Cultural Differences in Marketing Messages

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

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ty. The consumer relies on these vendors for a good deal of merchandise, even though they are technically illegal (Uchitelle, 1993, D1). This consumer behavior also militates against the gigantic shopping centers so prevalent in the United States. Such cultural differences between Mexico and the United States are major forces in shaping consumer behavior. Uchitelle (1993) shows that one problem for companies like Wal-Mart in Mexico is that their prices are not that different from those of the street vendor (Uchitelle, 1993, D4). The consumer therefore has no incentive to change old habits. Latin America as a whole shows differing consumer behavior from that of the United States, with variations within the different cultures of Latin America as well. A recent survey in Latin America shows that consumers there are more likely to be influenced by celebrity endorsements of products, but they are also less likely to respond to money-back guarantees. The survey also shows that there are differences among the economies of the smaller middle class and lower income areas in Latin America. The consumer responds to different kinds of products and is more likely to buy certain types of American products than others. The consumer res
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Approximate Word count = 1586
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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