Culture plays an important and undeniable role in a person’s life. Be it a private sphere of life or a public one; a personal space or a professional one, culture leaves an imprint on our thinking, shapes our perspectives, and provides a lens through which one determines one’s conduct. It cannot be avoided.
Similarly, in the business and corporate world, culture is one of the main aspects to be considered when planning, executing and implementing one’s strategies. In marketing and branding methods, one must be aware of the cultural perspectives, choices, sensitivities, and all the aspects that might not become a constraint later while implementing a brand strategy.
If ignored, cultural sensitivities may backfire and can cause a blow to the company, brand, or the whole marketing campaign in a negative way. In severe cases, it may lead to long-term rejection of the brand by the public and customers. Thus, making sure the cultural norms are taken into account while planning and implementing a branding and marketing strategy is the key to ensuring the future success of your product/service.
What to consider?
There are some things that every brand must consider while initiating a business venture in any area. Each city, area, and even locality has its own culture and symbolism which people hold dear to themselves.
During marketing campaigns and promotional outreach, make sure not to hurt the sensitivities of the target audience. Here are a few things that must never be ignored:
- Symbols and symbolism
Every culture has symbols and symbolic systems that are highly valued by its followers. In case of launching a brand in a foreign culture, make sure you do not offend the population by unintentionally portraying the symbols in a negative light.
This may backfire in a jeopardizing way and can virulently damage the company’s reputation. Sometimes, even legal suits may follow. Thus, the planning team must research the cultural and ethical sensitivities in their marketing and promotional campaigns.
- Daily habits and rituals
Daily habits and rituals in culture are highly important when you are trying to sell or offer something to an audience. For instance, some cultures take Sundays as rest days, while in others Fridays are usually off and considered a day for shopping and all the entertainment-related stuff.
Similarly, in some cultures, people tend to begin work from 7 am onwards while in others the market opening time may be 10 am, for instance. Thus, make sure you know the purchasing habits and preferences of the people in a particular culture.
Remember that not everything can be sold to everyone.
- Perspectives can vary
The perspectives to look at things and the thought process may vary from culture to culture. People might not like what you have portrayed in a brand’s advertisement as much as other cultures like.
Similarly, some people might focus on the background while some may like the focal point. Thus, perspectives must be considered while projecting your offers.
To sum up, one must not forget to ensure that no cultural boundaries are transgressed or the feelings of the population are hurt. If such a thing happens, it may turn into an objection to the brand itself.
Therefore, companies and brands can expand their businesses and create a huge outreach through such measures where people feel at ease with the brand.
