研究生英語MarketingacrossCulture

1、Marketing Across CulturesSherrie E. ZhanElectrolux, a Scandinavian vacuum cleaner maker met great success in Britain with the advertising tag line “nothing sucks like an Electrolux”. But when it went into American market, it seems the product is difficult to get off the shelf.What do you think may b

2、e the reason?A Case of Communication breakdownCultural environmentQs for thinking: When it comes to marketing, what may culture refer to?It refers to a group of people sharing a distinctive heritage, which teaches behavior standards, language, life-styles and goals. E.g. They eat beef or pork.Qs for

3、 thinking: How will culture affect peoples buying behavior?It affects what they buy (taboos, local tastes, historical traditions, etc), why they buy, when they buy, who does the purchasing, and how they buy.Culture influences onConsumer attitude Work/material possessions Social class The role of wom

4、en/the underprivileged Morality/Religion Respect for law and social institution Politics EducationAdvertisingPositions of various productsHow female form may be usedWhat parts of the human body may be shownThe extent of physical contactThe degree of elegance, quality, urbanity, etcCulture influences

5、 on Business protocols Conduct of meeting Negotiating style Degree of formality Manner of greeting Buyer/seller relationshipsBusiness environmentsCommunication systemParticipation in decision makingRole of governmentEmployment conditionRelationships between labor union and employers associationOther

6、 Factors of national culture Economic destabilization Improvements in state welfare provision Immigration and emigration Improvements in education system Government control of economy Urbanization of populations Increased opportunities for consumption Opening up of foreign trade and influx of new id

7、eas from abroadGlobal consumers Strivers: mostly mid-aged male in developed and developing Asian countries and Pacific Rim, value material wealth and possessions, status, ambition and power Devouts: value faith, respect for elders, mainly in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, prefer local to imports

8、Altruists: outer-focused, well-educated, interested in social causes, older, with a median age of 44, mainly female in Latin America, North America and Russia. Intimates: focus on relationships close to home, family, friends and business colleagues, often in US, Britain, and central Europe. Fun seek

9、ers: young; hit bars, discos etc, seek pleasure, excitement and enjoy looking good. Creatives: appreciate learning and technology, heavy users of Internet.Steps to global marketing Decide why you need to market abroad. Is there need for your product in your target country? Who and how are your local

10、 competitors? What are the logistical roadblocks to getting the products to the consumers? What is your strategy of taking the market? Do a country-by-country testing before a full launch.Steps to global marketingOther factors to be concerned about: Language Design Brand Name Advertising methodsIntr

11、oduction to the Text This passage is a paper released in world trade. However, it is not in the slight academic with hard-to-understand technical terms. Instead, it is easy for us to understand its feasible application in reality. On the whole, the passage is in large measure argumentative, stressin

12、g the importance of taking into account a variety of cultural factors. It is riddled with an abundance of cases and examples, rendering it convincing that companies should make strenuous and worthwhile efforts in carrying out field research in target nations and regions as an indispensable component

13、 of a marketing and advertising campaign. What is worth our learning from this passage is how we should arrange our ideas in logical and convincing way by providing examples.The Structure of the Text Part 1 (para.1 to para.2) Part 2 (para.3 to para.11) Part 3 (Para.12 to para.14)Part 1 (para.1 to pa

14、ra.2) Main idea: Cultural awareness in marketing plays a crucial role because there are not only subtleties to every culture but plain taboo as well. Q1.According to the author, cultural awareness in marketing is very important. How does the author support her idea? Supporting evidence:a.General mot

15、ors sold their Nova model badly in Latin America because of imporper translation.b.Coca Cola didnt achieve initial success in China because of impeoper translation . Q2.In para1,the author cites an example, so why did general motors sell their nova model badly in Latin American? General motors sold

16、their Nova model badly in Latin America because “No Va” means “it doesnt go” in Spanish. Q3.Why didnt Coca Cola achieve initial success in China? Coca Cola didnt achieve initial success in China because the translation of the soft drink s name read “bite the wax tadpole. Q4.According to the author,

17、how to discern the unwritten rules of another country? There is still no substitute for a visit to the target market. Q5.What is the function of the last sentence of Paragraph2? This sentence serves as a connecting link between the preceding and the following paragraph. Paraphrase 1.But cultural awa

18、reness in marketing is a lot more than careful translation. Cultural awareness in marketing goes beyond mere translation. 2.Our own culture tends to be “invisible” to us, while differences we run into when abroad strike as strange, funny or exotic. We usually dont notice things in our culture, but w

19、e are prone to think things in foreign settings are strange, interesting or exotic.Part 2 (para. 3 to para.14)Main idea: how to take into account cultural factors in global marketing. Q1.In para3,Your hosts might ask seemingly rude questions such as “How old are you” Why does the author use an adver

20、b seemingly? In western countries, questions like age, marriage, salary are privacy which you are not supposed to inquiry. But in Asia culture, such as China, it is not the case. On the opposite, it shows ones interest and concern on you. Whether these questions rude or not depends on a countrys cul

21、ture. So meals, schedules, transportation, and personal conveniences cant be taken for granted. Q2. Is learning the basics of comportment in another culture sufficient for planning a full marketing campaign? No , because the simplest cultural differences can strand the grandest plans. Q3.According t

22、o the author, the simplest cultural differences can strand the grandest plans. So how did she support her view with an example? A major company spent many dollars on a marketing campaign before introducing its detergent. But when the detergent was made available, sales were miniscule because Japanes

23、e retail establishments were very tiny and local housewives make their purchases on foot. Q4.In para5,according to the example the author cited, why were the sales of detergent miniscule in Japan? Because the typically America “l(fā)arge, economy-sized” boxes were far too big and bulky for the tiny Japa

24、nese retail establishments. And Japanese housewives dont usually have cars-they walk to the stores and carry their purchases home, to very small living spaces. Q5.According to the author, in order to discern the unwritten rules of another country, it is important to visit the target market. So can y

25、ou find some evidence that support this idea? supporting evidence: a. Such a visit enables you to become aware of the target market. b. Such a visit a is a good chance to absorb the present-day culture. c. The poor sales of “l(fā)arge ,economy-sized boxes of detergent in Japan resulted from the fact tha

26、t Japanese retail establishments were very tiny and local housewives make their purchases on foot. Q6.In para6-8,the author puts up two suggestions ,so what are they? Two suggestions: Dont make generalizations about target language. Combine superstition and language for amplified effect. Q7.The auth

27、or said that cultural factors influence buying behavior. What are these factors? These factors include religion, superstition, family structure, cuisine, language and local history but extend to attitudes about such issues as government, work, authority, age, environment, space and time, and male-fe

28、male relationships. Q8.In para8,how did superstition affect consumer behavior? For example, in China , the number eight is considered lucky, and many products are named “88” . Phone numbers with eights denote good fortune, and real estate with eights in the address is likely to sell more quickly-esp

29、ecially if the price ends in “888”. Q9. In para9-10, there are certain “donts” in advertising,what are they?a.In the EU and much of Asia, comparisons in advertising are not accepted or allowed.b.Local differences in non-verbal behavior should be taken into account in designing visual advertising. Q1

30、0.Do neighboring cultures share buying preferences? No , neighboring cultures elsewhere dont necessarily share buying preferences any more than a US buyer does with a Mexican consumer. Furthermore, national borders dont always delineate buying behavior; regional patterns can be just as strong. Parap

31、hrase 1.Prices for the simplest purchases are subject to negotiation. People can also bargain over prices for the simplest purchases. 2.There is still no substitute for a visit to the target market. The best way to discern the unwritten rules of another culture is a visit to target market. 3.Every d

32、etail that differs from your usual pattern is a clue to the behavior of the local nationals. Every detail of the rules that different from your own cultures can help to explain why the local people behave in that way. 4.The simplest cultural differences can strand the grandest plans. Even the simple

33、st cultural differences can be barriers to the implementation of plans. 5.Beyond concrete demographics, these attitudes are not as easy to circumscribe and pin down. It is not as easy to clearly figure out these attitudes as concrete demographics. 6.As Americans, were used to a competitive playing f

34、ield in which we constantly compare ourselves, our companies, and our products. In the United States, we and companies are accustomed to competing with each other with rules similar to those on playing fields. 7.When the couples lips met, an audible gasp swept through the theater. The audience was s

35、hocked by the unexpected kiss of the couple. 8.Neighboring cultures elsewhere dont necessarily share buying preferences any more than a US buyer does with a Mexican consumer. If two countries are close geographically, it doesnt mean that they have same buying preference. In the same way, a US buyer

36、doesnt have same consuming habits with a Mexican consumer.Part 3 Conclusion(para12-14) Each aspect of culture is worthy of our attention, so it is wise to have someone with local knowledge of the target culture advise you. Q1.In para12, Why did the author suggest that dont use the Jolly Green Giant

37、in parts of Asia? Because in parts of Asia where a green hat worn by a man signifies that he has an unfaithful wife. Q2.What did the author suggest at the end of this passage? Have someone with native knowledge of the target culture advise you. Consult bi-national chambers of commerce for effective

38、help. Before launching a marketing campaign, try a test market first. Q3.Why is a market test generally conducted first in major city? Because generally, city populations will be more sophisticated and have the most cosmopolitan attitudes; they also have the highest incomes and therefore are more ab

39、le to purchase consumer and discretionary goods. Paraphrase 1.Each aspect of culture is like a stone thrown into a pool. Each aspect of culture can have a big impact on business. 2.Small budget? Consult bi-national chambers of commerce for effective help. If you want to cut expense, you can consult

40、bi-national chambers of commerce and you can get useful advice.Discussion In the passage, the author points out that there are subtleties and nuances to every culture, and there are just plain taboos. Can you list some examples about Chinese taboos? a.Death is a taboo which is not to be discussed on

41、 joyous occasions such as spring festival, weddings or birthdays. b.Never buy a clock as a present for any Chinese friend, since clock sounds similar to end. Giving a clock as a gift (song zhong) sounds like being present at their bedside when a person takes his last breath. c.If someone gives you a

42、 present, it is best not to open it in front of them.Discussion China has changed enormously over the last 20 years. It is on its track to become the worlds largest economy soon. As a result, more and more US and European companies want to do business in china. Can you give them some tips ? 1. Take your time. In the United States and European companies, business is ruled by deadlines. Chinese busine