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Cultural Differences in Marketing Messages

With the current emphasis on the global marketplace, researchers are pointing out the fact that consumers in different cultures may react differently to marketing messages. These consumers may evince different consumer behavior which needs to be understood and accommodated by companies whose products cross borders. Indeed, market research has shown that companies in a multi-cultural environment such as the United States must be aware of cultural differences in shaping messages for different markets and even different market segments. Thus, purchasers from the Hispanic population may have different buying patterns than those from the Chinese population. International marketers are becoming more aware of the need to tailor messages differently depending on whether the target market is Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa, or the Middle East.

The prevailing view taken by many business people in the past was expressed by Thomas Jefferson when he stated: "The merchant has no country." The assumption was that business was the same no matter where it was conducted. Brake, Walker, and Walker (1995) note that there are three dubious assumptions underlying this view:

1) the culture of money and profit crosses national and regional boundaries;

2) the language of profit and the bottom line is recognized around the world; and

3) a good deal is a good deal no matter where it is offered.

The authors note that all three assumptions have some credence on the surface but that it should also be clear that culture matters and that any company must understand the influence of culture on the consumer and on consumer behavior (Brake, Walker, and Walker, 1995, 29).

Ignoring the influence of culture can alienate the consumer (Brake, Walker, and Walker, 1995, 31). There are numerous examples of companies that did not take differing consumer behavior into account and so suffered in the marketplace. Recently, Wal-Mart opened a store i...

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Cultural Differences in Marketing Messages. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 06:46, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1709315.html