring people in
close proximity
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 Eastern vs. Western Culture

 Differences in
 Values
 Perceptions of
 Objects
 Reality
• Stability vs. change
• Control
 Perceived roles

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 Some Tendencies
Issue Western Culture Eastern Culture
Focus of attention Objects Environment
Composition of the Objects Substances
World
Controllability of More perceived control Less perceived control
environment
Perceived stability More stable More change
Organization of the Categories Relationships
world
Reasoning Formal logic Less use of formal logic
Resolution of Dialectic “Middle way”
disagreement

Source: Richard E. Nisbett, The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westeners Think
Differently … and Why, New York, 2003, The Free Press

MKTG 371 CULTURE Lars Perner, Instructor 21

 More Tendencies

 Westeners tend to rate themselves

 More unique than average and what they are
 “Above average” in ability
 Easteners tend to rate themselves
 Less unique than they really are
 “Below average”

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 Parenting
 Western
 Child given choices
 In play, parent asks questions about objects
 Eastern
 Choices made for the child
 Child reared to stay with mother most of the time
 Parent asks questions about feelings
 Feelings in disciplinary talks
 “The farmer feels bad that you did not eat everything…”
 “The toy is crying because you threw it.”

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 Proverbs

 Western: “The early bird gets the worm”

 Eastern:
 “The first bird in the flock gets shot”
 “A nail that stands out will be hammered
down.”

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 Source: Richard E. Nisbett, The Geography of Thought: How Asians and
Westeners Think Differently … and Why, New York, 2003, The Free Press

Values
Issue Western Value Eastern Value
Distinctiveness of Want to be distinctive Not valued; emphasis on
people tie to group
Perceived control Significant; values Modest—societal values
determine choices are already established
Emphasis Success and Best outcome for
achievement; relevant group (e.g.,
relationships may get in family, work group)
the way
Self-esteem Strive to feel good; Tied to belonging with
assurances wanted group
Relationships Equality or superior Clearly defined;
position hierarchical
Rules Same rules apply to all Depend on context and
relationship
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 Some implications

 Thanking people—for things they are

clearly supposed to do?
 Why the need for a choice between 40
different brands of cereal?

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 Socialization

 Western textbook: “See Dick run. See

Dick play. See Dick run and play.”
 Chinese: “Big brother takes care of little
brother. Big brother loves little brother.
Little brother loves big brother.”

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 Perception of People
 Western: People have characteristics
independent of the situation
 Fundamental attribution error: People
attribute their own behavior to the
circumstances but that of others to innate
characteristics.
 Eastern: Person is connected; behavior is
the result of specific roles played at the
time
MKTG 371 CULTURE Lars Perner, Instructor 28
 Contrasting Advertising
Perspectives (Aithison 2002)

 Western  Asian
 “Atomistic”—broken down  Holistic
to smallest component  “Everything relates to
parts everything else”
 “Unique selling  How things “fit together”
propositions” and “relate”
 “How to”  Visual and oral
 Positioning
 May be “dull and boring”
 “Copy focused” Jim Aitchison, How Asia Advertises,
New York: Wiley, 2002.

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 Advertising Content
Comparisons

 American:
 Individual benefit and pleasure (e.g., “Make
your way through the crowd)
 Korean
 Collective values (e.g., “We have a way of
bringing people together)

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 “Priming” and learning in a
culture

 U.S. professor in Hong Kong started

letter apologizing for his unworthiness
for the job
 U.S. manager left room so that an
employee could “snoop” on unfavorable
report

MKTG 371 CULTURE Lars Perner, Instructor 31

 Debate and Conflict

 “The first person to raise his voice has

lost the argument.” (Chinese proverb)
 Use of indirection and projection
 Face-to-face vs. anonymous comments
 Western adversarial “rule of law” based
on consistent universal ideals vs. solution
for the case at hand in context

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 Relationships, Education, and
Work

 Western
 Standing out; being “better”
 Self perceived favorably
 Self-esteem building
 Work longer on successful job
 Eastern
 Harmony
 Must “weed out” personal characteristics that might annoy
others
 Taught self-criticism
 Not recognized in profession until after many years of practice
 Work longer on unsuccessful job

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 Some Writing Patterns

English Romance Judaic Asian

Going in
circles to
avoid being
perceived
Detours are as overly
expected to assertive or
Straight to the
maintain interest causing loss
point;
and politeness of face.
conciseness
valued; theme
expressed

“But that’s
another story.”

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 Considerations in
Approaching a Foreign Market

 Level of cultural  Values relevant to

homogeneity vs. purchase and
heterogeneity consumption of product
 Relatively homogenous:  Distribution, political,
Japan, parts of China, and legal structures
Norway
 Relatively heterogeneous:
relevant to product
U.S., parts of Mexico  Communications
 Needs fulfilled by opportunities
product  Ethical issues
 Number of people who
can afford the product

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