Let us face it, with globalization, everything is possible. Marketing your business and focusing your efforts beyond your country or tradition is now very much plausible. In fact, conducting business abroad is easily done thanks to digital technology.



It is no surprise therefore, that marketing strategies have evolved to include cross cultural differences and how to connect to a market group that is totally different from what you have been accustomed to.

The key here is to remember that the core of any marketing strategy, be it full color printing for your marketing collateral or tv commercials, is to encourage and motivate your target clients to buy your product. Basically, marketing is all about convincing your target group that your business is all about them. This means getting them to believe in the benefits that you can give.

Nevertheless, this is easier said than done when you try to bring your idea to those living abroad. Some concepts may be acceptable, while others may just be annoying if not shocking for most.

Cross cultural marketing therefore, means successfully incorporating all elements to complement all types of values and traditions, as well as perceptions of your target market, whether local or abroad.

So how do you do that?

Language…

The bottom line in any cross cultural marketing is the language used to convey your message. It is actually a no brainer. How can your target market appreciate your business if they cannot understand what you're trying to say in the first place? Different language, different words, and different accents – all contribute to the success or failure of your marketing efforts.

Although this fact is already moot, most business owners fail to realize how language can affect one's marketing campaign. This is very apparent in most tag lines and slogans in marketing collaterals and other print ads. There are many blunders that can be found in the industry. If you look around, you can easily find one.

Therefore, to prevent many mistakes, one must be conscious of the fact that language can easily put a different meaning to an otherwise regular and harmless word from one culture to the next.

Style…

You probably think that communication should be straight and forward. But that is where you are wrong. Communication actually has its own style. Understanding the style that is appropriate for the culture that you are targeting can mean a great deal in creating yourself an effective marketing campaign for your business.

Color, Numbers and Symbols…

These elements play significant roles in making your marketing campaign accepted or not. In several cultures for example, even the simplest and most ordinary shade such as red can translate a different story altogether. Red may mean luck in China, but it can mean death for another country. The number 13 and 4, for example mean different things in the US and Japan. 13 is a very unlucky number in the former while 4 means death in the latter.

The bottom line is that when you want to create your ads that appeal to different cultures, always remember to be aware of the principles and traditions involved in each culture. The best way to describe this is to know your target clients and identifying their particular needs, wants and desires. When you are able to do that, cross cultural advertising will be a breeze.