Marketing communication: principles and practice

I N T E R C U L T U R A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N
119
Table 6.1
International communication strategies: standardize or adapt?
Same product
Different products
Same communication
Product and use is the
Product formulation 
same
differs
Different communication
Product need differs, 
Different needs and 
but use is the same
product use

---

Communication media are not uniformly available to consumers and
buyers. Major restructuring of the media industries is being driven by
technological development and deregulation. International networks of media
companies are evolving and the concentration of ownership is increasing.
The result is much cross-ownership of a range of media, allowing one-stop-
shopping for media buyers on an international basis.
I N T E R C U L T U R A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N
120
High
Context
Messages
Explicit
Implicit
Swiss
Germans
Scandinavians
North Americans
English
French
Italians and Spaniards
Latin Americans
Arabs
Japanese
Low
Figure 6.4
Messages and context in various cultures
BOX 6.2
ACCOMMODATION THEORY
In part, the question of whether or not to adapt advertising and other communication
activities to local cultures can be addressed from the point of view of accommodation.
What might be the consequences of adapting or not adapting our choice of language,
vocabulary, imagery, and other aspects of our communication patterns? Simply put,
accommodation in our communication behaviour is the conscious adaptation by one
or more persons of their style, content, and means of communication to that expected
and referred to by the other(s). 
When people believe that another person is like themselves, they are more inclined
to like them. Thus, accommodation theory suggests that constructive communication is
most likely to occur between people who present themselves as similar in the way they
behave and treat the other. This is an especially important problem when communicating
with members of minority groups (who, by definition, are dissimilar to the majority).
This way of thinking suggests that marketing messages should not be translated
between languages but should be designed specifically with each culture in mind, to
harness the differences rather than to try to minimize them. Standardization within an
international market segmented by actual cultural differences is a sensible option.

---

Setting a strategy
Standardize when: 
• buyers have similar characteristics, so that brand images and propositions
have universal meaning
• local programmes of communication activity lack resources, experience
and expertise, and cooperation can provide competitive advantage
• widening media and travel experiences allow a strong brand image to
develop
• the central management group requires control of creative input, planning
and implementation, freeing local managers to run the programme
• economies of scale can be accomplished in media buying, packaging, and
so on
• message consistency and integration can improve cost-effectiveness.
Adapt when:
• consumer and buyer needs differ, and experiences generate different
meanings
• the infrastructure needed to support the necessary communication
objectives and actions varies with location
• educational levels (literacy, etc.) vary
• local regulations reflect differing economic, social, and political concerns
• a lack of the sense of ownership by local managers may jeopardize the
programme – local managers may be more motivated to support locally
developed plans